- Been there more times than I can count.
- Last winter, we bid a flat roof on a 60s warehouse. Used infrared scans, drones, the whole deal—still missed a big section where the deck was basically mulch under the old mod bit.
- I’m convinced you just can’t catch everything, especially with these older commercial roofs.
- Now I always add a line in the bid for “hidden conditions” and make sure the client knows surprises are likely.
- Sometimes I’ll even bring them up on the roof and poke around together before demo, just so there’s no shock later.
- Drones and cameras help, but nothing beats actually pulling up a few test cuts if you can swing it.
- Anyone else find that city codes don’t always match up with what’s actually up there? Had inspectors tell me decking was fine when it clearly wasn’t...
- Guess at the end of the day, you just have to budget for unknowns and be upfront about it.
City codes and what’s actually up there—don’t even get me started. I’ve had inspectors sign off on stuff that made me nervous just to walk across. I always tell folks: if you can, pull a couple of test cuts, even if it’s just a small section. Photos and scans are great, but nothing beats seeing the layers with your own eyes. And yeah, those “hidden conditions” clauses have saved my bacon more than once. Sometimes I feel like I’m just budgeting for surprises and hoping they’re not too wild.
That’s the truth about budgeting for surprises. I thought I was being super thorough on my last bathroom reno, but once I opened up the floor, I found a patchwork of old repairs—some of it looked like it was held together with hope and duct tape. The inspector didn’t even blink at it, but I sure did. Ended up redoing way more than planned, but at least now I know what’s under there.
I get what you mean about test cuts. I’ve started doing that too, even if it feels like overkill. It’s wild how different things can look just a few inches over. One spot in my kitchen ceiling was totally fine, but two feet away, the joist was half rotted from an ancient leak. If I’d just relied on the photos from the inspection, I would’ve missed it.
Those “hidden conditions” clauses are a lifesaver, but sometimes I wonder if they’re just a way for contractors to cover themselves when they underbid. Like, is it even possible to get a truly accurate estimate on these older places? Or is everyone just guessing and hoping nothing major pops up? I try to pad my own budget for “unknowns,” but it always feels like a shot in the dark.
Curious if anyone’s ever had a contractor actually come in *under* their original bid because things went smoother than expected. That’s never happened to me—maybe I’m just unlucky or maybe that’s just how these projects go...
- Totally relate to the “patchwork of old repairs”—I’ve seen roofs where every layer tells a different story.
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I doubt it, honestly. Once you peel back the first layer, who knows what’s lurking underneath.“is it even possible to get a truly accurate estimate on these older places?”
- Hidden conditions clauses are necessary, but yeah, sometimes feels like a safety net for lowball bids.
- Only time I came in under budget was a green roof install—old building, but we lucked out with solid decking. That’s rare though.
- I always pad my numbers for “unknowns,” but it still feels like educated guessing.
“is it even possible to get a truly accurate estimate on these older places?”
I’ve wondered the same thing. When I bought my place (built in 1927), I figured the roof would be “just shingles.” Nope—turned into a weird archaeological dig. There was a layer of ancient cedar shakes under two layers of asphalt, plus some kind of mystery flashing that crumbled if you looked at it wrong. The initial estimate was off by about 30% once they started tearing things off.
Hidden conditions clauses make sense, but yeah, sometimes it feels like they’re just bracing you for the inevitable “surprise” change order. I tried to get multiple bids, but honestly, every roofer had a different theory about what was up there.
Padding the budget is smart, but even then... sometimes it feels like rolling dice. I went with a contractor who did thermal imaging before quoting, which helped a bit—fewer surprises, but still not perfect.
I’d love to hear if anyone’s actually had an old roof project come in on target. For me, it’s always been “expect the unexpected.”
