Sharing Cost of New Roof with Townhome Neighbor

[John Galt III]

I live in a townhouse and I share a roof with the neighbor. The neighbor approached me last year about going in with her on the cost of a new roof. There is no current problem with the roof, but she wants to avoid any future problems by reroofing it now. I said I thought we had some more time on this roof, but I would think about it. The roof is 25 years old , as is the townhouse. It is doing fine, as far as I can tell. It has asphalt shingles, and apparently 25 to 30 years is the average lifespan of asphalt shingles.

If and when I go in with the neighbor girl on the new roof, will the contractor take 2 separate checks, and issue 2 separate receipts? And do you think we will save money by doing 2 units together?

Oh, btw, no homeowners association involved.

Thanks,

JG III

 

[Dimsumkid]

If you got 25 years out of your shingles, you definitely got your money's worth out of them. It's was time to look at replacing them a couple of years ago. You can check for wear on shingles yourself, are the corners wearing out, shingles curling up/broken off, any nail pops? Also check for a lot of loose granules in the gutters too. You should ask for a discount from the contractor since he's getting 2 jobs in 1 place and they shouldn't have a problem taking 2 checks and giving out 2 receipts since they're really 2 separate jobs.

 

[W2R]

I agree - - get the new roof. Assuming your present roof is a conventional roof, it's time. (I think those metal roofs are supposed to last longer).

 

[Bestwifeever]

Do it.

 

[lemming]

It can be better to do this now while you have time to get bids from several sources instead of after a big storm when you are trying to prevent water damage from getting worse.

 

[Brat]

This is a great opportunity to do some research on current roofing products and what to expect from a good roofing contractor. You will want to look at flashing's, valley gutters and probably replace those little skirts that go around vents that penetrate the roof.

Standing seam metal roofing can last a long time but there are a lot of other products available now, other than asphault shingles, that are worth considering. Much depends on your local conditions and budget. See if you can beg, borrow or steal, a spec sheet for roofing. Use an approved installer for the product you choose.

 

[eridanus]

25 years?!? You'd be lucky to get 15 years out of 30 year shingles in the Hail Belt.

You might want to consider using a synthetic underlayment rather than tar paper too.

 

[REWahoo]

I got three years out of my first 30 year roof. I'm up to 10 years on the replacement, but only because we've managed to dodge another hailstorm. I've never lived in a house long enough to test long-term roof reliability, but at 25 years I'd say you've done very well.

 

[LOL!]

If and when I go in with the neighbor girl on the new roof, will the contractor take 2 separate checks, and issue 2 separate receipts? And do you think we will save money by doing 2 units together?

The contractor you choose should do anything you want with respect to payment.

Yes, you will save money ... if you negotiate appropriately.

 

[Brat]

Just DON'T pay them anything in advance. If anything pay the bill for materials after they are delivered on site (on the roof in this case). Ask for the invoice, pay the amount on the invoice with a check payable to the material provider (in the past joint checks were customary but some banks won't cash joint checks).

 

[East Texas]

We have a metal roof and would NEVER think about going back to an asphalt roof. You'd be surprised the discounts you get if you just ask for one. You can say you're an AARP member, work for a megacorp (or really any company), drive a blue car (just kidding) - where I'm going with this is to contact a couple of companies to get competitive quotes and discounts. If you're going with a metal roof, check with your insurance company to see if there are any guidelines such as kind of metal, thickness, etc.

 

[Walt34]

You got your nickel's worth out of that roof. The penalties for putting it off are severe. Roof leaks don't always show up on the inside of the house right away, but will rot the underlayment, joists, and soak the insulation. One person I knew had no idea he had a roof leak until the wet ceiling and insulation fell into the living room.

Then in addition to the roof he was looking at expensive structural repairs, insulation, drywall, and painting. Not to mention the mess of it all.

It's a lot easier to just bite the bullet and pay for the new roof before all that stuff happens.

 

[East Texas]

If you are in a homeowner's association and you decide to go with anything other than a regular asphalt roof, check your by-laws to see if there are any restrictions.

 

[jimnjana]

Hope you both have termite protection.

 

[rescueme]

You can always just have your roof done, but then it would look much different due to color selection, type of shingle, etc.

As for me? I would have it replaced. I just had mine done - 17 years on a 20 year shingle. You are either going to have to pay now or pay later; I would rather pay for just the roof/underlayment than the same, along with structural damage repair.

BTW, we also went with the GAF Golden Pledge warranty/underlayment system which costs more than the traditional underlayment but as one who hates roof leaks (our first three houses had some form - this one, not at all) Of course, two of those homes had flat roofs, and the third had old slate - not the traditional shingles. I would rather pay for the upgrade of what the shingles are nailed on, with the increased water/ice damage protection. Having leaks is a real PIA...

 

[John Galt III]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I am thinking of having it done this Spring or Summer. I'll probably stick with asphalt shingles.


JG III

 

[walkinwood]

John Galt,
Why isn't this being handled by the HOA? Isn't that the purpose of the fees?

 

[tryan]

If it ain't broke ... don't fix it.

Last two roofs I had done ended up leaking around the chimney. Seems the young lads decided not to replace the lead ... tried to reuse the old. Never had leaks there before. Now its a continuous maintenance issue. Did use Water n'Ice 3 feet around the edge. Stuff is $100/roll but well worth it to avoid ice dams.

 

[Brat]

Require that the roofer replace all flashings and boots, including the one around the chimney.

Some communities have a home inspector 'from Hell'. Find out of you have such a person in your community and pay that person to visit during the course of construction to make sure the work is done properly. Also tell the roofer that if it isn't done right they will be required to re-do.

This is a trade where the cheapest isn't necessarily the best value.

 

[Lisa99]

if you decide to replace the shingles, on a 25 year old house the sheathing may be due for replacement as well.

If it is there is a sheathing product that includes a radiant barrier built into it. My brother just replaced his roof using the radiant barrier sheathing and his electric bills dropped by about 20% (he's in TX so the barrier helped reduced the attic temps).

 

[John Galt III]

John Galt,
Why isn't this being handled by the HOA? Isn't that the purpose of the fees?

Walkinwood,

There isn't any HOA in my complex.

JG III

 

[John Galt III]

If it ain't broke ... don't fix it.

Tryan,

That was my initial response when my neighbor approached me about replacing the roof.

Fortunately, there have been a few other buildings in my complex, same age as mine, that just had new roofs put on last year. Don't know if the old roofs were leaking, or how happy the folks are with the new roofs. I could go over and ask them some questions about their experience, perhaps get a referral for a roofer.

JG III

 

[freebird5825]

Absolutely positively get a new roof done if the service life of the shingles is past.
I actually re-did mine 1 year before I FIREd because I knew it would be very difficult for me to afford such an expense postFIRE. There were allegedly 3 years left on the service life of the shingles. However, I had already seen that there was some damage done by shovelers I had to hire one very snowy winter. They got a little carried away with cleaning off the snow.
So I replaced it sooner than the service life of the shingles, just to be on the safe side of the effects of that damage.

 

[Brat]

Absolutely talk to the neighbors who re-roofed. At the very least you may learn who to avoid.