South Florida roofing contractors, who were already overloaded and backlogged with work orders from previous hurricanes, say they are having difficulties facing nearly impossible demands in Dade and Bro-ward counties after Hurricane Wilma’s departure from the area.
According to roofing contractors interviewed by the Miami Herald, depending on the kind of roof-concrete tile roofs will take longer than shingles-some homeowners could face delays of a year or more in getting repairs made. The situation is even causing some companies to shut the door on new customers.
“We’re not accepting new orders for work at this time,” Edwin Gaitan, president of Hialeah-based Florida Roofing Solutions, which does both residential and commercial work, told the Herald. “We have stopped taking residential work orders. There were just too many phone calls. It was more than we could handle.”
As heavy rain begins falling in South Florida for the first time since Wilma, contractors anticipate more requests for repairs as property owners begin discovering newly sprung leaks.
Roofers are scrambling to install tarps and make temporary repairs, prioritizing clients based on the level of need.
“We’re doing a kind of emergency triage,” explained Michael Levine, president of Murton Roofing in Medley, which does commercial work in the tri-county area.
First in line are past clients, he said.
“We look at how severe their damage is, what the cost of their property is and how much is exposed. And then, we have to make some tough decisions.”
An empty warehouse with a leaky roof will take a back seat to a warehouse full of expensive electronics, Levine said.
While Wilma was brewing in the Caribbean, companies were hoarding supplies needed for anticipated repairs, but access to materials is one of the biggest problems contractors face.
Tiles are in short supply nationwide after two years of major storms, construction booms and high demand for cement worldwide.
Also, tiles produced out of state must meet local specifications, which narrows the list of suppliers further for South Florida contractors. The outlook isn’t as dire for shingles, which are made from asphalt.
Topics Florida Contractors
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