Step 1: Install new roof.
Step 2: Tear off new roof.
Step 3: Install new new roof.

If at first you don't succeed...................It sure seems to us over here at ORC that legitimate quality control would be a wise thing to incorporate into a roofing business. Then you likely would not need to go back and do major rework or do the whole thing again. See, the homeowner only pays once. I had a roofer recently come back with "I've been roofing for 40 years! ". Yep, and you still don't know how to do it right. This guy put shingles on a FLAT roof and he suggests, "Your inspector should educate himself!". ORC sure comes across some.............characters.

Oregon Roof Consulting travelled to St. Helens to inspect this five-year-old roof, as there were a few leaks which made the homeowner leery of the quality of the installation. Sure enough, some offsets were too close and many of the nails were over-driven -- some all the way through the shingles. The kicker was this 'roofer' used 7/8" nails to put a SECOND layer of shingles on this roof. The Oregon Residential Specialty Code (as well as all shingle manufacturers) requires that nails be long enough to penetrate all roofing materials and at least 3/4" into the roof deck. With two layers of shingles, 7/8" nails are simply too short to accomplish this. These nails could be pulled out by hand with little or no effort. Shameful.

The "roofer" has not been willing to respond adequately to repeated calls about this. Recently, he agreed to come out and -- get this -- give a bid for a new roof! Amazing! The owner has retained a lawyer.

Update:  4/1/17

Lawsuit filed. Turns out roofer's license not valid at time of install so he will now be personally responsible for this. Ouch.

Another Misinformed Homeowner

This homeowner recently asked a roofing company to provide a price quote for cleaning his roof. The roofer told him the roof couldn't be cleaned and needed replacing. This roof is only 19 years old and is a 30 year factory warranted shingle, so the skeptical owner hired Oregon Roof Consulting to provide an independent assessment. As you can see in these photos, the shingles are not cupping, curling, or cracking and the surface granules are all still there. This roof has at least 12+ years left.

If a homeowner doesn't need a roof then that's what they should be told. Roofing estimators are salesmen. Their job is to sell as much roofing work as they can. Some estimators are comission only. No sale - no check. I'm not selling anything, and therefore I can afford to be honest. Homeowners should't be........misled.....in order to make a sale.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was asked to inspect this roof by the owner, who is a recently widowed senior citizen with a target on her back. Several roofers told her she needed a new roof, and so she wanted an independent opinion. ORC told her the roof still had at least 10 years of life remaining, and might possibly last even longer. As you can see from the photos, there is a bit of moss on the shingles, but they are not curling or cracking, and have virtually zero surface granule loss. Multiple roofers told her she needed a new roof ASAP. This is of course not true. Three roofers really put on the pressure and made callbacks to try and seal the deal. That's not ... nice. The homeowner was all set to arrange financing to pay for a job costing up to $14,000. ORC told her, "when they call again, tell them that an independent inspector said they shouldn't try to push a new roof on someone that doesn't need a new roof."

Underlayment Installation 101

When installing any underlayment it is best to install in such a fashion that it will not leak. Apparently the 'roofer' that did this believes ... otherwise. Amazing. There were 'only' 38 spots where water could enter. That's all. A few days after our visit the Battle Ground City building inspector was called out to view this job and was "flabbergasted" by what he saw. He described this mess as, "the worst roofing work I have ever seen". The inspector will be sending a letter ordering the 'roofer' to tear everything off and try it again. It is amazing what these cowboy roofers attempt to get away with. Quite arrogant in our opinion.

The owners of this home in SW Portland contacted Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) and asked us to inspect this new roof, as they were concerned that it may not have been installed properly. It was not. The contractor made multiple, basic, fundamental errors when installing this roof, including but not limited to: inadequate plywood fastening with seams lifting; utility venting capped and flashed incorrectly; perimeter flashing detail installed incorrectly; no seals on any of the fixtures; and areas of exposed plywood with no underlayment. Other than that, it's a great job! When the 'roofer' was told of the multiple issues that were not to code and/or manufacturer specs his response was ... are you ready for this? ..." Nobody does it like that anymore." Yessir, that's right. Nobody but competent, honest, experienced, qualified, professional, established roofers. It is just astounding what these ripoffs attempt to get away with and likely do frequently get away with. This 'roofer' also  failed to provide the owner with the required pre-installation papers dealing with right to lien, etc. Now this guy can't file a lien against the job. Too bad.

If roofing is not installed to the manufacturer's specifications, then the shingles' warranty could be voided. If a roofer promotes and advertises themself as a professional, then it is that contractor's responsibility, obligation, and requirement to install the roof properly.

Update:   11 / 08 / 17

ORC recently participated in our 6th arbitration hearing regarding this job. As per usual the lawyer for the other side couldn't attack our credibility, experience, integrity, or qualifications so he took the low rent smarmy cheap shot route - which is all he had. He attacked me for "mocking roofers" and calling them 'cowboys'. He went after me for having the nerve to put such a mean, rotten, evil, 'Hall Of Shame' on this website. Tried to make me look like a vindictive SOB. Didn't work this time either.

