I'm trying to decide between GAF and Certainteed for an asphalt shingle re-roof. A couple of the estimators have told me I've got enough wind damage to likely file a successful insurance claim for a new roof. A number of my neighbors have successfully done just that in the last few months (mostly using the GAF roofer).

I'm leaning towards the Certainteed Landmark vs. GAF Timberline HD for the shingles. The GAF roofer offers a 2-year workmanship warranty, which I know sucks. They also mostly use contractors to do the work. The larger Certainteed roofer offers 5 years standard and is Select certified. They tell me most of their workers are employees, but they sometimes use contractors. The smaller Certainteed roofer is not Select certified but offers a 7-year workmanship warranty.

My head is spinning with all the little details.

It's funny. The GAF estimator mentioned that the owner has 2 companies and the other company is the one that hires the contractors. He didn't think anything of it, but that was an alarm to me.

My neighbor down the street has the same insurer as me. She got approved a few months ago. I'm not sure if her deductible went up, but the estimator said her entire policy actually went down a few hundred because she now had a new roof.

I picked 4 roofers with lots of good reviews and figured on narrowing it down based on what they told me, not just price. Based on what I've encountered so far, they seem to favor Certainteed. At this point, I know I'm going to choose a roofer with a minimum 5-year workmanship warranty. Two years isn't enough.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I'm on my original roof which has lasted a good long while. Though one of my wife's cousins is a druggy and just happened to have also worked on the crew that built the roof Maybe I got lucky!

It's amazing. I've got estimators that just show up out of the blue to give an estimate and don't want to interact. Then there's a couple who don't want to give me anything in writing unless I commit to them. I need to see all the little details in writing before I commit to anyone. I understand most folks don't give a flip, but I do.

I've got one last company coming out. They've been in business locally for 60+ years. They've got some great informative videos on youtube describing the products they use and how they differ from your run of the mill roofer. They do not use contractors at all. The only bad review I could find was someone complaining about the algae guard failing after 5 years (manufacturing defect in the shingles). They initially wanted to clean it. The customer complained. They worked with the manufacturer and re-shingled his entire roof under warranty to the customer's satisfaction. I'm crossing my fingers I like this one.

The last company that came out (Eustis Roofing) was head and shoulders better than the others in explaining everything and answering questions. They gave me 4 different underlayment samples to compare what they use vs. the competitors' products. They also explained all the other stuff they do that most others don't. He provided different shingle samples and a folder full of good info. You could definitely see the difference comparing the Landmark (heavier and thicker) to the Timberline shingles. Best of all, no subcontractors. It's even in the contract, which he gave me a copy of (unsigned).

The difference in weight and thickness between the Timberline and Landmark shingles was pretty surprising. Researching comments on roofing contractor forums, they heavily favor Certainteed.

The last estimator said the insurance lobby (in Florida) is trying to get legislation passed that would allow them to require a new roof at 15 years regardless of the manufacturer's warranty. If that happens, I suspect all this extra quality is for naught. I'd consider going metal, but I'm pretty sure my HOA doesn't allow it. There is 1 tile roof in the entire neighborhood with the rest being asphalt shingle.

I sent them an e-mail. We'll see. I'd just about guarantee they start allowing metal if that legislation passes.

Thanks!

The claim is approved. Surprisingly easier than I expected, though not terribly quick. One of my neighbors has shitty insurance. Her claim was not approved.

If you have any sort of roof damage, but don't think you have enough for a claim, have a roofer look at it. I had all sorts of damage that I did not recognize (zippering, loss of adhesion). I didn't have any visible leaks in my ceiling either, but other than my deductible, insurance is covering my new roof.

I'm still sorting it out. I've got 2 bidders that don't use subs on their roofing crews and are well-reviewed. Both push Certainteed. The smaller bidder is local and offers the longest workmanship warranty (7 vs 5 years), but is not Certainteed Select Certified (can't offer the 5-star warranty). They've been around for ~15 years and my neighbor and numerous reviews say they are great. The larger company is certified and has been around for ~50 years. The 5-star warranty is cheap ($10 per square), but most comments I see from roofers suggest it's not really worth it.

The smaller guy is cheaper on everything. Default bid is ~$15.4K vs $18K. Upgrade to Landmark Pros ($300 vs $900). Upgrade to rigid shingle over ridge vents on all ridges (included vs. $600). I've currently only got 3 offset vents on the main ridge and there are 2 smaller ridges with none. Replace existing gutters with seamless. The smaller guy is half price at ~$5/ft.

