Working with Blue Nail was an exhausting, disappointing, and infuriating experience. Blue Nail…read morelacked professionalism, accountability, and transparency throughout. They made multiple attempts to mislead us and only followed through when faced with the possibility of legal action. Save yourself the time, money, and stress. Avoid Blue Nail at all costs.
Blue Nail came recommended, so we reached out for an estimate. Early on, my father felt their team was defensive and difficult to communicate with. I didn't initially see that, so we moved forward.
Our home is a Victorian farmhouse with a steep roof and a flat section where a widow's walk once existed. We wanted to restore it and initially asked them to hold off on installing EPDM in that area so we could add the posts ourselves. They declined and instead issued a change order to include the posts in their scope, which we accepted due to time constraints.
After signing, we began asking about their installation method, expecting the posts to be properly framed for safety and durability. Once we started asking detailed technical questions, their demeanor noticeably shifted.
Shortly thereafter, Blue Nail informed us that they intended to withdraw from the contract, citing permitting and zoning variance concerns. This was a significant red flag. It is the responsibility of any reputable contractor to verify all necessary permits and zoning requirements prior to issuing a formal proposal. We believe they had done this research but were attempting to use technical jargon to intimidate us into backing down.
We investigated the variance claims ourselves and found them to be inapplicable. We confirmed with the local building department that a permit could be pulled, which we were more than willing to do. Despite all of this, Blue Nail still tried to walk away from the contract without valid justification.
We were prepared for legal action after months of delays and an attempted breach of contract. Although Blue Nail eventually agreed to proceed, work didn't start until September, 4 months after our deposit.
Issues:
Recurring Leaks: Blue Nail had to return three times to address water intrusion in the same area--raising real concerns about long-term structural damage. As roofing contractors, your main job is to create an impervious barrier between the structure of the house and the elements. This shouldn't be an issue, let alone a recurring issue.
Improper EPDM Installation: The membrane over our newly renovated bathroom was not secured to the plywood substrate. My father saw it lifting in the wind, leaving raw plywood exposed to the elements. This is an inexcusable oversight that could lead to serious water damage. We completely gut renovated this bathroom and included many layers of insulation, therefore it is hard to know if there was any immediate damage without opening up the brand new gypsum ceiling.
Exterior Staircase: The debris removal process caused deep gouges and scrapes--well beyond surface damage--on our back staircase. A third-floor interior ceiling was also damaged during post installation.
Cosmetic Fixes: They repainted the stairs but left a large paint stain on our concrete pad. Minor damage, but emblematic of a careless approach.
Dumpster placement: the dumpster was placed on an angle in the middle of the driveway, blocking our cars in the garage making us unable to drive to work.
Change Order for Soffits: They discovered extensive rot during the roof removal. We agreed to pay for repairs, but the price seemed unreasonably high. We suspect the quote was inflated due to the contentious nature of our prior interactions.
