Howard Home Improvement

Company has very poor communication and follow through. The company did not inform when supplies were going to be dropped off, nor did they communicate when work was going to be finished since they misjudged on supplies that was needed. And they ran behind on finishing the job, even though there was ample time to get scheduling in place to have all needed crews set up for the work site. Just poor management of work and unprofessionalism.

They did such a good job that I had them come back and put on gutter screens. They were efficient and quick. They did what they said they were going to do and did it right the first time. I didn?t have to call them back.

unknown

Overall, it went very well. They were punctual and completed the work as scheduled. They found some bad wood, but we discussed it and they replaced it at a reasonable cost.  Once they were done, a representative performed an inspection. He didn't think an area around the chimney was done as well as it could have been, so they sent someone out to redo it a short time later. I was pleased with their thoroughness and attention to detail.

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My review is based only on the submission of a quote, therefore there isn't any details.

unknown

It was a big job and it took them a while to do it but they did it very well. It was part of an insurance deal. They were always accommodating because it was a difficult time. He is more of a general contractor so he had to coordinate the other people working for him. It took them a while longer but it was worth it because they all did what they said they were going to do.

My membrane roof was wind damaged and had to be replaced.
The work was fast with no inconvenience or necessary clean up by me.
I wish all my experiences with contractors and companies were as pleasant.

My roof began to leak. I contacted my insurance company who concluded that it needed to be replaced. Contacted Howard Corporation for a quote. They were out within the week. The quote was reasonable and in line with the Insurance estimate. The work on the roof was completed in two days. The inside work for the drywall and painting was completed the next week. Cleanup was complete and the new roof looks fantastic.

They were very responsive, showing up just a few days after agreement on the project.  The entire job was completed in a single day - complete removal of old roofing, wood sheeting repair, new roof installation, and (very importantly) cleanup of job site.  I was most impressed with the cleanup service, as I did not find a single loose nail in my yard!

Howard Roofing was very responsive regarding the initial inspection, answering all of my questions and providing an estimate. When my insurance company came up with different measurements, Howard was very willing to work the issue until my insurance company was completely satisfied.
From the time I signed paperwork to authorize the work, the team arrived in less than a week. The entire roof (significant size because of ranch style home) was completed in one, long day.
The crew did a fantastic job on the shingle installation. They look great and passed a quality inspection a few weeks later. A few areas that I was not as satisfied, or discrepancies were found:
1) I performed a detailed visual inspection of the work the following day. I found at least a dozen locations around the house where fascia was not properly attached to the house, or was damaged enough to allow water intrusion. This was fixed within 24 hours of notifying Howard Roofing, to my satisfaction.
2) During the quality inspection several weeks after the install, the inspector noted the installers used the wrong nail (not long enough) when installing the ridge vents. He informed us a crew would be out to install the proper fasteners, which they did. I was disappointed to learn it was not done properly the first time, but was satisfied with the fix.
3) After the first rain following the roof work, I found a handful of roofing nails at the bottom of one gutter downspout. I called Howard again and asked for them to ensure all gutters were clear of debris. They indicated that was done, but several weeks later I was working on gutter guards and found excessive amounts of roofing debris and nails in various locations. I did not call them again, figuring it was just easier to clean up myself.
4) Several weeks ago, I was working in my attic. I was surprised how much trash from the roofing I found in there. Many pieces of shingles and plastic wrap material (which shingle squares were packed in) had been dropped in through the ridge vent opening. I can't imagine all of this debris just fell into the opening by accident. Some debris, yes, but this much, no. I did not call Howard, but again, cleaned up the mess while I was in there performing other work.
Even with the issues noted above, I am pleased overall with the appearance and quality of my new roof. It looks better than the original roof on my 7 year old home. The only real issue with Howard Roofing from my experience, was the lack of attention to finishing details and clean-up.

