FALCON ROOFING

Falcon Roofing stepped up big time! Heavy rains caused a leak in our investment property roof through an old plastic vent pipe. We thought the cost of the project would be higher because of our request for a fast turnaround. However, without jeopardizing quality, the Falcon crew completed the repair work friendly, efficiently and cost effectively. Thank you Falcon!

On August 22, 2015, I signed a contract with Falcon Roofing to fix leaks of our gutters. There were four spots that needed to be fixed as written in our contract. We wanted to fix the gutter before a wet El Nino winter. We got estimates from other contractors and Falcon Roofing was the highest bidder. We hired Falcon Roofing anyway, since the company was recommended by another contractor, and we were impressed with Mario, who seemed very nice and sincere when he told us that they care about customer satisfaction. After a week or so, he sent 2 of his workers to seal the four spots in the gutters, for which we paid $542.00 and received a 5-year warranty signed by Mario. The service was good and workers were friendly and polite. Late 2015 and early 2016 it did not rain as much as predicted. We did not have problems with the gutters. From November 2016 through this month of January, it was raining a lot and our gutters started to leak again. So, I called their office in early December to tell them that our gutters started to leak again. After two weeks, on a Saturday, Christopher came with the original receipt. Their copy of the receipt doesn’t mention the 5-yr. warranty, only my receipt has the warranty. Christopher said that he would honor my receipt. I told him that the second floor gutter is leaking and I thought the gutter above the garage was leaking as well, but I was not sure. I told him to do touch up on that spot to make sure it’s not leaking and he agreed. There is also a new leak above the stairs/front of the house, which is not under warranty. He looked at it. He went to the roof and said that he would be able to put sealer on the gutter above the stairs/front of the house and would not charge me for that. I was appreciative and gave him a Panatone bread as a sign of gratitude. However, the gutter on the second-floor side of the house he could not do, because of the solar panels installed on that side of the roof. He told me that he would come back Tuesday and bring a taller ladder to reach the gutter on the side of the house without going on the roof. He also told me that he would do the gutter above the garage on Tuesday as well, which he could have done right then, since it doesn’t require a taller ladder to reach. I was a little skeptical that he didn’t do it right that moment. When Christopher came on Tuesday, he only did the second-floor gutter on the side of the house. He did not put any sealer on the gutter above the garage as he had promised. So I called their office and I was told that Christopher did not put sealer on the gutter above the garage. Mario called me back and I told him what happened. He said that they don’t do touch up and he ask me whether I was sure that he did not do it and I told him yes, the camera won’t lie. We have a camera, so I can see the activities around the house at real time. Ok, he said he would talk to him and would call back the next day. But I never heard from him since. He told me they don’t do touch up but that’s exactly what they were doing – putting sealer on the same spots which didn’t work in the first place. December and January, it rained a lot, so the spots that Christopher put sealer on started to leak again just after two weeks. The sealer did not work at all. I called their office again, and talked to Chris. I asked whether he is the same Christopher who came to our house two weeks earlier, and he told me that he is Chris and the other guy is Christopher. So, Chris told me that he would send somebody to fix it. I asked him whether he can send somebody on Saturday and he said he would check who was available that day. He called me back and told me that nobody was available. So, I asked about Monday, January 16, 2 weeks later, which was Martin Luther King Day. He said yes. I was willing to wait for another two weeks, so that I could be home to see