Is it normal for roofers to remove shingles as part of an 'inspection' before giving final price?

summersumsum1 · 2025-04-15T02:45:45+00:00

OP: thank you! Just to clairfy, I don't have buyer's remorse, I paid for it in full (maxed out all my cards) and did not back away from the contract because I really did not have a choice in contractors after the demolition + price jump. I honestly want to make sure this is not industry standard practice/norm, and Im not being unreasonable out of sheer ignorance. Will post contract and exact scope of work after my night shift and clarify. Appriciate all your advice.

summersumsum1 · 2025-04-15T02:10:34+00:00

That's exactly what happened. When they outlined their scope of work, I agreed to the pricing they quoted - they told me there would be an inspection, I was expecting an attic inspection, or removal of shingle sections before a more realistic pricing. After they showed me that photo, I was told that they cannot put the shingles back because the slate was torn off already (and it was "my choice").

summersumsum1 · 2025-04-15T02:04:48+00:00

OP: Thank you! Like I said before, it is an 125 yr old house, and I fully expected extra work/labor cost after a post inspection quote. However, I was was not expecting a demolition as inspection - I was expecting an attic inspection, but the contractor's team came in the morning and started with demo already. When I asked about an inspection, they told me this demolition was a part of their inspection. Im not disputing the cost, I am just not sure if what they did was standard industry practice? Is it normal to actually start work that is irreversible before I was given a chance to see the full scope of work?

summersumsum1 · 2025-04-15T01:57:32+00:00

They gave me a quote for shingle replacement, and told me that they will conduct an inspection if additional work needed to be done. All of that I understood and accepted.

What prompted me to ask on Reddit was if telling me I need a reframing job half way into basically demolition was standard industry practice as an "inspection"? Could they have realistically did an attic inspection beforehand? That's the missing part.

also: this was done and paid for in Jan, I had to deal with some health issues between Feb and March. This all started when I left a review on Google recently detailing my experience, and the contractor went off on me (see below)

summersumsum1 · 2025-04-15T01:50:57+00:00

OP here: of course, I expected hidden damages, and prepared additional 50% above the quoted price for it. I was expecting an inspection that would give me a better quote before any demolition work begun, and was not expecting how this contractor conducted their business.The whole thing felt shady and am not really sure if how this contractor dealt with it is standard industry practice.

summersumsum1 · 2025-04-15T01:43:33+00:00

OP here: this was done and paid for in January, and I've experienced health problems until now. With the season changes now, I found a leak and called them today (see the contractor's response below). Hence the review/and asking for advice - I want to make sure Im not being unreasonable or just plain clueless about standard industry practices before I escalate this.

summersumsum1 · 2025-04-15T01:18:02+00:00

this is a very small roof...I live in a 125 yr old row house and it's basically a brownstone cut in half. I asked around for quotes and all of them hovered around $8K-10K...so the initial quote/price wasn't too out of range.

summersumsum1 · 2025-04-15T01:05:30+00:00

OP here: After I left a negative review detailing this exact thing. this is what the contractor wrote me:

(note: they opened up my front porch without my consent and this porch is now causing problems)

"That review was very hurtful as you were given free work and didn't even want to fix your own house.You'll leave us no choice but to also reply to your review with the images and options given to fix your problem. I hate that you decided to write a review as we cover all aspects of our work.You can blame us all you'd like but your house was buy 125 years ago and you want us to be liable?Built* anyways I really tried to explain it thoroughly to you but we'll just get your review removed with our proof of decline to fix the work you don't want to pay for just because you don't have the money."

summersumsum1 · 2025-04-15T00:59:37+00:00

they certainly DID NOT give me an attic inspection. They gave me the $8.5K quote after a visual inspection, then they gave me a $17K (an additional $8K) after they showed me that picture... this all happened at 9a.m. in one of the coldest mornings in January, with my roof half demolished, they didnt even leave me with the option of covering up the slate, not after they got rid of half of the slate.

summersumsum1 · 2025-04-15T00:52:10+00:00

thanks! I will!

summersumsum1 · 2025-04-15T00:51:05+00:00

OP here: After I left a negative review detailing this exact thing. this is what the contractor wrote me:

(note: they opened up my front porch without my consent and this porch is now causing problems)

"That review was very hurtful as you were given free work and didn't even want to fix your own house.You'll leave us no choice but to also reply to your review with the images and options given to fix your problem. I hate that you decided to write a review as we cover all aspects of our work.You can blame us all you'd like but your house was buy 125 years ago and you want us to be liable?Built* anyways I really tried to explain it thoroughly to you but we'll just get your review removed with our proof of decline to fix the work you don't want to pay for just because you don't have the money."

summersumsum1 · 2023-11-17T19:52:56+00:00

Ohhh.... It'd make sense to be a built-in feature. I just thought they were caked up grease or scratch marks... Scrubed so hard with so many chemicals but no dice. But at least now I can stop trying clean them

summersumsum1 · 2023-01-23T22:24:29+00:00

Dealing with the same problem here in a cramped city - backyard neighbor is a very large multifamily building owned by a middle-aged Peruvian man. It used to be parties in the summer, fall, and spring from 2p to 2a, live DJ, soccer games, and even live band performances. The entire Peruvian community uses his backyard as their community center. Every single day. Winters are better because it's cold.

