Are you worried that your roofer is just telling you what you want to hear without really caring if it’s right for your home? Have you ever gotten a quote that felt suspiciously low, only to wonder what corners were being cut behind the scenes?
You’re not alone, and you’re right to feel cautious. In the Seattle area, where anyone can get a roofing license without proving experience, it’s surprisingly easy to hire someone who sounds confident but won’t tell you the truth when it matters most.
At RoofSmart, we replace hundreds of roofs every year. We encourage our customers to ask questions and tell us what they want done on their roof before the project begins. But if we know that something you want will go wrong or cause problems on your roof, we’re going to let you know.
You deserve a roof that is beautiful AND protects your home for as long as possible. We’re always going to give that to you, even if it means saying no sometimes.
In this article, we’ll explain why the best roofers won’t always agree with everything you say, and why that’s a good thing.
You’ll learn how to spot red flags in the sales process, why pushback from your roofer is actually a sign of professionalism, and how choosing honesty over convenience can protect your home (and your wallet) for years to come.
Should I trust a roofer who agrees to everything I say?
I think most Seattle homeowners are worried that when they schedule a roofer to come out and inspect their house, they're going to get a salesman who's just going to try to get in and get them to buy something, whether it's a good fit or not.
A lot of people are hesitant to trust salespeople because it’s hard to tell if they really have your best interests in mind or if they just want you to buy something.
Plus, in Washington State, you don’t need to take any tests or prove you have any roofing experience to become a roofer. All you really need to do is get a contractor’s license and some insurance.
There are thousands of roofers in the Seattle area. Not all of them have a lot of roofing experience, though. If your roofer seems too eager to agree with everything you say or quickly brushes over the details of the project, that’s a sign that they might not be invested in your roof’s quality.
You can easily get a roofer who's just like “yeah, sure, we'll do whatever you want”, even if the roof work you’re requesting is a bad idea or not in your best interest. At that point, they’re just in it for the money.
And that's not good for you, right? Because nobody's giving you any pushback, so there's no value added there. It’s your roofer’s responsibility to make sure that you’re getting the roof you want AND that it’s actually going to work properly for years to come.
Without advice from your roofer, you're just making a purchase and hoping for the best.
Why does RoofSmart cost more than other Seattle roofing companies?
At RoofSmart, we know that our prices are typically higher than our competitors. Why? Because we are committed to installing your roof the right way.
Here are the steps we take to differentiate ourselves from other roofing companies and make sure that your roof is done properly:
- We don’t cut corners: Some companies use the wrong materials or always choose the cheapest option to cut down on costs. If you want the cheapest material, that’s totally fine, but we’ll only give you that if you want it (not to make our prices look lower).
- Thorough inspection before bid: We inspect your roof, attic, and the surrounding areas to make sure that we get to the root of your roofing problems. Most of our customers tell us that nobody else even bothered to look in their attic. That’s a shame, because pretty much every roof we inspect has some sort of ventilation problem that needs to be fixed.
- Custom estimate: After inspecting your roof and the areas around it, we create a proposal that outlines our suggestions for fixing your roof’s specific issues and gives suggestions for which roofing materials are the best fit based on your needs, preferences, and budget. Every roof is unique, so we create a different proposal for each one. We don’t believe in the one-size-fits-all approach.
Even if you don’t choose us, you should still look for a roofing company that gets to the root of your roof problems. For example, a lot of older homes in the Seattle area have outdated attic ventilation systems that don’t work.
Poor ventilation and excessive moisture lead to rotting wood and mold. We see these problems every day in houses all over the Greater Seattle area. Replacing your old, worn-out shingles isn’t going to do you much good if your attic is moldy and rotting.
In fact, you’ll just end up spending tens of thousands of dollars again in a few years when your roof deck needs to be replaced.
Your roofer should ensure that ALL the problems on your roof are fixed so that it protects your home from leaks and damage for as long as possible.
As a result of our detailed process, our prices are higher. But we can also guarantee that
- Your roof is done right
- We’re giving you the opportunity to fix ventilation problems, mold, and other issues that will cause problems down the road, even if you install a new roof
Sometimes people think that we're more expensive than we should be. And the problem really is that nobody wants to hear that it just costs a certain amount of money to have a qualified person do a good job.
Is a more expensive roofing quote ever actually worth it?
If you’re looking for a quick, cheap fix for your roof, then RoofSmart probably isn’t the best fit for you. We’re happy to offer you affordable alternatives whenever it’s possible, but we won’t do something that we know is going to fail prematurely.
And listen, we get it. If you have two roofers talking about the same roof work, but one of them is quoting you $20,000 and the other is saying they can do it for $12,000, that second option sounds much better.
Why would you pay more for the same work? The problem is that it’s not the same level of work. If you run into this situation, you should ask each roofer to break down the proposal. They should be able to explain what work they’re going to do and how much it will cost.
Make sure to ask about hidden fees and potential unexpected costs. Chances are, the cheaper roofer won’t have extra steps to fix issues beyond the roof (like ventilation fixes). In fact, roofers often cut corners on their bids to draw you in with cheaper prices.
Labor costs can be a big variable, but cheaper labor costs mean less experience and lower-quality roofing.
What happens if I choose the cheapest roofing option?
In our experience, going with the cheapest option often leads to problems. If a customer doesn't end up choosing us, we either never hear from the customer again, or they call us up to help them out after things have gone further south.
For example, we had a Seattle-based customer with a rooftop deck who had gotten inspections from multiple roofing companies.
Our diagnosis of the roof was that it wasn’t draining right and would have condensation damage. Our solution was to pull out the doors so that we could fix the rotting wood in the doorframes.
Rooftop decks in Seattle are prime targets for leaks and water damage because they usually don’t get sealed and insulated properly. If your rooftop deck is leaking, it can easily cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage before you even notice there’s an issue.
Obviously, no one wants to hear that. It sucks! But to properly get rid of the mold, rot, and water damage, and then properly insulate the roof, it can easily cost upwards of $20,000.
The customer was hesitant to do that because no other company had told him that it was an issue and the work to pull back the roof to show him that there was damage and then do all the repairs would be several thousand dollars more.
He ended up hiring a contractor for a lower price to fix the damage, but the work that this contractor did ended up causing a leak. Eventually, the customer called us back out to fix it.
It’s difficult to know who to trust if you have no roofing experience. And, of course, you want to believe that you’ll be fine after choosing the cheapest option. Unfortunately, in the roofing industry, this usually results in disaster.
We’re always going to be honest with you about how bad the damage is on your roof and how much it will cost for us to fix it properly. That being said, it’s ultimately your choice what to do with that information.
We’re not here to force you to do anything, but we will help you fix your roof the right way.
How can you tell if a roofing contractor Is truly qualified?
Now that you understand why the best roofing contractors won’t just nod and agree with everything you say, it’s clear that trust is built on honesty, even when it’s uncomfortable. A roofer who tells you “no” is often the one who’s trying to protect your home, your budget, and your long-term peace of mind.
But how do you separate those who are truly qualified from those who just talk a good game?
Your next step is to read our article “Is Your Seattle Roofer Actually Qualified? Here’s How to Tell Before It’s Too Late”. This guide gives you the exact questions to ask, red flags to avoid, and key credentials to look for—so you can hire with confidence and avoid costly mistakes down the road.
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