what they did. Monday came and nobody showed up or called. I called later in the afternoon at around 4pm and got the receptionist. I told her about my appointment that day and she said she would give the message to Chris. Chris did not call me back. On January 18, Carlos left me a message that he was supposed to come on Monday but they were very busy because of an emergency call. I called again the following day and got Carlos. Carlos came Saturday, January 21. I showed him what needed to be fixed and I also mentioned the new spot that Christopher tried to fix without success. He told me that he would take care of everything at no charge, including the new spot without warranty. He said, he wants is to make their customers happy. That’s their company’s theme. However, he couldn’t do anything that day because he didn’t have the tall ladder for our second-floor gutter and the gutter was wet. The gutter needed to be dry for him to fix it, and he did not bring the tools that he needed. He said he would come back on Thursday, January 26 and make sure everything would be fixed. He would apply something different since the sealer didn’t work, but the gutter needed to be dry. I was a little hesitant, because I had been trying to get this done for more than a month. But I said it’s ok as long as he does it on Thursday. Sunday, January 22 through Tuesday, January 24, it was raining a lot, which caused stains to start showing on the second-floor gutter on the side of the house as well as the wall right below the gutter (see attached picture). It looks bad and I don’t know what kind of sealer Christopher used that left marks on the gutter and wall. Wednesday, January 25 through Thursday, January 26, it did not rain, so it was a perfect time for Carlos to do the job. On Thursday, January 26, I called Carlos in the morning to ask him what time he would be going to our house. He did not give me a time but he told me that he would call me before going there and would also call me after they are done. He called me in the afternoon around 1:46 pm and left a message which was hard to understand - something like they were on their way to our house and he called me Tony so he seems he was talking to someone named Tony. I was at work, but I was checking our camera from time to time. I did not see him at our property at all. It was getting late in the afternoon. So, I was getting frustrated and tried to call his number several times, but he was not responding. With my frustration, I called their office and told the receptionist that Carlos was supposed to go to our house that day to fixed our gutters. I guess the receptionist or dispatcher must have called Carlos. After a few minutes, Carlos called me back and told me that he got a flat tire which I found hard to believe. Of all days, he got a flat tire that afternoon. I was fed up and told them that if no one showed up to fix the gutter today, then I would be done with them. I told the receptionist and Carlos that I would write my experience with their company in all websites that I could find. This is not acceptable any more. They were playing games with me. I think they were giving me a hard time because the job is so small and it’s not their priority. If they don’t want to do it, then they can say so, rather than treat a customer like an idiot. The receptionist called me later and told me that Mario was going to my house around 6pm. To do what? To talk to me? There’s nothing to talk about. I want my gutter fixed. That’s all I need. By the way, all the 4 spots that they fixed previously are all leaking after that 3 consecutive days of rain. They have been in the business for so long that they should know better that sealer doesn’t work. It’s just a very quick and temporary fixed with a very high price. After my experience with these people, I started wondering why they come to a worksite and don’t bring the tools they need. They know what the problem is, so they should come prepared. This is not the first time they do their job, and yet they tell me that they don’t have a ladder or special kind of sealer, etc., etc. If they are too busy, then they should use their time wisely by going to their worksite prepared, rather than telling me that they will come