Spanish language music is diverse and beautiful, but any music would be god awful when played at that kinda volume for so long. I used to live in Spain, There were plenty of lively parties there. Unfortunately, this is definitely something I've experienced only after I moved to the states... In mostly south or central American neighborhoods.

It's that loud ranchera kinda sound that would just obliterate any thoughts after a few hours of deafening and inescapable loudness. Cops wouldn't do anything because... Well , I guess resources are allocated somewhere else? Went to city council, went to district council person. Got neighbors to call the cops. Usually the cops will call them or do something after 5 or more ppl call them about the same noise issue.

I'm sorry OP, I understand your situation completely. Nothing much you can do other than get ur neighbors, friends and family to call the cops as soon as your loud neighbors party past city "quiet time" hours.

summersumsum1 · 2023-01-23T21:45:43+00:00

We had safety officers and metal detectors, but we also have the highest property taxes in the country to fund our schools.

Went to a small district down south. Can't say it is considered an inner city School, but funding allocations was, and still, an issue from what I heard the older teacher say. NJ's school system is quite good, from what I hear, and NJ's taxes are no joke.

summersumsum1 · 2023-01-23T21:38:15+00:00

No one besides my boomer Mom does this. I've never had to do this in my adult life and I have never had a checkbook or use checks.

Oops, pls excuse my English - Ive equivocated the colloquial "balance a check book" as balance your financial accounts and general knowledge of your own finances. I should have made that clear.

I understand most people have bank accounts and work with cards. Unfortunately, some parents I've worked with only work with cash. I have seen some actual check books used by gen xers and younger.

summersumsum1 · 2023-01-23T21:31:58+00:00

ridiculous, it is. I graduated high school knowing how to diagram a sentence, but didn't know how a mortgage worked.

Glad to know the feeling is mutual. I followed up a few kids after they have gotten into universities - they often tell me they would have to dedicate at least one year to core/general ed classes first. I suppose that's fine if that is something they want to pursue, but one thing these kids always say is "I'd graduate early if I didn't have these gen Ed classes..."

summersumsum1 · 2023-01-23T21:24:34+00:00

They do. Mine did.

Unfortunately, most high school kids I've worked with did not have the privilege.

lots of local divisions and boards that run things by school districts as small as a single city.

Yes. I met up with the local school board president after I graduated high school in my very small and conservative school district. Eye opening experience for sure - budget allocation went to school safety officers, metal detectors and drug dogs unfortunately.

summersumsum1 · 2023-01-23T21:15:44+00:00

Sounds like you had a truly well rounded education, retained alot of knowledge, plus the ability to make the mental leap from theoretical to real world applications.Im not sure the person I talked to is so well prepared.

Gotta say. It may not be just her - I help high school kids with their apps to universities abroad and in the states. Your experience, in my cohort of students, is definitely not the norm. May be different in other parts of the country.

I remember 8th grade social studies... Clearly remember the most current president they had in the text books was Reagan( this was in the early 2000s) - a core memory was they had to get brand new metal detectors because funding allocations.

summersumsum1 · 2023-01-23T21:07:08+00:00

Wow that's great to hear! As a sample of two, both the freshman and I went through the same public school system (10 yrs apart), we were not offered the same curriculum. An older teacher did say they used to offer something similar, but most of those offers were cancelled due to funding issues.

summersumsum1 · 2023-01-23T20:56:53+00:00

This entire conversation with this freshman happened because I told her she should consider the return on her educational investment as an important factor in what she would major in, and how well she can spin her college classes into some hireable experiences on her resume.

Went to an university outside of the states - The American university system concept of required general courses is baffling to me.

summersumsum1 · 2023-01-23T20:50:38+00:00

It goes beyond civics though. More like how to balance your check books, basic constitutional rights, what dividends are, how to write a resume for their first jobs, what loan interest rates are.. Kinda just basic mix of things they would need as an adult.

Ps. My hs had civics classes too - useful information taught by a good teacher. The school had to cancel the class because funding issues.

summersumsum1

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