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* GREAT OPPOTUNITIES FOR COLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS -

We have two programs for students already attending or headed to college.

 

- For qualified and approved applicants we offer a full scholarship program to attend Sheridan College to attain a degree in Construction Management. If you work a full summer, we will pay for the following two semesters tuition. No contract or agreement.

 

- For any and all that are college bound, we offer a college savings matching program. If you will open an account specifically set aside for expenses while attending college, we will match anything you contribute up to $1 / hour.

 

Apply NOW!

The DLC Difference

Service-

When you select DLC as your roofer, you are buying far more than a new roof. We take pride in continuing to service all of our roofs long into the future. We are happy to respond to necessary service calls such as the installation of a new vent, or HVAC unit. As well, if the unthinkable happens and you do have a leak from a DLC roof, you can be assured we will still be here to stand by our name and reputation. DLC has lasted the test of time. We have been around since 1985, and have been standing by our commitment to quality and service ever since.

 

Quality Assurance Program -

Our Quality assurance program consists of two parts, the first being our inspection process, the second being our preventative action program.

 

Inspections- At DLC we take ensuring quality seriously, this is why we have a 3 fold in house inspection process. 1- at the end of each work day, the foreman on site will inspect the days work to ensure any weak points are fixed and that the roof is well sealed for the night. 2- Upon completion of the job, the superintendent overseeing the job or senior management will do a thorough inspection of the entire job to ensure that nothing has been missed or overlooked. He also checks for any possible weaknesses in the material or workmanship. 3- Our Warranted jobs receive a further inspection performed by the manufacturer before issuing the warranty.

 

Preventative Action Program- For years, DLC has been tracking all leak calls. Leaks are a major inconvenience to our customers and cost us money. We analyze all of our collected data to identify possible weaknesses in the systems we install. With this information, we patch all common failures before ever leaving the job site. This ensures a high quality product that will last. Our Preventative action system works so well, Burke incorporated our updates into their 30 year warranty requirments.

 

Staffing Selections-

The roofing industry sits low on most people’s preferred job list. We work hard long hours, commonly away from home. The roofing industry is not high on the construction pay scale. At DLC we believe we hire the best and that their hard work deserves an appropriate wage. For that reason, we are very selective in our hiring process. We select only employees that display our passion and commitment to high quality, working hard and efficiency. Better, Faster, Easier. For this reason, we are able to remain competitive, and ensure the best quality. We are the best, because we hire the best.

Dave Loden Construction Preventative Maintenanance Program

Click here to download the brochure with pricing and more information.

Sign up for our Preventative Maintenance Program Today

At DLC, we are constantly searching for new and better ways to serve our customers. Regular roof inspections and maintenance are a vital pieces of making your roof last. Whether you have an old roof that you need to stretch a few more years out of, or a brand new roof that you want to care for and make the most of, preventative maintenance and regular inspections are a key part of making that happen. We are offering three levels of service to best meet the varying needs of all our customers. Custom plans and pricing can also be negotiated. With nearly 40 years in the roofing business we have learned a few things about roofs.

  • Even a good roof can be ruined by things not covered by a warranty
    • 3rd party or mechanical damage from others or wind-born debris
    • Blow-offs, delamination, fastening failure due to improperly balanced HVAC
    • Structural or parapet issues that allow wind damage to occur
  • What could have been an easy repair can necessitate a complete re-roof if not caught early enough
  • Membrane roofs are commonly damaged by hail but don’t start leaking for some time afterwards, by the time the leak is discovered it may be too long after the hail storm to be able to file an insurance claim
  • Many roof issues could be prevented or minimized if drainage systems are kept clear.
  • The life of even a poor roof can be considerably extended with proper maintenance and repair
  • Some roof problems hit the point of no return before the building experiences a significant leak

Sign up for our Preventative Maintenance Program Today

Photo Gallery

Meadowlark Elementary School - Buffalo, WY Featuring a Burke Hypalon roof.

This photo prominent for years in many roofing publications shows the Vac-Q-roof on Eastern Montana College (Now MSU)

The Burke Hypalon Vac-Q-Roof on Eastern Montana College (Now MSU)

Dave accepting the first of two "Burke Roofer of the Year" awards.

Cody, Wyoming Criminal Justice Center featuring a custom colored Burke Hypalon roof as well as a number of standing seam metal decks.

Cody, Wyoming Criminal Justice Center featuring a custom colored Burke Hypalon roof as well as a number of standing seam metal decks.

A Custom Colored Burke Hypolon Roof

Broker One- A metal job in Casper, WY featuring some curved coper colored standing seam panels.

Broker One- A metal job in Casper, WY featuring some curved coper colored standing seam panels.

Sheridan High School - One of our largest jobs, features more than 128,000 Sq. Ft. of Sarnafil PVC.

CEPI building in Casper, WY featuring a Sarnafil PVC Decor roof - designed to look like a standing seam metal roof on a quarter barrel.