On August 22, 2015, I signed a contract with Falcon Roofing to fix leaks of our gutters. There were four spots that needed to be fixed as written in our contract. We wanted to fix the gutter before a wet El Nino winter. We got estimates from other contractors and Falcon Roofing was the highest bidder. We hired Falcon Roofing anyway, since the company was recommended by another contractor, and we were impressed with Mario, who seemed very nice and sincere when he told us that they care about customer satisfaction. After a week or so, he sent 2 of his workers to seal the four spots in the gutters, for which we paid $542.00 and received a 5-year warranty signed by Mario. The service was good and workers were friendly and polite. Late 2015 and early 2016 it did not rain as much as predicted. We did not have problems with the gutters. From November 2016 through this month of January, it was raining a lot and our gutters started to leak again. So, I called their office in early December to tell them that our gutters started to leak again. After two weeks, on a Saturday, Christopher came with the original receipt. Their copy of the receipt doesn’t mention the 5-yr. warranty, only my receipt has the warranty. Christopher said that he would honor my receipt. I told him that the second floor gutter is leaking and I thought the gutter above the garage was leaking as well, but I was not sure. I told him to do touch up on that spot to make sure it’s not leaking and he agreed. There is also a new leak above the stairs/front of the house, which is not under warranty. He looked at it. He went to the roof and said that he would be able to put sealer on the gutter above the stairs/front of the house and would not charge me for that. I was appreciative and gave him a Panatone bread as a sign of gratitude. However, the gutter on the second-floor side of the house he could not do, because of the solar panels installed on that side of the roof. He told me that he would come back Tuesday and bring a taller ladder to reach the gutter on the side of the house without going on the roof. He also told me that he would do the gutter above the garage on Tuesday as well, which he could have done right then, since it doesn’t require a taller ladder to reach. I was a little skeptical that he didn’t do it right that moment. When Christopher came on Tuesday, he only did the second-floor gutter on the side of the house. He did not put any sealer on the gutter above the garage as he had promised. So I called their office and I was told that Christopher did not put sealer on the gutter above the garage. Mario called me back and I told him what happened. He said that they don’t do touch up and he ask me whether I was sure that he did not do it and I told him yes, the camera won’t lie. We have a camera, so I can see the activities around the house at real time. Ok, he said he would talk to him and would call back the next day. But I never heard from him since. He told me they don’t do touch up but that’s exactly what they were doing – putting sealer on the same spots which didn’t work in the first place. December and January, it rained a lot, so the spots that Christopher put sealer on started to leak again just after two weeks. The sealer did not work at all. I called their office again, and talked to Chris. I asked whether he is the same Christopher who came to our house two weeks earlier, and he told me that he is Chris and the other guy is Christopher. So, Chris told me that he would send somebody to fix it. I asked him whether he can send somebody on Saturday and he said he would check who was available that day. He called me back and told me that nobody was available. So, I asked about Monday, January 16, 2 weeks later, which was Martin Luther King Day. He said yes. I was willing to wait for another two weeks, so that I could be home to see what they did. Monday came and nobody showed up or called. I called later in the afternoon at around 4pm and got the receptionist. I told her about my appointment that day and she said she would give the message to Chris. Chris did not call me back. On January 18, Carlos left me a message that he was supposed to come on Monday but they were very busy because of an emergency call. I called again the following day and got Carlos. Carlos came Saturday, January 21. I showed him what needed to be fixed and I also mentioned the new spot that Christopher tried to fix without success. He told me that he would take care of everything at no charge, including the new spot without warranty. He said, he wants is to make their customers happy. That’s their company’s theme. However, he couldn’t do anything that day because he didn’t have the tall ladder for our second-floor gutter and the gutter was wet. The gutter needed to be dry for him to fix it, and he did not bring the tools that he needed. He said he would come back on Thursday, January 26 and make sure everything would be fixed. He would apply something different since the sealer didn’t work, but the gutter needed to be dry. I was a little hesitant, because I had been trying to get this done for more than a month. But I said it’s ok as long as he does it on Thursday. Sunday, January 22 through Tuesday, January 24, it was raining a lot, which caused stains to start showing on the second-floor gutter on the side of the house as well as the wall right below the gutter (see attached picture). It looks bad and I don’t know what kind of sealer Christopher used that left marks on the gutter and wall. Wednesday, January 25 through Thursday, January 26, it did not rain, so it was a perfect time for Carlos to do the job. On Thursday, January 26, I called Carlos in the morning to ask him what time he would be going to our house. He did not give me a time but he told me that he would call me before going there and would also call me after they are done. He called me in the afternoon around 1:46 pm and left a message which was hard to understand - something like they were on their way to our house and he called me Tony so he seems he was talking to someone named Tony. I was at work, but I was checking our camera from time to time. I did not see him at our property at all. It was getting late in the afternoon. So, I was getting frustrated and tried to call his number several times, but he was not responding. With my frustration, I called their office and told the receptionist that Carlos was supposed to go to our house that day to fixed our gutters. I guess the receptionist or dispatcher must have called Carlos. After a few minutes, Carlos called me back and told me that he got a flat tire which I found hard to believe. Of all days, he got a flat tire that afternoon. I was fed up and told them that if no one showed up to fix the gutter today, then I would be done with them. I told the receptionist and Carlos that I would write my experience with their company in all websites that I could find. This is not acceptable any more. They were playing games with me. I think they were giving me a hard time because the job is so small and it’s not their priority. If they don’t want to do it, then they can say so, rather than treat a customer like an idiot. The receptionist called me later and told me that Mario was going to my house around 6pm. To do what? To talk to me? There’s nothing to talk about. I want my gutter fixed. That’s all I need. By the way, all the 4 spots that they fixed previously are all leaking after that 3 consecutive days of rain. They have been in the business for so long that they should know better that sealer doesn’t work. It’s just a very quick and temporary fixed with a very high price. After my experience with these people, I started wondering why they come to a worksite and don’t bring the tools they need. They know what the problem is, so they should come prepared. This is not the first time they do their job, and yet they tell me that they don’t have a ladder or special kind of sealer, etc., etc. If they are too busy, then they should use their time wisely by going to their worksite prepared, rather than telling me that they will come

