Good, Fast, & Cheap

You’ve heard that phrase before, right? How about this version; Good, Fast, & Cheap… Pick any two. In other words, it’s hard to get all three of those items from the same service company. In fact, when it comes to roofing and exterior work, it may be impossible.

That’s right. If a contractor tells you he can start tomorrow, that should be a warning sign. Why does he not have any work? Many contractors do not employ their installers. So, they subcontract a work force only when needed. So, if you sign a contract for a service that can start tomorrow. Guess what, your contractor has to make some calls and find an installation crew. That seems like you are rolling the dice on the quality of installation. Let’s hope that crew is trained and certified for the installation of the products you just purchased. Fast, should never be a factor when deciding on an investment to your property.

What about Cheap? If your contract price is significantly less than the other bids you’ve received, that should also raise the red flag. There are only a few reasons why prices differ in this industry. 1.) Materials are not the same. Meaning, the contract is not apples to apples. 2.) Labor is not the same. As noted above, the installer may be subcontracted, or illegal, or paid cash under the table, etc. Or, 3.) The contractor is not up to industry standards with regards to safety, benefits, or insurance. Worse yet, is a combination of all three of these factors. Before you take the low price, make sure you’ve fully investigated the differences in the contract details. If the price is low, there’s usually an underlying reason.

That leaves Good. Of course, we all want good workmanship. And, after all, this is an investment. Poor workmanship would be detrimental to the property value. So, that’s the catch, Good usually comes at the expense of Fast & Cheap. Think about it. If you want it done right, you need quality materials, and you need them installed correctly. If your installer is racing through your project at record pace, how much attention is being paid to proper installation methods? Be wary of contractors that can perform large projects in a short period of time. That can’t be Good!

Bottom line, when buying a roofing or exterior service project, focus on the Good, leave the Fast & Cheap to someone else.