CEPI building in Casper, WY featuring a Sarnafil PVC Decor - roof designed to look like a standing seam metal roof on a quarter barrel.

Johnson County Judicial Center - Buffalo, WY. Featuring a standing seam metal roof and siding system as well some unique imetco Zinc siding panels(Diamonds).

Using a Crane to Load materials on the Casper Business Center in Casper, WY.

Johnson County Judicial Center - Buffalo, WY. Featuring a standing seam metal roof and siding system as well some unique imetco Zinc siding panels(Diamonds).

Custom Colored Burke Hypalon installed on a uniquely shaped building in Story, WY

Jentel Artist retreat at Piney Creek, Wyoming. Featuring a uniqely shaped standing seam metal roof.

Jentel Artist retreat at Piney Creek, Wyoming. Featuring a uniqely shaped standing seam metal roof.

Jentel Artist retreat residence at Piney Creek, Wyoming. Featuring a uniqely shaped standing seam metal roof.

Jentel Artist retreat residence at Piney Creek, Wyoming. Featuring a uniqely shaped standing seam metal roof.

The Casper Event Center in Casper, Wyoming. This features a 55,000sqft burke hypalon roof and a 79,000 sqft MBCI standing seam metal roof with single pannels running the full 78 feet.

A private residence near Ucross, WY featuring a wood shingle roof as well as a complicated copper radiused standing seam roof.

A private residence near Ucross, WY featuring a wood shingle roof as well as a complicated copper radiused standing seam roof.

A private residence near Ucross, WY featuring a wood shingle roof as well as a complicated copper radiused standing seam roof.

PVC profile rib system on the Johnson County YMCA designed to look like Standing seam metal.

All the benefits of PVC membrane with the visual appeal of standing seam metal!

A custom logo installed on a custom colored hypalon roof for the High School in Baker Mt.

A custom logo installed on a custom colored hypalon roof for the High School in Baker Mt.

The crew hard at work in front of a beautiful backdrop on the Tongue River Valley Community Center in Dayton, WY

Roofing Products

 

Shingles –

Shingles are an affordable and effective option for steep slope roofs. Their affordability and visual appeal make them an especially good option for steep slope residential roofing. When installed properly, a good shingle roof can last up to 50 years. The most common problem with shingle roofs is poor installation. The national average lifespan of a shingle roof is only 8 years. Dave Loden Construction specializes in low-slope membrane roofing so we do not take on many shingle projects. However, when it comes to shingles there is only one product we recommend. Malarkey shingles stand above all others when it comes to value in the shingle market. They manufacture one of the top shingle products available. On top of offering a top of the line product they issue a fantastic warranty and they are willing to stand behind it. Although a properly installed Malarkey roof should last decades without issue, they will honor their warranties in the event of a failure. Along with a fantastically performing product and a superior warranty, malarkey makes one of the best looking architectural shingles available. Dave Loden Construction sells, installs and recommends Malarkey shingles.

Pros

Cons

  • Affordability
  • Visual Appeal
  • Longevity (up to 50 yrs)
  • 120mph wind warranty
  • Poor installation commonly causes premature failure (national average is 8 yrs)
  • Many companies/manufacturers do not stand behind their warrantees

 

Metal –

Although there are many brands and companies manufacturing metal roofs, they all fall into two basic categories. Topically applied metal roofs and internally fastened roofs. All metal roofs have a few faults in that: first, they are difficult to repair. If a relatively minor detail or flashing is installed incorrectly, it may not be able to be repaired. It may require that the roof be removed and reinstalled to correct the defect. As well, Penetrations can be difficult to flash/seal properly and are rarely done so. Many metal roof leak around the penetrations.


Topically Fastened Metal –

Topically fastened Metal is often simply referred to as pro panel. This is much like tissues being called Kleenex. Pro panel is an extremely affordable option but it does have its downsides. Most people do not find this look to be visually appealing. As well, we at Dave Loden Construction do not recommend it to be used over an occupied space because it has a very short watertight life-span. Metal expands and contracts a great deal as temperature changes. With this type of roof, the metal is screwed fast into place from the top with an exposed fastener. As the metal expands and contracts, it pushes and pulls against these fasteners. Eventually, the fasteners will tear larger holes in the metal and allow leaks or work the screws loose, sometimes causing them to come out alltogether. With an exposed fastener system, the fasteners are just that exposed. This presents a fault in that although the fasteners have a rubber grommet that serves to seal the hole they create in the metal, there are still holes through the metal roof. Every hole is a leak potential. As well, it is difficult to properly flash penetrations through a topically fastened metal roof system. Pipes and curbs are rarely flashed effectively and commonly end up being sealed with a topically applied caulking or sealant. This sealant deteriorates with exposure to UV and will become a regular maintenance item. Each time the penetration is sealed, the repair becomes more difficult and less effective. The surfaces should be clear, clean and dry to get an effective seal. This is very difficult with the residue and remaining sealant from the previous repairs. Topically fastened metal roofs are at the bottom of the price range in all roofing. For this reason, the metal used is typically of lower grade and the color is painted on as opposed to a baked kynar finish. This means the metal and especially the color will deteriorate. Dave Loden Construction does not recommend topically fastened metal roofs for occupied spaces.

