It’s safe to say that COVID-19 caught us all unawares. No one expected it to hit as hard as it did or last as long as it has, never mind have the impact it’s had on industries like ours. According to a 2020 survey from the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), a majority of roofing contractors indicated the pandemic had a “significant” or “very significant” effect on business. While other roofing companies nationwide faced layoffs due to job cancelations and economic shutdowns, Dale’s Roofing remained as busy as ever. The weather, after all, doesn’t care about trifling things like pandemics or material shortage, and in true Ozarks fashion, proceeded to pummel our area with all the usual suspects: hail, high winds, and other storm-related damage. That was on top of the normal wear and tear roofs receive over the course of their lifetime, and those whose number was up in 2020 and needed to be replaced.
So what’s the problem?
While business remained pretty much “as usual” in terms of customer need, the pandemic took its toll on construction material inventory nationwide. Our suppliers—Owens Corning, GAF, TAMKO, and others—faced material shortage due to plant shutdowns and outbreaks. Stock inventory, custom colors, and special orders—all the things we need to complete a roofing job, in other words—slowed to a crawl. Jobs that would have been booked within a month were pushed back, and back, and back because we simply didn’t have the supplies on-hand.
It’s hard to know what to expect when you’re in a situation you’ve never been in before. Material shortages happen every now and then, but never on the scale we saw in 2020, and things haven’t normalized just yet, even now that we’re knocking on the door of being a year into this pandemic. While there is certainly reason to hope that the vaccines currently being rolled out will help normalize the roofing industry, we won’t know until we know. Believe us, no one wants to get back to business-as-usual more than Dale’s Roofing.
What does this mean for customers?
From what last year taught us, the major takeaway is a longer wait period from the time we bid the job to when we can fulfill the job. Once we know what materials we need to complete your roof, we contact our suppliers to discuss availability and scheduling. As soon as we know the material is on its way, we let you know when to expect us at your home.
The good news is, with most roofing jobs, time isn’t a major factor in what the project will cost to do right, and there isn’t a need to rush. That’s not to say don’t act if you notice a problem. For dire situations, Dale’s Roofing will provide a temporary solution to keep you and your home protected.
We don’t believe in cutting corners at Dale’s Roofing. Even with the ongoing material shortage, we remain committed to upholding our own standards of excellence; we want to make sure the roof we put on your house is one we would be proud to have on ours. That means the best materials with the best available warranty, so you have confidence in both what your roof was built from and how it was built. While the wait might be a little longer, the outcome is really what matters. Just ask this guy, whose roof was completed in Fall of 2020.
If you have any questions about scheduling, our process, or what to expect once you know you need a new roof, please call Dale’s Roofing.