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We employed Falcon to re-do our roof, we ended up selecting a TPO, which is a newer technology. Richard explained everything in details, we signed the contract. They started the job on time, workers came to work daily on time also. Miguel was calling us with updates and meeting arrangements. They worked well and, rather, quickly. Although the contact took longer than predicted, we didn't mind as long as the job was done correctly. 
The only negative experience we had was problems reaching them before the works started. Falcon agreed to temporarily fix our 2  leaks (while we were waiting for them to start), but fixed only one, missed the second one. Right before the storm we called the company 3 times, but no-one returned the call, so we ended up buying some patch materials on our own and patching it ourselves during the rain (at least we learnt how to do now). All the other calls and texts were returned promptly. 
Price-wise, they are on the expensive side, but they do the work well. 
In general, it was a stress free experience, very different from the previous contractor we dealt with. I'd happily recommend Falcon to anyone.

To summarize, I'll say Falcon's lack of communication (which, for me, is a part of "responsiveness" and "professionalism") made this a difficult experience.  I would like to give an overall good review to Falcon Roofing, but unfortunately, I cannot.  Working with them had its highs and lows, and we ended on a low note.

I noticed a hole in our upstairs downspout in July 2014, and had contacted several companies to come and give an estimate.  None of the companies responded.  Finally, one October day, as I was driving home, I saw the Falcon Roofing truck.  I checked their website and their service reviews in several places and decided to give them a call. Since they also offer chimney cap installation, I requested an estimate for that work as well.  We scheduled the appointment and Richard arrived on time on October 30th.  He went on our roof and came back to discuss the job with me.  He had photos that he had taken with his phone to show me everything that needed to be done.  He recommended the following:

• - Installing a downspout where the hole was
• - He also gave the chimney estimate. 
• - He said that our flashing all around the house was in bad condition and needed to be repaired and resealed. 
• - He said there were several roof tiles that needed to be re-hammered and that sealant needed to be applied
• - He also said he could reframe the windows at the front of our house and gave an estimate for that.

Richard gave me the work order with the estimate and explained that I would have to pay for the photos if I wanted copies. I continued shopping around for other estimates and decided to go with Falcon.  I contacted them and said that I would like to talk over some of the job.  Richard came over the week of Thanksgiving and we reviewed the original work order.  I had him remove the chimney job because I decided to go with a chimney repair person instead.  I questioned him about the window reframing, which I thought was pricey, but he said the price of materials and workers, etc. made the price a fair one.  The thought of not having any more people going up onto our roof for several separate jobs made me decide to go with Falcon for the window framing. 

Richard took down my payment information and  said they would be there by the end of the week to do the work and that he would send me the before photos.  My 10% deposit was processed on Tues Nov 25th.  This is where things hit a low.  No one arrived at the end of that week.  I called and left a message and no one got back to me.  I left a message for Richard on his cell phone. I called again and spoke with a representative and explained that they had processed my deposit and no one had communicated when they were going to come out and do the work.  I contacted the office again and they said they would come out on Tue. Dec 16th.  They ended up coming on Dec 9th, which was great because the Bay Area Superstorm hit on that Thursday and I was very grateful that they had installed the downspout so that we didn't have a hole in our gutter.  I called that evening and thanked them for coming sooner and they said they appreciated it.  So, we were ending on a high note, or so I thought.

Unfortunately, things got complicated.  I was out of town for Christmas and received a call from one of my roommates (who, thankfully, was still in town) that she'd arrived home in the evening and the rain was leaking into our house through the skylight.  I have lived in this house for 15 years--even during the time when the Bay Area was getting its regular winter rains-- and our skylight had never leaked.  I immediately called Richard and told him the situation and asked him to call me after he assessed everything.  He went to the house, took photos, and left.  I contacted my roommate to make sure he had arrived and he'd already left.  So I called him back.  He said he saw the drip and would look into it when the rain stopped, which he didn't know when that would be, but there was a complication because he was leaving town. I requested that they put a tarp over the skylight to avoid any further inside rain damage until the skylight issue could be resolved. He said they would get to it as soon as it wasn't raining but the issue was that they wouldn't know whether or not what they'd done had fixed the problem.  I told him to run a hose or take a bucket up there if he needed to, but I wanted to make sure no more water came inside.  He said he'd return with a crew and fix everything.  I asked him to give me a call an hour before they arrived to the house so that someone could be there when they did the repair.  He told me no one needed to be in the house when they were there.  But I explained that I wanted someone there so that they could tell him whether or not water was coming inside.  I didn't receive that call. 

