I get what you’re saying about the sticker shock, but I actually had a different experience with my roof after a storm last year. Ours is only about 10 years old—basic asphalt shingles—and we had a bunch of “cosmetic” hail dents too. The first contractor tried to upsell me on all these code upgrades, but when I checked with the city, turns out only a couple were actually required. I pushed back and got the quote down by almost $2k just by asking for a breakdown and double-checking what was really needed.
Insurance was still a pain, though. Took almost four months to get the check, and they nitpicked every little thing. But honestly, I wouldn’t write off every contractor—some are just more upfront than others. If you haven’t already, maybe try getting a second or third opinion? Sometimes the first quote is way off from what you actually need. And yeah, it’s wild how fast those “extras” add up... I swear, nobody warns you about this part of homeownership.
- Totally agree on the “extras” adding up—had a similar experience after a windstorm.
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I pushed back and got the quote down by almost $2k just by asking for a breakdown
- Didn’t realize you could negotiate that much. I just assumed the first quote was what it was... rookie mistake.
- Insurance dragging their feet is the worst part, honestly.
- Good call on checking with the city—never would’ve thought to do that myself.
- Always surprises me how much “extras” can sneak into a quote—seen it from both sides.
- Had a customer last month who just asked for a line-by-line, and we found $1,500 in stuff they didn’t need.
- Insurance delays are brutal, but sometimes the city’s even slower with permits...
- Negotiating’s fair game, honestly. Most folks don’t realize there’s wiggle room, especially after storms when everyone’s slammed.
Negotiating’s fair game, honestly. Most folks don’t realize there’s wiggle room, especially after storms when everyone’s slammed.
I get where you’re coming from, but after a big storm, sometimes there’s just not much room to budge on price. Materials spike, crews are working overtime, and honestly, the legit contractors are already stretched thin. I’ve seen folks try to negotiate and end up with someone who cuts corners or disappears mid-job. Just my two cents—sometimes paying a bit more saves headaches down the line.
Totally agree—after last year’s hail storm, I tried to haggle with a couple of contractors and honestly, it just wasn’t happening. Prices were up, and the ones who actually showed up were swamped. Ended up paying more than I wanted, but at least the work got done right. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for, especially when everyone’s desperate for repairs. It stings, but peace of mind is worth something too.