Pros

Cons

  • Very Affordable
  • Poor visual appeal
  • Very short water tight life span
  • Painted metal scratches and fades
  • Low grade metal
  • Difficult penetration flashing
  • Rarely installed properly

 

Internally Fastened Metal –

Internally fastened standing seam metal roofs make a wonderful metal roof. When installed well, they can last upwards of 50 years and, on the right buildings, they look beautiful. The problem is they are also quite expensive. Internally fastened metal roofs stand out from other metal roofs because they are held in place with clips inside the seams of the metal panels. This solves two problems. One, there are no holes through the metal. Two, it allows the metal to expand and contract freely. Typically a internally fastened metal roof is going to be of a higher grade steel than topically fastened metal roofs. They also usually have a baked kynar color finish rather than paint. This means that the color will scratch less easily and last for decades. Dave Loden Construction installs and recommends Drexel/Carlisle/PAC standing seam metal roofing. All metal roofs have a few faults in that: first, they are difficult to repair. If a relatively minor detail or flashing is installed incorrectly, it may not be able to be repaired. It may require that the roof be removed and reinstalled to correct the defect. As well, Penetrations can be difficult to flash/seal properly and are rarely done so. Many metal roof leak around the penetrations.

Pros

Cons

  • Kylar Finish
  • Extremely long life span
  • High Grade Metal
  • Beautiful Visual Appeal
  • Much higher cost
  • Difficult penetrations

 

Metal retrofit membrane roof system -

Do you have an old metal roof? IS it part of the structure of your building? Does it leak? Would removing the roof and exposing the interior of the building to the elements be problematic? Any combination of these can be a big problem. We have a better solution. Our metal retrofit membrane roof system is an innovative way to quickly, easily, and at relatively low cost install a new membrane roof system over an existing metal roof system. We fill the spaces between the metal ribs with rigid insulation flute filler. Then, place either cover board or additional rigid insulation to obtain a smooth surface. Finally, we install a PVC membrane roof system utilizing induction welded rhino bond attachment to secure the membrane to the structure of the building. This is much faster, easier and cheaper than the alternative of removing and replacing the existing metal. At no point is the interior of the building ever exposed to the elements. This system adds insulation where it counts, on the roof. And, the result is a quality PVC membrane roof system that will keep your building dry and cozy for 25+ years!
Click here for an informational brochure.

 

Profile Rib Membrane Roof Systems -

Do you like the look of standing seam metal but want the quality, security, and lower cost of a membrane roof system? Is the pitch of your roof low, making metal problematic? Does your roof have lots of valleys or penetrations that are difficult to flash/seal with metal? a profile rib PVC membrane roof system may be just the answer. We can install a colored PVC membrane roof system and then install prfile ribs that give your roof the look of metal with the functionality of membrane!
Check out some of the pictures of these roof systems in our Photo Gallery.

 

Membranes –

Membrane or single-ply roofs consist of a rubber or plastic sheet that is either fully adhered (glued down) or mechanically attached (screwed into place). They are commonly used on flat or low-slope roofs. This is our specialty at Dave Loden Construction. Membrane roofs are rolled out and secured. The seams of the rolls are then either heat-welded or glued together.


CSPE (Hypalon) – BEST

We at Dave Loden Construction view CSPE as the best single-ply product on the market. As mentioned above single ply roofing usually falls into one of two categories thermoset (rubber) or thermoplastic (plastic). CSPE breaks the rules, it fits into neither category. With CSPE you get the best of both worlds. Thermosets have an advantage in that they are very chemically stable. They remain pliable throughout their whole life. This gives them an advantage with impact resistance such as hail storms. Thermoplastics have an advantage in that the seams are heat-welded. This allows us to have a true weld, or a molecular bond at the seams of the sheets. Thermoplastics do not rely on glue at the seams. After they are welded the two sheets are homogeneously bonded, or monolithic. This means the two sheets become one. The sheet should fail before the seam comes apart. CSPE is technically a thermoset but CSPE can be chemically welded. Although it is a chemical weld as opposed to simply a heat-weld, CSPE still gets a homogenous bond and becomes a monolithic sheet. Because of its chemical stability, CSPE can be applied directly over almost any smooth surface. This is not true for thermoplastic materials. Its pliability and strength also mean it does not need to be used in conjunction with an expensive hard cover board like dens-deck to withstand hail. This allows more flexibility in installation and often results in a CSPE membrane roof system being cheaper over-all as compared to a less expensive membrane product. CSPE has an extremely long lifespan. Burke, our manufacturer of choice will issue warranties up to 35 years. It would not be unfeasible for a CSPE roof to exceed 50 years.  Burke Hypalon is available in any color. Dave Loden Construction installs and highly recommends Burke Hypalon, our CSPE of choice. Dave Loden Construction has installed more warranted Burke Hypalon in the state of Wyoming than any other contractor. We installed out first Burke CSPE roof system in 1987. That roof is still in service as of 2020 which was the last time we checked.  