When I called Richard again, he said they'd gone up there and extended the downspout further down the roof.  He explained that he thought the skylight was dripping inside because the downspout had been installed in such a way that there was a high amount of water going onto the skylight.  He said they went ahead and sealed the skylight free of charge.  I asked that he leave the tarp until he returned from vacation.  I still didn't want to take any chances.

Finally I was back in town.  Richard came to get the tarp and he took a hose up on the roof to spray the skylight. Afterwards, he showed me photos he'd taken of what they'd done and photos of him running the hose that day.  I requested all of the photos and gave him my email address.  The only photos I received were the ones he took that day. I replied to the email he sent that day to ask for the rest of the photos.  I still haven't received the initial before photos, which is why I didn't give a "Quality" rating.

Richard is very personable and I appreciated his friendly manner and that he was never rude, even during the skylight issue.  However, I want to know that I am getting what I paid for.  In this case, I'm not going to climb up on the roof to find out, which is why communication is so important for this type of work. It would help me to see the before and after photos of what I paid for, but I only have the after with nothing to compare them to.   It would have also helped to know exact dates that they would be at our house or to receive a follow-up phone call when they had done anything.  I didn't receive either of these key communications.  I was always the person calling. 

That's my review!

Falcon Roofing delivered all that they promised and then some. The box skylight ended up posing a challenge with the existing roof slope and configuration, but their installer, Francisco, is an artisan as well as a highly talented craftsman who takes great pride in his work. What Francisco was able to create is like a work of art and is a strikingly beautiful and very unique skylight. The ceiling itself ended up presenting a second challenge, as it had been textured by the previous homeowner. As an interior decorator I know that trying to match texture on a ceiling is a nightmare, but Francisco did a patient and painstaking job of making the transition from old to new seamless and invisible.
Everything they were supposed to do, they did with complete competence. They were pleasant, personable, dependable, and always cleaned up the work area at the end of each day. Miguel (who installed the Sun Tubes) also did a good job of prepping and sealing off the room where the skylight was going in, and there was no dust or debris that transferred from that room to the rest of the house. 
 Not only did they do what they promised, but they went above and beyond. My husband and I recently relocated to Mountain View from the East Coast and we have learned that with so many people working on their homes in the area, contractors are busy and it can be difficult to them to come out. Because I had been unable to hire a handyman in advance of some interior painting that was about to start, I was trying to remove an old, unwanted window seat myself. My electric drill is still across the country at my other house, and my screwdriver wasn't completely up to the task. Falcon's Field Service Technician, Richard Renteria, happened to be here getting things ready for Francisco, and in bit of desperation I asked Richard if I could please borrow his drill. To my complete delight and surprise, he not only proceeded to remove the offending screws himself, but picked up the entire old window seat and carted it away! Wow! Richard also solved another problem for me when he fashioned some blocks to trim in an octagonal window.
I also need to include Miguel in my thanks, who is a tireless, diligent, and very dedicated worker. He did a great job of installing the Sun Tubes, and his "above and beyond" contributions included helping me successfully repair the outer ring of one of the Sun Tubes that my painters inadvertently damaged. Miguel also provided some advice for some other carpentry and painting projects I was working on around the house (Miguel was the one who told me that Richard could probably make the blocks for my window, and then he asked Richard to do it.) Last but not least, I also want to acknowledge Falcon's owner, Mario Renteria, who came out himself on a weekend evening at Francisco's request to discuss some of the challenges with the skylight.  In short: great company - great experience through and through.

I was very pleased with Richard's professionalism, the way he explained everything, fully answered all my questions. He provided options which were practical, were focused on our needs, not just aimed at using his equipment or piling on work for his company. We are working with him on the recommended approaches soon, just met again to go over the project needs, slightly modify the scope of one detail.
The reason that responsiveness received a lower score is that after purchasing the deal we never heard from them. I had to contact them more than once. Email seemed to be the least effective means, phone the most direct. I rely on email for a lot of the arrangements I make because I am in meetings most of the day, often on the phone and it is hard to make calls during business hours. So, responsiveness to email communications is an area for improvement.
Now that we are working with them, this has been less of an issue.

