I get where you’re coming from—seen it myself more than once. It’s wild how fast those “savings” vanish when you start poking around behind the drywall or up in the attic. I’ve been on jobs where the boss got underbid, and we’d show up to fix stuff that should’ve been done right the first time. One place, they skipped ice and water shield to shave off a few bucks. Guess who got called back after the first freeze? Not the original crew, that’s for sure.
I’ll be honest, though, sometimes I wonder if higher bids are always about honesty. There are folks out there who’ll pad a quote just because they can—especially if they sense an owner’s desperate to get it done fast. But most of the time, yeah, a decent bid means you’re not getting shortcuts. People forget how much labor and materials actually cost when you want something to last.
Convincing owners is a whole different headache. I’ve seen them get dollar signs in their eyes and ignore every warning about cutting corners. Then when stuff starts failing—leaks, mold, whatever—they’re shocked it happened so soon. It gets old trying to explain why you need proper flashing or thicker insulation when all they see is the bottom line.
Still, I think being upfront and showing them real examples helps more than just talking numbers. If you can point to a roof that failed in two years versus one that’s still solid after ten, sometimes that gets through. Not always, but sometimes.
Anyway, you’re not wrong for wanting to do it right. It’s just a pain convincing folks who only see today’s price tag instead of tomorrow’s problems. Hang in there—it matters more than most people realize until it’s too late.
Nailed it—owners get so fixated on the upfront number, they forget what a mess a “cheap” job can turn into. I’ve had folks call me after their “bargain” roof started leaking in the first storm. They’re always shocked when I tell them fixing shortcuts costs more than just doing it right from the start. And yeah, I’ve seen padded bids too, but honestly, most of us just want to cover real costs and not get burned. It’s wild how much explaining goes into justifying things like proper flashing or ice shield... sometimes feels like you need a slideshow of roofing disasters to get through.
Yeah, I see this all the time—folks get laser-focused on the lowest bid and miss the bigger picture. I’ve managed a couple of projects where the “cheaper” contractor skipped things like proper underlayment or just did the bare minimum on flashing. Next thing you know, we’re dealing with leaks, mold, and insurance headaches. It’s wild how much more it costs to fix those mistakes after the fact.
Do you think part of the problem is that owners don’t really understand what’s in the bid? I’ve noticed a lot of proposals are just line items with vague descriptions—no real breakdown of materials or labor quality. I try to push for more detailed scopes, but sometimes it feels like pulling teeth. How do you all handle explaining why things like ice shield or better fasteners matter? I end up referencing local code a lot, but even then, some folks just want to gamble on the cheapest option.
Curious if anyone’s found a good way to communicate the long-term value without sounding like you’re upselling. Sometimes I wonder if showing them pictures of past failures is the only thing that gets through...
I run into this all the time—owners get fixated on the bottom line and don’t realize what’s actually in (or missing from) the bid. I’ve found that walking them through the spec sheets, pointing out where one contractor is using 15# felt and another is proposing synthetic underlayment, can help. Sometimes I’ll even bring sample materials onsite so they can see and touch the difference. It’s not foolproof, but it makes the conversation less abstract. Photos of past failures do seem to drive it home for the ones who still want to gamble... but I wish it didn’t have to come to that.
- Been there, done that—my first big reno, I just looked at the bottom line and figured “cheapest wins.” Ended up with a leaky roof and a lot of regret.
- The spec sheets are no joke. Half the time, the bids look the same at first glance, but then you realize one guy’s using builder-grade everything and the other’s actually speccing stuff that’ll last.
- I learned to ask for samples after getting burned on siding. Thought “vinyl is vinyl,” right? Turns out, nope... some of it feels like plastic wrap compared to the good stuff.
- Photos of past failures are brutal but effective. My neighbor showed me what happens when you skip ice & water shield—his kitchen ceiling looked like a waterfall after a big freeze. That got my attention fast.
- One thing I’ve noticed: contractors sometimes assume we know more than we do about materials. I’ve started asking “what does that *actually* mean?” when they throw out terms like “30-year shingle” or “synthetic underlayment.” Sometimes it’s marketing fluff, sometimes there’s a real difference.
- Not sure if anyone else has run into this, but warranty details can be sneaky too. Cheaper bid might mean no labor coverage or a prorated warranty that’s basically useless after five years.
- My rule now: if something in the bid looks vague (“standard flashing” or “typical fasteners”), I ask for specifics. If they can’t explain it in plain English, I get suspicious.
- At the end of the day, sometimes paying a little more up front saves you a ton of headache (and money) later. Wish I’d learned that lesson before my attic turned into a swimming pool...
Just my two cents—hope it helps someone avoid the rookie mistakes I made.