Update:  11/15/17

The homeowner prevailed in the arbitration hearing. Fully. She was awarded the entire amount of the roof contract plus about $1,600.00. The roofer is out $17,000 plus his lawyer fees. An expensive lesson.

A homeowner in Lebanon asked Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) to inspect this new roof. We took a 2-hour drive down the Willamette Valley to a nice house sitting on 75 acres, located on a hill surrounded by oak trees. Our inspection revealed that the underlayment on the porch roofs was not applied correctly per the requirements for a low-slope application, so the roofing on these two sections must be torn off and installed again. The nailing job was bad; some shingles had three nails (they should have four), and many nails were placed directly at the shingle joints. The owner is not pleased, and the so-called "roofer" will not be pleased when he's informed that his install job is unsatisfactory. If a person is paying $13,000 for a new roof, ORC doesn't think it's asking too much for the contractor to do the job right.

A concerned homeowner in Vancouver contacted Oregon Roof Consulting about their new roof, and we responded the next day. We observed and documented bad flashing detail, bad nailing, bad valleys, bad step flashing, nails that were too short to secure the ridge vent, improper underlayment on 3/12 facets, bad chimney flashing... essentially, bad everything.

This was a real cowboy rodeo job. I should have asked the homeowner if these goobers were wearing spurs. A lawyer has been retained; The low slope sections will have to be torn off and done again and significant repairs will be necessary all over the roof. Amazing! Just imagine how many thousands of bad roofs are out there that the owners are unaware of.

Update: Sept. 19, 2016

The homeowner hired a lawyer and fully prevailed. It turns out the 'roofer' hoodwinked his (now ex-) girlfriend into putting his business bond in her name, and she ended up having to pay for his mistakes. She had to borrow money and sell a car. Nice guy. Real nice guy.

Step #1 - Install new roof
Step #2 - Tear off new roof
Step #3 - Install another new roof

Oregon Roof Consulting inspected this roof 10 months ago. We identified so many problems that the entire roof was recently replaced at the roofer's own expense. Do it right the first time! What a concept!

A homeowner right on Siletz Bay contacted Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) to inspect their brand new roof. At least six legitimate issues were found that needed rework. This home was in the process of being sold to the next-door neighbor and there was a dispute regarding the $$ amount asked by the seller for the roof work, which seemed way high for what was there. A court hearing took place and the buyer prevailed on all accounts. On top of that it turned out the 'contractor' was a friend of the seller (wink wink nod nod) and wasn't even licensed, bonded, or insured! Another ripoff cowboy with minimal (at best) skills. The buyer is going to turn in the unlicensed 'roofer', which they should. It's honyocks like this that give construction a bad name. The buyer was most pleased with ORC's services.

It was a beautiful day so we made the most of it with visits to the beaches at Gleneden and Fogarty Creek, and stops at Depoe Bay and Boiler Bay. We had breakfast at Otis on the way in. ORC loves beach jobs!

➲ ​See our testimonial from Elizabeth B (07/26/16) for more details.

A chiropractic clinic in Oregon City contacted Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) and asked us to look at their brand new torch down bitumen membrane roof. Within three hours of finishing the job, the roofer had already demanded final payment NOW, and threatened to file a lien the next day! The owner was suspicious the roof may not have been installed properly, so he contacted ORC for an independent inspection. It was one of the worst torch installs we have ever seen.

ORC documented several basic, fundamental, mistakes in the torch down installation process. One such critical error was that just the seams, rather than the entire width of the membrane, was heat-welded to the substrate. All manufacturers require that the entire roll be bonded to the base sheet underneath.

The contract called for a total tearoff, yet debris was left everywhere, creating bumps up to 3" high all over the building. Seams were not properly sealed and were easy to separate. Flashing was not primed as is required. They even stuffed cardboard in between the layers to iron out some large divots & craters!! THAT was impressive. Being a commercial building, a construction permit was required but none was drawn. The 'roofer' sub contracted the work to his brother in law who was not licensed with the CCB. Hey, if you're going to break a few rules you may as well break them all! The 'roofer's' bond and insurance did not allow torchdown installation. This roof must be redone.

There certainly is no shortage of cowboy, incompetent, fraudulant, ripoff 'roofers' out there. It's astonishing how much of this I see!

Update 10/27/16

ORC participated in an onsite CCB mediation session. Along with us was the building owner, 'roofer', and a real roofer along with one of the most respected members of our roofing community who is employed by a longtime roofing distributor. All agreed this was one of the worst if not worst torch installs they have ever seen. The 'roofer' vigorously defended his......workmanship. He even accused us of tampering with his..........craftsmanship "to make him look bad". Just when I thought I had heard it all I hear this. Amazing. Bottom line: The building owner prevailed however the owner cannot go after the 'roofer's' bond because the bond did not allow torchdown roofing installation! This guy is the lowest of the low. Total thief. The CCB will soon be suspending this crooks' license. Good riddance! I wonder how many victims this 'roofer' has ?!?