Pros

Cons

  • Heat weldable
  • Chemical stability
  • Remains pliable
  • Approved for municipal water storage
  • Dimensionally stable
  • Extremely long lifespan
  • Sold in any color
  • cost

 

PVC/KEE – Better
PVC and KEE are the better membranes on the market. PVC/KEE is a thermoplastic membrane, the seams are heat welded.  This allows us to have a true weld, or a molecular bond at the seams of the sheets. Thermoplastics do not rely on glued seams. After they are welded the two sheets are homogeneously bonded, or monolithic. This means the two sheets become one. The sheet should fail before the seam comes apart. One issue with PVC is it chemical stability. This is where formulation and manufacture play a large role. PVC by itself is not very UV resistant; it also suffers from molecular migration. This means that the molecules in the PVC can separate. When this happens the material can become brittle and crack. Quality manufacturers have solved this problem through the formulation of their products. They also regulate the materials that PVC can come in direct contact with to limit molecular migration. Although this is a consideration, if a quality manufacturer is selected it should not be a problem. A properly formulated PVC should have a long life span. Carlisle, Tremco, Sarnafil, and Fibertite our PVC manufacturers of choice, issue warrantys up to 30 years. PVC is available in a variety of colors. Dave Loden Construction installs and recommends Carlisle PVC/KEE.

Pros

Cons

  • Heat weld able
  • Dimensionally stable
  • Long lifespan
  • Sold in Many Colors
  • Chemical instability

 

EPDM – Good
EPDM is a thermoset membrane. More specifically it is a rubber. EPDM is going to be the same material that an inner tube for a tire is made out of. Henry Ford once said, “You can have any color you want so long as it is black.” That is just how it was when it came to EPDM. Now, many manufacturer's are making both white and black EPDM. The advantages of EPDM are that it is very elastic and pliable. As with the CSPE, this makes it more resistant to impacts such as hail. It is also more affordable than PVC or CSPE.  The problems with EPDM are that it likes to expand and contract a lot and you cannot weld the seams. Most quality manufactures have taken steps to eliminate the expansion and contraction issues through stronger reinforcement and better installation methods. The glued seams cannot be overcome so easily. The issue here is that the roof relies not only on the life of the membrane, but also the life of the glue holding the seams together. New modern seam tapes are a vast improvement and typically make for a good seal. But at DLC, we prefer a welded seam. Dave Loden Construction installs Carlisle EPDM.

Pros

Cons

  • Elasticity
  • Affordability
  • Approved for municipal water storage
  • Glued Seams
  • Only available in Black
  • Dimensional Stability

 

TPO – Economical
When formulated properly, TPO can be a wonderful single ply roof. TPOs are used with great success and longevity all over Europe. The product is extremely affordable and is a thermoplastic. Being a thermoplastic it has the large advantage of using heat-welded seams. The problem is, in the United States TPO is rarely formulated well. TPO hit the US market hard and fast. It was the new solution in affordable single-ply roofing and everyone started manufacturing a TPO immediately. This posed a big problem. Some manufacturers formulated it well, but many did not. The affordability of the TPO was being pushed hard and manufacturers were under pressure to get their prices down. To do this, many took out key ingredients in the formulation. TPO hit the market so fast there were lots of manufacturers on the market before ASTM was presented with the product. ASTM cannot write a specification that excludes any existing products. This means that the ASTM standard for TPO had to be very vague to accommodate all of the formulations already on the market. The TPO market was price driven rather than performance driven and the ASTM standard left room for some very low quality products. This made it very difficult for the manufacturers making a quality TPO to remain competitive. As a result TPOs in the US often have very poor formulation and suffer from a number of issues. TPO tends to have extreme reactions to temperature change and expands and contracts a great deal. This combined with poor UV resistance means that many TPO products will literally tear themselves apart by expanding and contracting as the material deteriorates. This can happen in the frame of a few short years. Dave Loden Construction did not recommend using a TPO roof system. Recently, we have seen a movement toward better TPO formulation from higher-end manufacturers. There are now some better quality TPO membranes on the market. DLC now installs Carlisle TPOs.

Pros

Cons

  • Heat weldable
  • Low Cost
  • Dimensional Stability
  • Short Life Span

 

Coatings
Liquid applied roof coatings can be a great affordable and simple option to add life to existing metal, spray-in-place foam, membrane, or shingle roofs. They have a time and place. They are not, as often advertised, the equivelant to a new roof, nor are they the appropriate solution for every roof problem. But, when they are appropriate, and done in a proper and timely manner, a roof coating can keep an old roof in the dry for many years. At Dave Loden Construction we sell, install and recommend Tremco roof coatings. Coating an old roof can be a great option to add life to it. It is also a simple way someone can take care of their own roofing needs without hiring a contractor. Some roof coatings are sold only in white, but Conklin’s Rapid Roof can be mixed just like paint at your local hardware store to achieve any color you wish. Tremco also has products with a wide variety of color options. The downfall with many these coatings is if there is any “ponding” water present on the roof. These are areas that hold water for a length of time after precipitation has stopped. Standing water can rapidly deteriorate roof coatings. They also lack dimentional stability, they wear easily and are easily damaged. Tremco sells some very high end roof coating products that have solved these common problems.

