Irvine, CA
Fix the leak before it costs you a ceiling
Most roofs that leak do not need replacing. They need somebody to find the eighteen inches that failed and put it right.
Describe the repair job
Three questions, then the address. Up to three Irvine contractors who do this work.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in Irvine 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 repair job. A contractor who has not raised them has not looked properly.
- Where the water is actually getting in, not just where it is showing up
- Whether the surrounding material has enough life left to be worth tying into
- What the repair does to any remaining manufacturer warranty
- What it would cost to replace instead, so you can compare like for like
- Whether matching material is still available in your colour
Repairs on a roof with five years left are money well spent. Repairs on a roof with two are usually a deposit on the replacement you are about to buy anyway.
Expect the contractor to want to look before quoting. Anybody willing to price a leak repair over the phone is guessing, and the guess will be high.
Leaks rarely start where the stain is. Water travels along the underside of the deck and down a rafter before it drops, which is why a repair that goes straight to the discoloured patch usually fails twice.
Locally
Behind it: morning fog that sits on the roof until mid-morning. The north side of a house here ages years faster than the south side, and almost every roof gets replaced because of it.
About repair here
Do I have to hire anyone?
No. Take the quotes, sit on them, use them to argue with your insurer, or throw them away. There is nothing to cancel and nothing owed.
Why three quotes and not one?
Because one price tells you nothing. Three tells you where the middle is, and the outliers are informative in both directions — the very cheapest is usually leaving something out, and the most expensive should be able to say what you are getting for it.
Can I stay in the house while it is done?
Yes, though it is loud, and things will fall off shelves in the garage. Move cars out of the driveway and take anything fragile off the walls of the top floor.
It is leaking right now. What do I do?
Contain the water, photograph everything, and get the request in marked as an emergency. A tarp is the right first job. The permanent repair is a separate conversation and a separate price.
What is it going to cost?
No cost, no obligation, and never more than three contractors.