Cypress, CA
The tile is fine. The roof might not be.
Tile roofs fail from underneath. The tile you are looking at can be in perfect condition over underlayment that gave up a decade ago.
Describe the tile and slate job
Three questions, then the address. Up to three Cypress contractors who do this work.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in Cypress and the surrounding area.
- Today, usually within the hour. The first contractor calls or texts the number you gave us. ASAP requests go out first.
- Up to three of them, no more. We cap it at three so you can compare without your phone melting.
- They come and look. Estimates are given after somebody has been on the roof, not over the phone.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
If you do not hear anything today, check your voicemail and spam folder — contractors often call from a mobile number.
Before you let anybody on the roof
The things worth pinning down on a tile and slate job. A contractor who has not raised them has not looked properly.
- The condition and age of the underlayment beneath
- Whether battens are being replaced at the same time
- What percentage of tile breakage they expect and how it is priced
- Whether the tile can be salvaged and relaid
- Fastener specification, especially near salt air
Ask specifically how many tile or slate roofs the crew completed last year. The honest number is often small.
Broken or slipped tiles are a maintenance item, not an emergency, provided the underlayment beneath is still sound.
Matching discontinued tile is the real constraint. Salvaging what is there is usually cheaper and always closer.
Locally
Close behind that: sudden dry winds that test every lifted edge on the roof. These winds are not constant, which is the problem. A roof gets nine quiet months and then one night at fifty miles an hour, and whatever was marginal goes.
About tile and slate here
What if the decking is rotten underneath?
Expect a few sheets on most older roofs. Get the per-sheet rate in the contract. Open-ended decking charges are where a fixed price stops being fixed.
How much deposit is normal?
Ten to thirty per cent is ordinary, and is often used to order material. A demand for full payment up front is a reason to walk away.
Should I take the cheapest quote?
Only if it is the same roof. Most large gaps between quotes are scope gaps. Ask the cheapest contractor which of the other quotes items they have left out, and why.
How many contractors will contact me?
No more than three. We picked that number because two quotes is not enough to spot an outlier and five is an ordeal.