Pros

Cons

  • Do-It-Yourself simplicity
  • Affordability
  • Limited life span
  • Very susceptible to “ponding” water

How to Hire a Roofing Contractor

The following information was selected from Western States Roofing Contractors Association publication pamplet: "Your Guide to Selecting a Qualified Roofing Contractor"

WSRCA

Selecting a qualified contractor for a new roof on your home or commercial building is no simple matter.

There is no absolute method to be sure you hire the contractor with whom you will be satisfied. But there are some ways to help evaluate the contractors who give you proposals, and Western States Roofing Contractors Association offers the following information about the trails of a qualified roofing contractor.
Your roofing contractor should have a history, which makes you comfortable and a plan for your job, which assures that you and the contractor have the same goals in mind.

HISTORY OF YOUR CONTRACTOR

1. Your roofing contractor should have a permanent and identifiable place of business complete with a phone number, physical address, and the appropriate business licenses. Ask for this information if it is not provided with your written proposal.

2. Your roofing contractor should keep abreast of the latest developments in the industry. A professional contractor belongs to local, regional, or national associations and attends seminars on the problems and developments of the industry. Ask about this if the information is not provided in your written proposal. Ask if the contractor belongs to the Western States Roofing Contractors Association.

3. A qualified contractor should have insurance. Ask for insurance certificates showing both workers compensation and general liability insurance. Many home and building owners have suffered needless expense because contractors working on their homes did not have these coverage’s.

4. A capable roofing contractor should be licensed. Every state, municipality, and county have varying requirements. Be sure your roofing contractor has the appropriate licenses for your area. Don't be afraid to call your local building department to check on the requirements.

5. Qualified roofing contractors should have references of past customers of the same type of system being installed for you. Contact the past customer to see if the contractor completed the job satisfactorily. Then look at a few jobs. Looking at some installed roofs is also a good way to be sure you have selected the roof system you want.

6. The roofing contractor may be an approved applicator for one or more roofing material manufacturers. Be sure to ask if the product you choose has an approved applicator program, and if your roofing contractor is certified. Keep in mind that most manufacturers of products for low sloped (flat) roofs have approved applicator programs, and most manufacturers of shingles and tile do not have these programs.

7.  All roofing contractors should have a written safety program. An emphasis on safety lowers the cost of doing business, and further assures that your job will go smoothly. Ask your contractor about his safety program

8. A good roofing contractor should have a quality assurance program. Ask who will inspect the work of the crew installing your new roof.

9. The roofing contractor should be financially stable. Ask for the names of a few of the contractor's material suppliers—and call them for assurance.

10. Most of all, your roofing contractor should make you feel comfortable that the company has the experience and expertise to handle your roof installation.

 

THE PLAN FOR YOUR JOB

1. Your roofing contractor should provide you with a complete and detailed written proposal describing a) the work to be done, b) the cost of the work, c) the warranty included, d) the time frame for completion of the work and e) the terms of payment.

2. If you are reroofing or recovering an existing roof, any contractor should be able to tell you the number of existing roof systems in place and whether or not any of them need to be removed.

3. A qualified roofing contractor should tell you how any changes in the contract scope of work would be priced. Changes can occur if you add or subtract work from the contract or if the contractor encounters unforeseen conditions which could not within reason have been known at the start of the job.

4. The roofing contractor should be able to tell you about the crew who will install your job. Are they subcontractors? How much experience do they have?

5. A good roofing contractor should be able to tell you about the details. -- Who provides electricity?—Who provides a toilet?—How often will clean-up be done?—Do you have any obligations?

6. Your roofing contractor should obtain a building permit from the local governing agency. Be sure your contractor obtains a permit and calls for final inspection. Be sure the roof has been inspected prior to final payment.

7. Your roofing contractor should not expect payment in advance for work that has not been started. Some contractors request payment for materials after they have been delivered. Insist on seeing a copy of the invoice and have the contractor provide you with a lien release from the supplier for the amount of the payment.

8. Your roofing contractor should have a supervisor inspect the work upon completion to be sure any deficiencies are corrected.

9. Your roofing contractor should provide you with a written warranty covering deficiencies in both materials and workmanship. A sample copy of the warranty should be provided with the proposal. Be sure you read it and question any part of it you don’t understand.

10. Most of all, your roofing contractor should make you feel comfortable that your job has been thoroughly planned so that it will run as smoothly as possible.

 

The City of Sheridan, WY Building Department also has a few tips about Hiring a Contractor:

Building Codes verses Quality: Codes are important, they ensure saftey for the buidling owner as well as inhabitants. Code does not ensure quality. Codes are only the MINIMUM standars for safety and do not regulate workmanship. A job may be code compliant yet still not meet your expectations of quality.

