Frequently Asked Questions
If you are interested in working with the staff at Brauer Roofing, Inc., for a new roof, roofing repair, ice dam removal, or other home roof project, you likely have a few questions about the process. Perhaps you’re wondering about insurance and financing, or you need to know more about the types of materials and services we provide. So, before we start work on your residential project, here are a few common facts about our organization to get you started.
*How and when do I pay my bill?
Your roofing bill is due in full upon completion unless previous arrangements have been made during the bidding process. Acceptable payment methods are as follows: cash, personal check, bank check or money order. Please send payment to P.O. Box 9217, Rochester, MN 55903. Credit card payment may be used but there will be a fee. The fee will be anywhere from 2.8% to 3.8%, depending on type of card used; VISA, MasterCard, Rewards type card, corporate card, etc.
*Do you require a down payment?
No, this is one of the reasons we have to get prompt payment. If we are doing your roof over 45 days after the proposal was signed, we have probably already paid for the product. This can easily be half the cost of the job.
*How do I hire Brauer Roofing Inc. to replace my roof?
Call Jeff and verbally give the go-ahead (421-0522). Select style of shingle and write in color selection. Select any upgrades (vented ridge) or any extended warranty you want. Sign proposal and send yellow copy to: P.O. Box 9217, Rochester, MN 55903. (This address is also on proposals in upper right-hand corner.)
*How do I select color and style of shingle?
Most of our customers select color by going to our reference list and selecting some roofs we have done to look at. This will give the best indication of what the shingle will look like in the “real world.” Hint: You may want to narrow your choices down to grays or browns first by looking at the roofing selection guides provided with your estimate. If you need help with selecting style (or color) you can consult with Jeff.
*When can you do the job?
This depends on the time of year, size of roof, backlog and things of that nature.
*How long will the job take?
Almost never more than 1 day. Some jobs though may take 2 days or even longer depending on the scope of the work. We will tell you if the job will be more than 1 day to complete.
*What about extended warranties?
Standard shingle warranties are inadequate. They are for a short duration and don’t cover labor to remove or dispose of the defective shingles, which is a significant part of the cost of the job. We recommend adding the extended warranty, no matter which shingle you choose. For more detail on the extended warranties, refer to your brochures and/or call Jeff for any answers to your questions.
*Will dark or black shingles make my house or attic hot?
It depends if you have adequate ventilation and insulation. Generally speaking, color doesn’t dictate attic or house temperature. Some houses, although rare, may have circumstances that would indicate the selection of a lighter color. Call Jeff with any questions regarding this matter.
*Do my gutters have to be removed?
Almost never. The only reason gutters may need to be removed is if they are “strapped” to the roof. If you are getting new gutters after the roof is installed, it is important to tell us.
*Should I take things off shelves or pictures off walls?
It is very rare anything ever falls off shelves or pictures fall off walls. With this said, if you are concerned about this or have things of great or irreplaceable value, please take care to secure those items.
*Do I need to cover things in my attic?
If you have a plywood or close gap board deck, only small amounts of dust or granules may fall into attic. If your roofing job includes re-sheathing your roof deck, there will be somewhat of a mess in the attic or walk-in loft – care should be taken by the homeowner to protect any valuables.
*Why is vented ridge considered an upgrade?
We use a top of the line vented ridge. It will not take in snow (except in extreme reverse pressure situations or extremely high winds, which in that case roof vents will too). This vented ridge won’t crack, sustain hail damage, or allow birds to build nests, all of which are real possibilities with roof vents. The vented ridge itself carries a higher cost than roof vents. There is also extra labor in blocking the existing vent holes and preparing the ridge for the new ridge vent.
*What if there are shingles left over?
We will organize and stack neatly any shingles left from open bundles. We will leave these shingles at your house in case they are needed in the future for repairs. There are instances where no shingles are left – in this case none will be left at your house. We do not deduct from the final bill if there are full bundles of shingles left, just the same we don’t charge you more if we are short shingles. We routinely order 1 to 2 square extra in case of damaged product so we can pull those out of installation.
*Do you work with insurance companies?
Yes – be sure to inform us if there is a pending claim or if you are worried you may have storm damage.
*What about my existing skylights?
The only way for us to 100% leak guarantee a skylight is to replace it with a new one (usually around $600.00). With this said, we can usually “roof in” the existing light so it doesn’t leak. This skylight may not last as long as the new roof, as it is already used. Skylights don’t last forever. Call with any concerns about this and we can discuss further.