Everything was delivered as promised. I was satisfied with their work and they found a few things, but afterwards I referred a friend to them and he received a free estimate. I’m wondering if I paid for something that would have originally been free.

I contacted numerous roofing companies through Angie"s list as well as referrals.  I ended up selecting Falcon Roofing which I had found on Angie's list.  One of the many reasons I selected them was responsive, customer oriented, knowledgable and cared about me as a customer.  Mario came out and was extremely knowledgable, he educated me on the importance of having a good quality roof rather than selling me on a roof.  He really understands the new technology regarding product, etc and he took the time to walk me through the process and was very responsive all along the way.  I would 100% recommend Falcon Roofing.

The old roof was two layers of wood shake/shingles. Falcon met with me to go over the various options for roofing materials and styles, and provided quotes for wood and various composition options. Falcon also brought samples to help me select a shingle color and style. I decided to get a composition roof and steel gutters. The team started work quickly and completed the job on schedule. The owner and job foreman were always available by phone, and kept me informed about progress.

work was perform in a quality manner on time and complete.

.

The service perform was removal of dirt and leaves, minor repairs, and touch up painting of the gutters and down spouts.

We had an excellent experience with Falcon. Mario was very responsive during the whole process, beginning with quoting the job, being on-site during install, and treviewing the job on completion. The crew was professional and courteous. Job site was cleaned each night at the conclusion of work for that day. Recommended highly.

Once the work began they did an excellent job and cleaned up well before they left. Richard Renteria, my contact and the person that did my quote, was very easy and pleasant to work with. The County inspector commented on what a good job she thought they had done. My only complaint was the timeliness of the job and the communication of the status of the job. The original quote was done on 9/5/2010, deposit paid on 9/17/2010, but then no word from Falcon, unless I called them, and the job did not begin until 11/5/2010. It then took until 12/8/2010 to finish the job. I was told that they had a 5 - 7 week backlog, and I know it is a busy time of year, but twelve weeks seemed excessive to get the job done. Even though it took longer to close the job than I thought it would, I would not hesitate to use Falcon Roofing again.

I panicked when I noticed the leak in my ceiling over my living room door & down the wall & in the kitchen ceiling. I knew nothing about roofs! I have always been untrusting of most major repair people/ companies. I started calling around to get estimates, some from angies list, some from the internet, some from the mobile home magazine. Boy! did I learn alot --some people never called back, some never showed up, some were just plain condesending & "not nice" over the phone. I could not believe my good experience with this company. Both Richard & Mario spent several hours with me in my house on multiple occasions explaining everything to me in detail & re-explaining. They showed me samples of everything they were going to use & offered honest opinions of what would be best & exactly how it would be done. They gave me the estimate & choice of repair or replacement & I was allowed to make my own decision without pressure. They did the work as promised over a 3 day period that I requested; the workers were prompt & professional & both Richard & Mario came on site more than once to keep an eye on things. They took before & after pictures & gave me copies. They offered the best warrenty for this type of high definition shingled roof. They used a much better underlayment so even though the shingles are a limited 30 yr warrenty; I got a 15 year warrenty against any leaks with all repairs covered. The workers cleaned up well afterward; they kept to the promised hourly & daily time schedule. They were not the cheapiest but I was determined to have the work done right & the warrenty, underlayment used & the inclusion of the skylight ( which I did some bargaining for) & their attention to my concerns & details were all tie breakers. The only drawback was some mis-communication about obtaining the proper permit & when the inspector could be available--but those things were worked out well & in time to get the work done. The roof is so much better than the (as it turned out ) defective original one, looks nice, & now I am just waiting for the rainy season to start to test it out! Forgot to mention that the price also included the complete removal & disposal of the old roof & also includes 3 years of cleaning & complete inspection including the gutters. I understand they also do all kinds of home construction. I would absolutely hire them again. I am a single older female & there was not even a hint of them trying to take advantage of my lack of knowledge about repairs--during the 2 weeks before they started the work, I did do everything I could to educate myself about roofs & repairs via the internet--& would advise others to do so.