Contact Us

Contact Information

Office Phone : 307-684-5838 or 307-217-0773
Office Fax     : 307-684-2185

Address:
400 Hemlock St.
Buffalo, WY 82834


Erick Loden (President):
     Cell  : 307-217-0773
     Email  : eloden@davelodenconst.com

Advice from 30+ years Experience


Purpose
Taking bids
Roofing Warranties
Life cycle comparison
Professional design or not
Bonding
Payrolls
Insurance
Lien waivers
Contract
Payment
Closing
Continuing education (yours and mine)


Purpose

The purpose of this blog is to provide food for thought. It is a compilation of some of my thoughts and opinions about procuring roofing services. These thoughts and opinions may be helpful in making decisions for your next roofing project.  It is not intended to be taken as legal or design advice. This is little more than my soapbox to air my opinions about the issues I see in the roofing market today. My idea is that these thoughts and opinions may help create good business, good business is just that, good for the consumer and good for the contractor. Win / win scenarios are always best!!!


Taking bids
Although this topic deserves an entire book itself, I will concentrate on two basic concepts design build and specification.

The specification is where the consumer knows what he wants, tells all the contractors to bid on the same scope of work. The decision is then largely made by who is low bid. This is a good and traditional method of bidding, it works best if the scope of work is well defined and the contractors are told to stick to it. If the consumer allows the contractors to stray from the scope the bids become very difficult to assess.

The design build method works well when the consumer does not know what they want. The consumer shows the contractors what they need to accomplish and allows the contractors to design the project and provide solution and a price for it. With this method the main deciding factor may be the design not the price.

Estimates as a rule are not good decision making information. They are after all nothing but a guess and a good way to insure escalating construction cost.

If you need to know the approximate cost of a project for planning purposes ask for a budgeting estimate from a reputable contractor. He can fine tune his bid later and submit it with the other contractors.

Roofing Warranties
There are basically two types, a manufacturer’s and an applicator’s. The Manufacturer’s warranty is issued by the manufacturer of the primary roofing product and the applicator’s is issued by the roofing contractor.

If a consumer accepts an applicators warranty, make sure it is in writing and has your name and building location on it. This warranty will be from the contractor to the consumer and will represent what they will do to keep the consumer happy in the event of a failure of some sort. Typically if they go out of business the warranty goes with them. It is of my opinion that a reroof represents too large of an investment to trust that a contractor will still be around when there is trouble or trust that they can afford to replace the roof if it fails. Even if they are around and even if they can afford to replace the roof, the question remains, will they fix/replace the roof when it fails? There is however a time and a place for this type of a warranty such as when putting a commercial product on a residence. In this case the manufacturer may not issue a warranty. Also some roofing product warranties do not include workmanship. In this case a consumer should ask for a written applicators warranty to cover the workmanship. If things go bad and even to court this document may help the consumer prevail.

Typically the manufacturer’s warranty is only available to licensed installers. It requires a pre-job approval where the licensed installer tells the manufacturer how they intend to install the roof. They will then review the plan and make any necessary corrections and issue a job approval describing the assembly and the warranty. This job approval document is typically meant to be internal between the manufacturer and the contractor. A consumer may want to ask to see this document prior to job start to insure the warranty that has been promised can in fact be delivered. After the installation is complete the manufacturer will send out an inspector to inspect the installation to insure is has been installed correctly. If there are any deficiencies found a punch list will be issued and the contractor will have to make the corrections. A typical full system warranty will cover both materials and workmanship. There are several variables you will want to watch for. The list of exclusions should be compared to other warranties. For example some manufacturers exclude ponding water and some don’t and the list goes on. In addition to the exclusions a consumer should note the wind speed coverage and insure it is appropriate for your location. Most warranties are limited in liability to the original purchase price of the roof and some aren’t. The term of the warranty can also vary from ten years to thirty years and maybe more.  Most of these issues are options and a consumer can set them for their individual situation. Consumers should insist they receive a written warranty with your name and building location on it. This easily lags and is sometimes forgotten, I recommend keeping a retainage from the final payment until it is received.

Most roofing projects are costly enough to justify a manufacturer’s warranty. The process of approval and inspection insures the contractor does not take shortcuts that may be detrimental to the roof systems performance. These warranties are typically from 10 to 22 cents per square foot with a 10,000 square foot, or more minimum charge regardless of how small. If a bidder is offering an applicator warranty you may inquire how much it would cost to upgrade to a manufacturer’s warranty. If they resist the idea they may not be an approved or licensed applicator. If they claim the cost of the warranty is high it may be because they would then not be able to take the shortcuts they may have been planning on to be more competitive. This will often time explain the gap from one bidder to the next and often times the higher bid is the better choice.

