I NEED A NEW ROOF YESTERDAY…HELP!!!!   Installation Backlog

If you have read the news at all lately, you have seen that our industry has taken quite the beating from this springs weather. The construction industry is feeling the pressure more than any other.  It is also a seasonal business, which means they have even less time to get through their larger than usual backlog.

Roofing and construction companies are typically working at full capacity by mid March at the latest, and this year the massive spring wind storm kicked everything into high gear right away. Certain roofing contractors, such as American Standard Roofing of Southfield Michigan, work throughout winter…but this is a rarity now a days. It is hard to find companies like this because of the extra work that is required shoveling off snow before working, let alone paying the workers extra for the increased hazard and effort.  Temps have to hit at least 40 degrees, and in Michigan let’s face it…not even the weather man knows what will happen with the weather, even on the day of.  Now that the weather is much more permitting, you will find tons of companies with a back log for MONTHS on end.  Companies are scrambling to complete work, and to find the necessary skilled workers to complete these jobs.

The good news is that the materials ARE available.

This should make the bids more competitive, but again this all depends on demand for the work. This circles us back around to scheduling.  It is very difficult for a contractor to arrange for delivery of materials when there are 20 other shipments that need to be made that same day. Therefore, it is a lot safer to do business with a company that is large enough to have a good relationship with their suppliers. This is just one other downside to hiring to two guys working out of the back of a truck. An associate at the local distributor ABC Supply said “Unfortunately there are only so many orders that can get filled in a day, and we have to service our larger clients first before we can even consider the smaller guys.”  While material delivery is only one small part of a successful installation from start to finish, it is a very important one.

Please bare with your local contractors on scheduling installations!

Remember, every rain day or extreme temp day we deal with sets them back even further.  However many jobs were scheduled for installation that day are now added to backlog, and have to be moved in to the already existing future load.  Extreme temps and hard work day after day means tired crews.  Contractors can never forget to take care of their installers, and this also plays a key part in the proper scheduling of installations.  The safety and well being of the teams always must come first.  Go easy on your contractor if your installation dates take a bit longer to arrive, as they must make the best and safest decision and consider weather, availability of material delivery and refuse can delivery, the well being of their teams and the ability to successfully complete the project without issue concerning all points, and the existing backlog that must be taken care of.