He told me that his price has gone up since the price of shingles and siding has gone up due to oil prices. I was just wondering how this price per square "fits" with prices in the Northeast.

Thanks...

You stated that you have hired this contractor on previous occasions and that you were always pleased with the quality of work he performed for you. So let's assume there's a certain level of trust.

You state your roof has two layers of shingles (I assume they will be stripped away) and he will also be removing the existing siding on the house now. Does this include removing the debris? Tipping and disposal fees have gone up a tremendous amount do to the recent spike in fuel prices especially in the Northeast.

Both asphalt and vinyl (PVC) material are byproducts of petroleum and have also increased in price accordingly, not only in the manufacture but also in the delivery charges to the store as well.

Because he has done work for you before I make the assumtion that you do trust him. So then why would you feel that you are not getting his best price?

My Customers trust me with the keys to their homes, they trust my honesty, they trust my performance, my integrity
and they trust that they are getting my best price.
I have built very solid and sound relationships with my customers and we both value that trust.

If money is the only issue that needs to be resolved, I recommend you sit down with him and work out a work schedule in order of importantance and take it from there.

It shames me to say this but: There are to many people out there buying tools and claiming to be CONTRACTORS only to leave homeowners with their lifes turned upside down and in dispair, they even have Television Shows about it.

Good luck.

Best Regards,
Jack Sullivan

God forbid the neighbors kid get cancer 2 or 10 years from now. Neighbor will look for the why and remember your siding change. Have the T's crossed and the I's dotted on the asbestos removal.

You don't say if he is stripping the roof. Two layers is about all a roof can handle. You have two layer of old roofing and asbestos siding so the house is old. What are those two layers made of. Odds are the first layer also has asbestos.

If he does this right $475/per square is probably cheap for stripping the siding and roof and proper asbestos removal. Again, Have the T's crossed and the I's dotted on the asbestos removal.

Could I find someone to do it cheaper...sure...but as they say...you get what you pay for. I have a good relationship with this contractor and that provides a lot of piece of mind. I feel very comfortable with him and his two workers in my home with my family. They are alway very kind, clean and respectfull. My wife loves to have them around to talk and kid around with.

Let me address some of the questions...both layers of the roof are asphalt shingles. My contractor would remove all layers and go down to the wood sheeting...he said the sheeting looks great from inside the attic...but would want to make sure.

I asked about what permits would be needed for the old cement/asbestos siding...he told me that since the product is not friable and there would no sawing or cutting of the material...there would be no need for special permits or dumps. I trust that he knows exactly what he is doing...as he said he has removed several other homes with this type of siding...and I trust that he knows what he is taking about.

I do have the building/code officer coming out to the home to address a couple of questions about my current project...so I was going to talk to him about it.

I know that I am luck to find a contractor that I can work with and trust...I have had many friends/associates who have had horror stories about work they have had done.

Again, thanks for your insights.

Have a happy and healthy Holiday.

Jack Sullivan.

I think your contractors' prices were pretty close for siding (the siding calculator below ranges from $350-500 per square for vinyl siding), but they seem pretty high for roofing (assuming he also charged $475 for that?).

Either way - if you were happy with his work before, there's less chance of a bad deal than with any random contractor off the street.

Hope it worked out!
-Craig

Siding? I haven't touched vinyl since I was a teenager, so no comments from me regarding that.

I get so many emails these days about guys getting laid off and they now want to do remodeling, roofing, siding, etc. No experience except for hours spent watching HGTV.

If you have a good contractor, then my advice is to keep the good contractor.