Life cycle comparison
Simply stated a life cycle cost is the price of the roof divided by the projected serviceable life in years plus any annual maintenance costs. In theory this will give a consumer the cost per year of keeping a building in the dry. This is a very good method to compare the differing prices of the good better and best qualities of differing products. The problem with this method is getting a factual projected life expectancy of a proposed roof. The length of the warranty can have very little to do with its serviceable life span and should not be used. Information contained in a sales pitch is also not a good source of information. Local verifiable references of old roofs of the same brand and similar assemblies in your location is a good indicator but requires a little research. This comparison method will demonstrate the long term value of a top quality roof.

Professional design or not
Roofs can be very technical and complicated. To tear off or not to tear off. To ventilate or not to ventilate and if so where and how much. R-values, dead air spaces and dew points. Material compatibilities.  Dead loads, snow loads and live loads. Sorting out differing bids compiled without a specification. The list goes on and on. I have seen many roofs fail prematurely because the purchaser was not well informed/educated about roofs. If professional design prevents premature failure it is smart money well spent. This is not to say that consumers cannot be successful buying roofs but if a project is technical at all or roofing is foreign to you, consideration may be given to using an architect. Another point not to be missed is that they have worked with most roofers and they know who to get and who to avoid. This information also allows them to foster good competition and may even save more than they cost.

Bonding
There are basically two bonding scenarios, license bonding and performance/ payment bonds.

 The license bond is required by most licensing authorities. This bond is payable to the licensing authority only. It will cover damages to the City/County when the contractor causes damage to them and usually they have to do so while breaking a law or ordinance.  A good example would be a contractor crossing a city street that has a weight limit by ordinance with a large bulldozer. Damage may be done to the street while breaking the weight ordinance and if the contractor refused to fix it the city may collect on the bond. This bond does not provide protection for the consumer.

A performance or payment bond is a guarantee by a bonding company that the contractor will perform the contract and pay all associated bills. These bonds are issued on a job by job basis and made out to and is in the possession of the consumer. This type of bond is required by law on sizable public money projects. If the contractor does not complete the contract or pay the associated bills the bond can be collected on by the consumer. The higher the contractors bonding limit and the lower their bonding cost are both good indicators of a contractors experience and financial stability.

The issue here is confusing the two. Some contractors advertise “licensed, bonded and insured” If this is referring to the license bond, and it typically is, I feel this is deceptive. This gives the consumer a level of confidence about the bonding when it truly doesn’t help them at all. I am not saying that I feel all private jobs need to be bonded, but doing business with a contractor that does have this ability should give a consumer a level of confidence that does mean something.

Payrolls
Wyoming State law and Federal law require employers to withhold taxes such as withholding and social security and pay for unemployment and workers’ compensation insurances coverage among other things. You can imagine this is a large expense and that contractors not paying this are more competitive. People tempted to take the savings offered by contractors running illegal payrolls should consider the flip side of the coin. When an employee gets hurt under such conditions the courts can (and do) determine that the employee was working for the homeowner leaving them responsible for medical bills and/or disabilities. Consumers should request a certificate of good standing for workers’ comp and unemployment. For contractors with accounts in good standing this is simple, free and provides a good piece of mind. This is not only smart business but it is normal business, if your contractor resists this you may consider it a red flag.

Insurance
There is nothing simple about insurance but simply stated it is a no-brainer to do business with a contractor that has a liability policy covering your project. The issue here is knowing that a policy is in effect. This is done by asking for a certificate of insurance. For contractors with a policy in effect this is again simple, free and provides a good piece of mind. This is not only smart business but it is normal business, if your contractor resists this you may consider it a red flag.

Lien waivers
If a contractor does not pay his supplier for the materials or his employees for their labor on your project, the suppliers and/or employees can collect the money from the homeowner. It sometimes does not matter that the contractor was paid in full including the materials and labor, it is possible that you will have to pay twice, IT HAPPENS. A consumer might want to consider asking their contractor for lien waivers. Done properly this will protect them.  Consider getting a lien waiver for each material or progress payment. Consider getting the waiver for the last payment before you make the next payment. This will insure the contractor is paying his bills as he progresses on the project. Consider keeping a retainage from the last payment until the last waiver is received. This is not only smart business but it is normal business, if your contractor resists this you may consider it a red flag.

Contract
A contract is simply a rule book, the consumer and the contractor needs one. Most consumers feel a contract protects them from dishonest contractors and that they don’t need one if they trust who they are working with.  This is not the case, most contractual disputes are from miscommunications not crooks. I am sure we have all had a miscommunication with a child, spouse or boss. They are easy to have and can have serious consequences, a contractor is no different. Certainly a construction contract should identify the parties involved, contain a scope of work, identify a method of tracking changes to the work and a payment process.

Identifying the parties seems simple enough, but even this can have a glitch. Prior to a dispute both parties need to know who exactly is responsible and whether they are acting as an individual or an entity. No matter which party prevails a contractual dispute, it may be difficult to get assets out of an empty LLC, it is best to know this upfront. It also may be surprising how often the parties may mysteriously change as things start going bad, this cannot happen if it is written down.

