Had a similar experience myself—went with a smaller local roofing crew to save some cash. They were great at first, but when we had a leak later, it was tough getting them back out. Learned my lesson: now I always check references and reviews carefully beforehand...
Interesting perspective, but I wouldn't write off smaller local crews entirely. I've actually found that some of the bigger, well-reviewed companies can be just as tricky to pin down when something goes wrong. Had a friend who went with a big-name roofer—tons of glowing reviews online—but when he had an issue, they kept bouncing him around between departments. Took weeks to get someone out.
Maybe the real issue isn't size or reputation alone, but transparency and accountability? I've noticed some smaller roofers are actually more responsive because their reputation in the community is everything. And honestly, sometimes those online reviews can be misleading—either overly positive or unfairly harsh. Personally, I'd rather have a roofer who's upfront about potential issues and clear about how they'll handle them if things go south. Curious if anyone else has found that transparency matters more than just references or reviews...
"Personally, I'd rather have a roofer who's upfront about potential issues and clear about how they'll handle them if things go south."
Agreed, transparency is key. I've seen roofers who'll promise you the moon just to get the job, but when something pops up mid-project, suddenly they're vague or unavailable. The best experiences I've had were with folks who laid out exactly what could happen, step-by-step, from the start—even if it wasn't pretty news. Maybe it's less about size and more about how clearly they communicate expectations from day one...?
"Maybe it's less about size and more about how clearly they communicate expectations from day one...?"
Yeah, communication definitely matters, but I'm wondering—would you trust a roofer who openly admits they're relying on a contractor network you've never even heard of? Transparency is great, sure, but does it really help if the info they're giving you raises more questions than answers? I've had roofers be upfront before, but sometimes their honesty just left me feeling more uncertain...
I get what you're saying about transparency sometimes just muddying the waters... had a similar experience myself last summer. We were getting quotes to redo our deck, and one contractor was super upfront about using subcontractors from some network I'd never heard of. At first, I appreciated the honesty, but the more details he gave, the more confused I got—like, why hadn't I ever seen these subs around town or heard anyone else mention them?
Ended up doing my own digging online (reviews, BBB, etc.), but honestly, that just raised even more questions. The info was either super vague or nonexistent. So now I'm wondering: does transparency really count if it doesn't give you anything useful? Or is it just another way of shifting responsibility back onto us homeowners to do all the legwork...?
