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Tried a cheap roofer vs a licensed one in Santa Ana. Big mistake. | Orange County Advice - Talk Freely

Tried a cheap roofer vs a licensed one in Santa Ana. Big mistake.

I needed a roof patch after the last rain. My neighbor's cousin quoted $400 cash. Saved money upfront. Three months later the leak came back and ruined some drywall. The licensed roofer charged $900 but fixed it right and gave a 5 year warranty. Anyone else have a low bid go sideways on them?

3 comments

3 Comments

ben2065mo ago

I'm gonna push back on this a bit. I've had good luck with unlicensed guys for simple stuff like gutters and minor roof patches, saved a ton over the years. The key is knowing what you're getting into and not expecting a five year warranty from a cash job. You got a patch not a full replacement, so a leak coming back after three months sounds like the original problem was bigger than a patch anyway. Not saying the licensed roofer is ripping you off, but $900 for a patch is steep when a new roof section might be the real fix.

sagep195mo ago

My friend's unlicensed guy missed a leak and it ruined his whole ceiling.

norathomas5mo ago

Oh man, I gotta disagree with that whole "knowing what you're getting into" argument... because most people DON'T know what they're getting into with these unlicensed guys. That's the whole problem. Your friend's ceiling got ruined because the guy missed a leak, and now he's probably looking at way more than $900 to fix it. I've seen it happen where a $300 patch job turns into a $3,000 interior repair after the unlicensed guy's caulk fails or he uses the wrong underlayment. Ben says $900 is steep for a patch, but that licensed guy is carrying insurance and actually knows how to find the real source of the problem instead of just slapping some sealant on and hoping for the best. Sure, sometimes the cash guys work out fine for simple stuff, but when they mess up you're basically on your own with a soggy mess.