 A scope of work is the description of what you expect from your contractor and it should be very specific. If you expect your contractor to do it, it needs to be written in the scope of work. This needs to include things like any demolition that needs to be done prior to job start right down to the clean up and dump fees.

 Changes in the scope of work is not uncommon, unforeseen conditions may arise and/or the consumer may change their mind about something.  These changes and the additions or deductions of the price that go with them need to be tracked. The typical system is change orders. Do a change order for each change as it is made. Describe in the contract who will do the tracking and who will be authorized to make changes.

 The method of payment needs to be very specific, so much so there is a separate section below covering this topic.

From here a contract can expand to cover many topics including but not limited to identifying the time frame, describe any expected warranties and describing dispute resolution and the list goes on. Depending on the dollar value at risk, legal advice may be in order. This is once again a time where the consumer dictates their own risk level, be comfortable with it.

Payment
The following is a normal construction payment schedule. There should be no payment in advance, this is risky for the consumer. Once the contractor has arrived on site with materials they can invoice a payment for mobilization and materials. A 10% retainage should be with held paying 90% of the invoice promptly. Progress payments can be done in a similar fashion, the contractor invoices for the amount that is completed and the consumer pays 90% of it. When the work is done a substantial completion invoice should come from the contractor and the consumer should pay 90% of it. Now the consumer is in possession of 10% of the contractor’s money until he has achieved final completion that includes delivery of warranties, lien waivers and acceptable cleanup. When and only when the consumer is happy the contractor can be paid the retainage. This payment procedure should be spelled out in your contract. Please remember that a contract is a two way street. The consumer should and does expect the contractor to perform the work, all the work, and in a timely fashion, as per your agreement, this is OK, its normal business. On the other side of the coin the contractor expects the same from the consumer. Pay them promptly as per agreement. The concept of the retainage system as outlined above is that if a contractor “goes away” at any time during a project for whatever reason, the consumer will be ahead not behind. They can move on without taking much of a loss. This is not only smart business but it is normal business, if a contractor resists this you may consider it a red flag. It is important to note that this is not only to protect against shysters but honest folks also. Government statistics tell us about 85% of all roofers go out of business in their first year and 97% in three years. Most of them still think they are going to be one of the 3% that make it and clearly most are wrong. Remember it is about you and your money not the contractor and his money. If a contractor does not have the financial stability to conduct business under this generally accepted method they clearly cannot weather much of a financial storm.  You do not need to weather their storm with your money.

Closing
Please remember, these are simply my thoughts and opinions on these subjects, my soapbox. You will have to decide on your own who you want for your project, how you will conduct the business and what level of risk you are willing to take. I know that the information in this blog favors the long established and financially sound businesses. A consumer should realize that it is not about the contractors or the fairness thereof, it is about the risk of their dollars on their project.  If you ask a consumer that has had a construction failure, has paid twice for their materials, has paid medical bills or any other such nightmares I am sure they wished they had paid more attention to fairness to themselves than to the contractors. Murphys law states, “If something can go wrong, it will, and at the worst possible time”. I practice what I preach and feel that it keeps Murphy’s visits to my projects to a minimum, these thoughts and opinions may help keep him away from yours.

Continuing education (yours and mine)
I am willing to expand this blog or offer personal answers to E-mails. Send your topics or questions to dloden@davelodenconst.com.  Put “blog” in the subject line.

 

About Us

We are a family owned commercial roofing company located in Buffalo, WY. We specialize in low-slope membrane roofing. We install a number of roofing systems including: Burke Hypalon, Sarnafil, Carlisle, Tremco, and Fivertite PVC/KEEs; Carlisle EPDM; Malarkey shingles and metal roofing. We also offer a number of "Green" and "Sustainable" products/options. DLC INC is certified and licensed to install most top shelf membranes and other roofing materials. We are more than pleased to provide estimates and submit bids. We also commonly do free roof consulting. If you have any questions or interest in our work, our products, or securing a job with DLC please feel free to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!

DLC has come a long way since Dave first realized his dream of owning his own business. Dave started in 1985 with a pick-up truck filled with tools and  a heart full of ambition. With more than 3 Million square feet of roofing installed, Dave Loden Construction has lasted the test of time. We specialize in low-slope membrane roofing and apply only top shelf materials. We strive to be the best at what we do both in product and service.

 

Meet Our Team:

Dave Loden- Dave and his wife Cindy founded DLC in 1985. He started out with a pick-up full of tools and not much else. For 30 years Dave ran DLC as a thriving reputable roofing company before turning it over to his son in 2014. Dave also served as a Western States Roofing Contractors Association Director from 1997-2003. DLC continues to be an active member in WSRCA.

Erick Loden- Erick started with DLC in 1999 doing all the sheet metal work in our sheet metal shop. In 2005 Erick started working full-time as a roofer during the summer months while finishing his education including multiple degrees. Erick was promoted to foreman in 2007, superintendent in 2011, Vice President in 2013. Erick bought the company and became President in 2014.

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