How to Negotiate a New Roof When Buying a Home

3 years ago

For most people, buying a home represents the largest single investment they will make. Obviously, they want the best value their budget can buy, but there are times when that perfect home has a major, big-ticket flaw like a leaky roof. Do you walk away or do you try to negotiate a new roof with the seller?

You can negotiate a new roof and you can do it in a way that meets the objectives of both the buyer and the seller.

Suggested Buyer Strategies for Negotiations

If you have a talented, experienced real estate agent working for you, he or she should already be suggesting these options.

The reason you know the roof needs repair or replacement might be because of the property inspection report generated as part of the contingencies in the purchase contract. With that detailed Home Inspection Report, you can then find a licensed, reputable roofing company like Roofstar Arizona to inspect the roof and give you an honest assessment of the roof’s condition and estimate for repair.

Why Should I Pay For a Roof Inspection When I Can Get a “Free Estimate”

“Free Estimates” are not free for contractors. There are costs for driving, inspecting, and creating a report or estimate. Thus, contractors “tweak” that “free estimate” to their advantage to sell the work and recover those costs. Some details may be left out in order to enhance the contractor’s chance of getting work.

When buying a home you need honest, accurate information to negotiate your purchase. Roofstar’s nominal fee for Roof Inspections allows us to give you the whole story of your roof’s condition and what you can expect in the future. You have paid for our time so we give you a thorough report just like your Home Inspector. Home Inspections only provide a visual overview of the roof. Roof Inspections remove tiles to view the roof’s underlayment and flashing construction, parts that provide the real waterproofing seal for your home.

Getting The Roofing Work Done

A bad roof can have serious consequences for both buyer and seller.

Based on the age of the house, lenders may ask for a roof certification. Bankers want to protect their interest in the home and will withhold the mortgage on a house that has a damaged roof.
The age of the roof, whether it is sound or not, is also important to insurance companies and they may not bind a policy on a home if they believe it is damaged or will need replacement within a few years. As a general rule, insurance companies will not issue a policy on a roof constructed of standard asphalt shingles that are 15 years old, 20 years for architectural shingles, or 30 years for tile or metal. No insurance policy means no mortgage.

So both buyer and seller are set up to lose unless an agreement is made to repair the roof.

Here are a few common solutions:

Split the Repair Cost. The old/damaged roof issue is not going to go away once it is identified. That means the seller is going to have to deal with it whether it is with you or the next interested buyer. Consequently, he or she will be motivated to get it resolved so the house can sell. A common solution is to split the cost of repairs. This typically takes the shape of the seller offering credit on the sales price.
Increase Financing on an Under-Appraised Property. If it is the seller’s position that the original sale price was already reduced because they knew there was a roof issue, and if the sale price is less than the lender’s appraisal and the amount you are approved for, then it is fair for the buyer to pick up the cost and cover it by increasing the amount financed.
What NOT to do. Typically, time is of the essence with roof repairs. Unless your lender and insurance have no objection, the repair/replacement needs to be made before the closing of escrow. Under no circumstances agree to the seller handling the project. You do not want a cheap Saturday night special repair job by a less than qualified contractor. You can mutually agree on a contractor or use the contractor of your choice.

Get The Truth About Your Roof

Buying a house is stressful enough. Adding the need for a new roof and the unexpected cost doesn’t help. What can help is using a professional, licensed roofing contractor like Roofstar Arizona to provide you with a thorough inspection and a detailed estimate of costs. Let us help you resolve the roofing issue by providing high-quality roofing that will last for decades.

Roofstar provided professional inspection and detail quotes on the repairs needed to be done for our properties. We collected a few quotes from different roofing companies for comparison. Roofstar repair cost was very competitive and reasonable. We ultimately chose to go with Roofstar because we felt confident that they would take care of the problems. They came back to correct the minor issue that we had and finished the job to our satisfaction without further questions. We would highly recommend Roofstar to our families and friends.

Andrea S.

Jeff found problems we knew were wrong with our roof that other Roofers who inspected & gave proposals missed. He was very straight forward, honest & always making sure our questions were answered. He & his crew showed us materials being used & explained everything! He got on the roof during the work to make sure things were going right. His crew are outstanding, respectful, honest and very clean. Couldn’t be more satisfied!! He came highly recommended & we can see why! Thank you Jeff, Juan and Crew for all your hard work. They care & take pride in their work & customers!

Ron & MJ P.

Mesa, AZ

Thank you Jeff. Your team (Juan Diaz and crew) did an outstanding job and we really appreciated the daily clean up. Awesome.

Sheryl S.

Fountain Hills, AZ

Will refer your team and you…..you all fully understand and work for Total Customer Satisfaction…..hope sign generates a new client or two. Take care.

Jack B.

Fountain Hills, AZ

From start until finish, Roofstar Arizona was the perfect choice for our house. We were given a very clear and thorough quote for the work our 30+ year old roof needed; we could’ve choose to ‘band-aid’ key areas and spend less, or we could spend the money and fix it right. We had saved and knew we’d have to spend a good amount of money for the work, but Roofstar was professional enough to offer choices. We had a slight miscommunication with regard to instruction with the on-site supervisor, and though we were able to easily clear things up, Roofstars’ owner Jeff drove himself to our home just to make sure our minds were at ease. Excellent touch. The workers were courteous and very thorough with the work. They stuck to the time needed to complete (we had good weather), and our home has a new roof, ready for the next 30 years. It looks great, and we have the confidence knowing the job was done right. Great work, guys. Highly recommend this company.

….03/2020–an update–we’ve had a few rainy days since the roof work–and everything is in fantastic order. These guys did a great job for us, and I know they will for you, too.

Dan Y.

I have had several neighbors ask about your company and have given favorable recommendations to this point. Your team was very professional and I think to this point did a great job! I am in sales as well and just to let you know Mike was very professional in his meeting with me and his presentation and follow up made the difference between other companies.

Steve Y.

Scottsdale, AZ

Love that they didn’t try and sell you a roof and repaired. Thanks for helping us get by to save up for complete repair. Work was done timely. I loved they had women roofers!

Candace B.

Excellent service! They install some bird barriers that other companies do not. They explained everything in easy to understand terms. Very friendly and very knowledgeable. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a quality and reputable company.

J R.

This is a great company to work with. Worked with them twice over a 10-year period and both great experiences. The last experience involved a very difficult leak in a sun room/solarium and the owner, Jeff, came out and hunted down the leak and made sure that it was resolved. Cannot recommend them high enough. Thank you to Jeff and the Roofstar team.

Michael K.

Very impressed with Jeff’s response to my concern over a rain caused leak in our ceiling.

Jeff arrived promptly in the a.m. for an evaluation, congenial, confident – integrity fully present. The same characteristics I respected, wanted and needed and had happily experienced the moment I met him. After observing the
rather slight damage to the ceiling we went to the roof where he promptly flattened himself atop the shingles and like a practiced detective began to assess shingles and flashing, etc, in order to create a likely scenario that might have generated a leak. His minute attention to detail was impressive.

Having isolated the potential problem he proceeded to caulk here and there. He also took the time to address other concerns that I had regarding roofing issues going forward.

All in all Jeff delivered the kind of prompt, competent service all homeowners seek, are entitled to, and hope for in a tradesman.

Thank you, Jeff for living the kind of values that make owning a home worth the while.

Bob H.

Phoenix, AZ

Free Assessment for Homeowners

We can handle all kinds of residential roof repairs. Call us today to schedule an assessment with one of our Field Inspectors. We also assist with insurance claims. Learn more about Our Real Estate Services.

Schedule your free assessment today!