Step #1 : Install a brand new roof...
Step #2 : Four months later tear off the brand new roof...
Step #3 : Install another brand new roof...

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) inspected this roof back in February and there were so many things wrong, including shingles installed on a flat section, that we advised doing it again. The "roofer" fled to New Mexico via Montana, but the owner was able to make a successful claim through his insurance company. ORC wrote the specs for the new roof and monitored the install. It's a shame to see all those perfectly good brand new roofing materials being tossed in a drop box. There are thousands of homes with equally bad roofs that just don't know it ... yet.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was called to inspect this brand new roof in Woodland, Washington. Four items specified on the contract were not addressed. ORC discovered several fundamental installation errors as well. The owner has hired a lawyer and wants this roof redone. Stay tuned.

At the homeowner's request, Oregon Roof Consulting inspected this new roof to determine why shingles were falling out of the steep walls. On roofs with an extreme pitch, shingles must be applied properly and hand tabbed for addtional strength. Our inspection found that nearly all of the roofing nails were over-driven, and placed far above the factory-embossed nailing line. The shingles were not hand-sealed as required by the building codes. The roofer came back to replace the shingles, but used a different brand of shingle that didn't closely match the existing shingle. The roofer was asked to come back and properly nail and hand-seal the shingles. They came back but did no nailing and very little hand sealing. The owner will be contacting his lawyer. The roofer apparently isn't taking the homeowner, his responsibility and professional obligation, the shingle manufacturer's installation specifications, or the Oregon Residential Specialty Code seriously.

Update :   9/20/16

This brand new roof has been torn off and done again. Sure seems like for all parties involved it would be best to do it right the first time.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) inspected this newer CertainTeed® Presidential Shake roof in Waldport on the central Oregon coast. This house is on a hill adjacent to the ocean and Alsea Bay. The roof has low slope facets and the roofer used no sealant at any of the protrusions, which likely explains the multiple leaks ORC documented. One roof facet is too shallow for shingles! There is a lot of re-work to be done here.

A previous client contacted Oregon Roof Consulting and asked us to look at his mother's roof. She is selling her house and needed a minimum 2-year roof certification. The current roof is 15 years old. A roofing company was asked to provide a certificate. Instead, the roofer presented a $9,000 bid to replace a "shot roof". The roof is not "shot", and still has a good 8+ years of life left. You can see by the close-up photos that the shingles are still in good condition. The roof has a couple of minor issues that can be addressed easily and economically.

If you get a dent in your car, you don't get a new car — you fix the dent! This roofer lied to a senior citizen and tried to take advantage of her. Certainly no shortage of cowboy ripoffs in this town. This shows poor character, to put it mildly, on the part of this multi-repeat offender. I need to contact my lawyer to see if I can mention these crooks by name.

A homeowner, concerned her asphalt shingle roof was not properly installed, contacted Oregon Roof Consulting and requested an independent inspection. The homeowner was right to be concerned. Staples were used to fasten some of the shingles, but roofing staples are not allowed in Oregon. Even if staples were allowed these were way too short. They barely reached the plywood. Most of the shingle nails were pushed well into or through the shingles. In many places on the roof there were no fasteners of any kind, including along one entire row of shingles!

The shingles along the rake edges did not lap past the edge metal as required by code. The utility vents were not connected to a stem/flapper/baffle type vent as is required. The vent and pipe flanges were not sealed.

Other than that it's a great job! If you look at this Roofer's website, you'll see that they boast they are the best and that it's all about customer satisfaction. Maybe next time. What many contractors don't seem to understand that if they would implement some legitimate quality control these issues would not arise. Instead of going back to correct a bad install which pays nothing they could be on a real job making money. It is a contractors responsibility to do the job right. ORSC 905.1 states that roof coverings (must) be applied to manufacturers instructions. You would also think that professional pride would come in to play at some point.

➲ ​See our 2016 Roofing Gallery: NE Portland Re-inspection (April 29, 2016) entry for more details.

A realtor in Stevenson, WA contacted Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC), and we inspected this unoccupied home on February 29. All was fine on the house roof, but the pitch of the carport roof was too shallow for the asphalt shingles that had been installed there. The pitch was 1-3/4 in 12. That area has been leaking for a long time. To correct the problem, the shingles must be removed, all of the roof decking must be replaced, and then a membrane type roof must be installed.

Do it right! What a concept!

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) inspected the asphalt shingle roof on this newer home. We observed that the roofing naiils were too short for the ridge on the ridge vent; they barely reached the plywood. The rake edge flashing was exposed. The roof deck was buckled. There was severe leaking. The chimney flashing was bad. Other than that, everything was fine!

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was asked to inspect the roof on the third house built in a huge new development. Bad, bad, bad! If you could name it, it's wrong. The buyer is demanding a new roof.

Here is another bad job by a repeat offender. The entire roof was badly nailed. The shingles around the perimeter were installed incorrectly. The nails used at the ridge were too short. The flashing at the chimney was sloppy. Yessir — this roof had it all, but not in a good way!