Update 2/16/13 - One of the two vents installed during the roof replacement began leaking water into the bathroom below. I first noticed a light water staining on the ceiling in December. A trip into the attic did not reveal the source, as the water was dried up. Several weeks later, during a fairly heavy rain event, I witnessed water steadily dripping from the ceiling. A quick trip to the attic confirmed the origin of the leak. Once the temperature increased, I climbed on the roof to inspect the vent. Inadequate roof tar was applied and rain water found a path under the shingles and flange of the vent, into the hole cut through the plywood. I suspect the initial freeze/thaw cycles this roof experienced, created a gap that was not there during the summer and fall rains. While spending time in the attic for this water leak, I found additional trash and roofing debris from the roof replacement in July. I still maintain my "C" rating for Quality, but I will no longer consider using this company in the future.

There was a bathroom fan vent flashing issues caused by a later remodeler which Howard fixed at no charge. They also checked all the other flashing and did minor repairs where needed. The only think they charged me for was to replace some shingles where they removed an old satellite dish. I was impressed that they say they stand by their work - and they keep their promise.

Excellent, beautiful work.  Professionally installed.

My insurance company referred me to Howard Roofing because they are one of the "preferred services providers". They are not one of the larger or "better known" roofing companies in St. Louis, and at first I was a bit hesitant to consider them. I'm very happy with my decision. They installed over 4,000sf of roofing in one day. The workers were prompt, considerate of my landscaping, and did an exceptional job cleaning up afterwards. Mark Braun was our primary contact and was very helpful to us through the entire process.

Overall, everything went well.

It took them some time to get back to us because of their schedule. The entire roof was replaced in one day, which was a very short period. It was an insurance claim, and they were recommended to us by our insurance company. We had to pay our insurance deductibles. The quality of their workmanship was excellent. They also did a very good cleanup. They charged a fairly competitive rate based on the insurance quote.

They did a great job. The roof needed some extra work done on the boards underneath. They did everything they needed to do and got the job done. We were happy and it looks great. Some roofers are pushy but Howard was not and they were good. They were not too pushy and just told us what needed to be done, including weaknesses in the sub-structure. They really did a good job. We now have a 50 year roof on our house and if we sell, it transfers.

I spent over $1000 on that work. Everything was fine, except that they covered an area where the plywood should have been replaced and they did not tell me about it and I had to hire another roofer to fix it. I did not like that there was a situation, but covered it up.

Very well. A crew of 9 worked 12 hours on the first day and 8 hours on the second day and were very careful with plants and trees around the house. Used 5 or 6 nails per shingle and cleaned the area completely. Only drawback is finding nails in the lawn even though they used a magnet roller to pick them up.

When I spoke with contractors, I wanted to make sure that the price was fair and the materials and labor were of high quality. I am confident that I got all of the above. I beat them up a little on price to match another competitor (although, really their price was fair to begin with). I asked him about materials and they use CertainTeed shingles, which are excellent. In fact, CertainTeed gives you an awesome wind and algae resistant warranty with their shingles and they look fantastic. I watched the labor crew on my neighbors' house and though they did a really great job; I was tickled with Alex and his crew that worked on my home - I think I got a great group. Additionally, I was able to visit with the inspector, Kevin, when he was at my neighbor's house and I was impressed with the process. I also spoke with Kevin for about 45 minutes when he was at my house and he answered every question that I asked very carefully and thoughtfully. I did note that Howard had a 'b' rating before I selected them, but my experience wasn't anything but outstanding throughout. I was very, very happy with them.

It was different for them listening to a woman telling them what to do through a hole in her roof. They did just what they were supposed to do and did it very professionally. It took them no time to get done with the work and we have no leaks now. They did great work.

Mike Howard came out to the house, inspected the damaged roof, discussed types of shingles and showed me several colors to choose from (I had already gotten a bid from them). He was punctual, knowledgeable, and courteous. The following week when I came home from work, a dumpster was in my driveway. The following day work began and in 3 days, the roof was totally replaced. After the work was completed, I saw no trace of debris--no nails, parts of shingles, or wood anywhere around.

These guys were amazingly helpful in working with us and the insurance company. Without their help we would have ended up with a lot more out of pocket. The workers were all polite and it was a huge relief to have one company who was competent to do such a large scope of work. I totally trusted this company and would recommend them highly.

I WOULDN'T USE THEM AGAIN. THE WORK WAS GOOD, BUT THEY DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS. THEY WERE ONLY INTERESTED IN GETTING PAID.