Details do matter. It should be chimneys, not chimney’s.

Interesting timing with this post, Lori. A couple weeks back a friend of mine was informed by her homeowners insurance company that if she didn’t replace her home’s 21-year-old (non-leaking) roof (that has 30-year shingles) they wouldn’t renew her coverage next spring. This is the same company she’s been with for homeowners and auto insurance since she got her first car, and she’s already researching for a new provider, especially after they told her the roof had to be replaced by a specific date in November.

Anyway…around here, this is the time of year when roofers are busy trying to fit in as many jobs as possible before winter comes. The guy I referred told her off the bat that, weather permitting, he wouldn’t be able to get to her house until after her deadline. She appreciated his honesty, but had to scratch him off the list. She scratched others off her list because they didn’t show up when they said they would to give the estimate, or because their bid was just a number without any details about what the work would entail – vents, dumpster rental, specific materials, etc… And finally landed with a roofing company that ticked all the boxes, even if the bid was slightly more than some of the lower bids. The work stats next week.

It was the same when I needed both chimney’s tuck-pointed last year. Of the four bids I got, only one person actually went up to inspect the chimneys. Guess what? His bid was the lowest because he wasn’t adding on extra work that didn’t need to be done. The other three guys assumed the lines visible on one of the crowns from the ground were cracks, while the guy who was up there knew the crown was the original 4-piece limestone crown that only needed mortar and a Portland wash.

Details matter. And communicating those details is vital.