What can I say, roofs are definitely not as sexy as an interior remodel. When the kitchen appliances start heading to the morgue you might secretly be doing a happy dance! There is certainly no happy dancing when you wake up to a 3am leak. It’s more like your running to the cabinet to grab a Band-Aid and figure out how to doctor it as cheap as possible. Or worse, you sign a contract with the first door knocker that hands one to you. I mean let’s face it, if I had all of that extra cash lying around you bet I would be turning to my Pinterest board and choosing one of the million ‘sexy’ projects I’ve pinned! My friends, I do have some good news with the latest innovations in roofing materials. Your new roof can now last up to 30-50 years. That’s right, take a second and read it again…30-50 years. Before jumping in you really want to make sure you choose your contractor wisely. There are so many fly-by-night companies, that it’s important to shop around and have a conversation with each contractor. Many contractors have a one year labor warranty so you want to be sure if you need to reach them in that time frame they’re still around and not chasing another storm in a different state. Everyone seems to be an expert these days so please make sure that your contractor has a valid state contractor’s license, liability insurance. Under no circumstances should you turn over a full payment for the job before it’s done. Eek…there are too many horror stories out there in regards to this naughty nature. The estimate given should be transparent to include all materials, labor, permits & disposal so be sure and review it. The materials should be line itemed with the product brand and warranties. When you are evaluating the estimates be sure you are not just looking at the price tag. We have all been stung here a time or two. I can’t even count the number of times I have purchased the cheapest option to save a dollar but in the end spending more to either fix or replace my ‘sweet deal’. Labor prices should be in the same ballpark so the price of negotiation is within the product. There are over 300 different shingle and material options so it’s important to sit down and discuss options from both the aesthetics to the performance. Depending on where you live there are certain weather resistant shingles designed specifically to withstand hail, heat, wind, and algae. Many of them will come with a rebate or longer warranty for installing them along with the manufacturer accessories (e.g. underlayment, ice and water barrier, starter shingles, etc.). In the end when you find a great contractor jump on their referral program so you can earn money back. Now, that will make you do the happy dance!