Now the smaller guy uses Rhino 30 lb synthetic vs the other using FT Synthetic Platinum underlayment. The FT stuff feels stronger and thicker, but I'm not sure that matters so much with underlayment. The smaller guy charges $75 per sheet for decking (3 included for free). The other charges $60/hr plus the cost of materials ( I think a sheet of plywood is ~$25). I'm not sure which is better there? How long does it take to replace a sheet of plywood?

For one more monkey wrench in all this. I just found out a neighbor used the smaller guy for a new roof 1 month ago. Our houses are the same layout, but mine is ~80 sq ft bigger. Their permit shows a cost of $13,800 for the reroof. I'm trying to get some more details from them, but I'm figuring that's one extra square of shingles allowing for plenty of waste. Why was my estimate $1600 more? The neighbor kept their original venting, but we hadn't even discussed upgrading to ridge vents when I got the estimate.

I appreciate any input. I like both companies, but I'm not sure the higher bidder is going to come down enough to be competitive.

Also, what do you think of Landmark IR shingles? I am going to ask as I didn't expect the upgrade to Pros to be so cheap. I think the impact-resistant shingles will save me some money on insurance as well. I'm in Florida and we get a lot of bad storms.

Thanks!

Just got word from the neighbor. Their estimate was $14,300 not $13,800. They weren't sure what type of shingles. They look very nice though (lots of variation in the color and shading). So $14.3k + 1 more square + the work required to do the ridge vents. My original estimate is probably right inline. I know there is a good bit of cutting involved.

The nice-looking shingles on my neighbor's house are Owens Corning Duration in Sand Dune. They really stand out vs the other homes.

It's a no go on Landmark IR shingles. Their supplier can't get them. Said they are only approved for California?

Not my neighbor's house.

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I kid you not, this is worse than buying a new car. It kills me that one estimate will be so detailed. They tell you what kind of underlayment, what special membrane they use in the valleys, every little f'ing thing. They even spell it out "we do not use subs". But most estimates are seriously lacking. It makes it hard to compare without asking a bunch of questions. It's so tedious.

I hear ya, but that workmanship warranty tells me how much faith they have in the job they've done. JA Edwards offers a 2-year workmanship warranty standard. I know they use subcontractors and GAF shingles and I know they get lots of complaints about shoddy work. If a company is offering 7 years, that tells me something. Defective shingles get installed all the time. The company might replace the shingles, but what about all the labor? The workmanship warranty takes care of that.

Yeah, I'm not buying what he told me. Surely they are available in more states than California. Ultimately though, I'm trying to get the best roof I can get within reason. If hail jacks my roof, that's why I've got insurance.

For an extra $300 it's a no-brainer. I think Landmark Pro vs regular is an extra 40 lbs per square in weight. Upgrading further to Landmark Premium gets you another 30 lb/square, but Premiums are much more expensive.

One of the companies had their shit so together they gave me samples of all the popular underlayments. The FT Synthetics Platinum is by far the most substantial underlayment. It's no contest. But I'd say the Rhino Roof comes in second, at least in terms of hand feel. Ultimately though, it's just protecting everything underneath while the shingles are getting installed right? As for the valleys, the larger company simply says a poly seal rubber underlayment membrane. The smaller company says they use a product they call Resisto. I suspect most customers don't give a flip. I do.

I will if I go with the roofer that offers it. Many roofers suggest it is difficult to get an approved claim. I can tell you some of my estimates had a huge markup on that warranty. $10 per square is cheap for the 5-star warranty.

That's what I figured. I know I'm gonna need a few to cover up the offset vents and I have one valley with some rot at the bottom about the size of a dinner plate.

$5/ft is cheap for seamless aluminum gutters around here. If I go with the cheaper roofer, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need to add some work anyway as I'm on the hook for a $2500 deductible which I must pay and insurance is paying ~$16.5K. It's got to add up to at least $19K somehow.

Yeah, getting all that included.

Thanks for the advice. Most of my neighbors are going with JA Edwards. The PM guy is smooth. "You've got roofing damage. I can get you a new roof for almost free". And they are hooked. Admittedly, I had no idea I had enough damage for a claim until he clued me in. I think I'll send him a gift card for a lunch or 2.

Got my check yesterday. It was suggested they'd likely send one for the depreciated value, then the rest (minus my deductible) once they had proof the roof was finished. Nope, they sent me the full replacement value minus the deductible. That makes things a lot easier.

I told the high bidder what the low bidder offered to install Landmark Pros. We'll see what they say. I'm signing a contract with somebody by EOD Tuesday.