I decided to get 3 quotes for roof replacements due to hail damage on two houses; my home and my nearby rental property. I think 3 quotes on large jobs is the right number to determine if contractor prices and options are reasonable, without producing a time burden on me in collecting dozens of quotes, or disrespecting the contractor's time by making a dozen businesses spend time on quoting a job that only one will ultimately get.
I contacted the provider and indicated that I wanted a specific type of shingle on my home. (He was my second quote; his first competitor tried to push an underlayment upgrade on me that I didn't want.) He called and left a voicemail and when I called back, we scheduled an appointment for a Friday afternoon to meet at my house. I called my tenants and made them aware to expect us shortly afterwards. He called a couple days in advance, and said he had family coming in to town and wanted to meet at a different time. I have a standing arrangement with my supervisor that I can take off early Friday if I work later hours earlier in the week, and I had already started working later to be able to make our original appointment...so I was a tad irritated at the scheduling change, but agreed to it because he was willing to meet after my work hours. So I called my tenants and updated them on the schedule change. The afternoon of the appointment, my last business client of the day arrived 45 minutes late, and then I had to kick her out as politely as I could so that I could make my appointment with this provider. Even though she was late, my client made comments to my boss because she was irritated that I wouldn't stay late to conclude our business. As I rushed home, I listed to my voicemail and discovered a message left half an hour before the appointment saying that he couldn't make it because he had to take his wife to the ER. Now I am not suggesting that any man should EVER fail to take his wife to the ER when she requires, but there are 4 guys pictured on his business card and I would have been fine with any of 'em...
So then he follows up by calling me a couple times, but I am not free to call back during most of the work day. When I was able to get free, I called him back and discovered he had already arrived at my rental property without clearing it with me first. I was VERY unhappy with this state of affairs because I do not like contractors to show up at my rental property without me. First, I think it makes me look unprofessional to my tenants to not coordinate with them in advance, especially after already telling them we were coming twice. Second, I was having problems with one set of tenants (after telling them they had to get rid of their lease violating pit bull or move) and I knew they would seize on any little thing to whine and complain about in retaliation. I tried to make the best of things by texting my tenants about his arrival, but the pit bull owner tenants ended up giving me an earful later anyhow about how they didn't appreciate lack of notice, etc. So then I get home and find a business card on my own porch, because apparently he went by there with no notice too. I wasn't so upset about him dropping by my house, but I don't think it was very professional to go to a rental property inhabited by people who would have had no idea he was coming if I hadn't happened to get his voicemail when I did.
So he leaves a message later telling me he's preparing a quote for me and asks where to send it, and I debate whether to even call back and tell him about the ridge vent upgrade I wanted (which I hadn't had a chance to tell him about). He struck me as a scheduling chameleon which I don't need, and I wasn't sure I even wanted a quote anymore. Switching his scheduling around and showing up unexpectedly on short notice may not be at all inconvenient to people who have more flexible or different work schedules, but for me it's Excedrin headache #452. So he sends me quotes, but it was clear that he hadn't recalled from my original contact with him that I wanted a specific type of shingle (Energy Star rated cool shingles), because he quoted something comparable to the existing shingles on both houses.
I thought the pricing for what he did quote was more than reasonable: without seeing my insurance paperwork, he came out $366 below RCV on my home and $1043 below RCV on my rental property, which would have allowed me to get some of the upgrades I wanted with less additional expense on my part. (Some Angie's List readers will be disappointed that I don't list specific prices and # of squares here, but due to the fluctuating material prices, I don't think that information sets reasonable expectations...) Due to the pricing, I was considering calling him back...but then after my 3rd quote with his 2nd competitor who was SO accommodating to my schedule, easy to deal with, and reasonably priced....I just didn't want to deal with him or the first competitor any more.