Hi, we are in process of negotiating w/a couple different roofers. Actually, we had chosen the top three and gave all three various questions re their individual approaches. We advised them they were one of three and which particular product we wanted installed (all proposed this one product amongst others).
The locally top-rated roofing contractor, second to top on our list of preferred contactors, who we've had several top references from various people, is extremely high priced in his proposal. We had him propose on four different roofing materials and all seemed high priced compared to what the other two quoted: Certainteed TL 50 yr $22K Certainteed Plus 40 yr $22K GAF Timberline 40 $21, GAF Grand Sequoia $24K. Focusing on the GAF Timberline, the contractor was about $4K over the other two. We wrote a short email advising him that he was one of three and that he may want to doublecheck his price as it seemed to be about $4K above the other two--if he made a mistake, let us know but if that was his final price, so be it. Not being pushy or anything but giving him a chance to look at his numbers.
The email back from him was a bit surprising. Instead of reducing his price or justifying it (either or both of which is what I'd expect), he offered to give us the GAF Grand Sequoia with the top-of-live Golden Pledge warranty for the same price as the GAF Timberline 40 under the condition that we tell him who the other two contractors are. This rubs me wrong! I used to work in US Government w/contractor bids and we would never release names of other bidders when negotiating like this. Aside from the fact that would be illegal in case of government, doing it in this instance would be unfair to the other two. Plus who's to stop the high priced one from talking w/the other two and maybe doing some intimidating or price fixing or whatever.
We wrote back and said that we would not release the name of the other two and asked him to reduce his price for the GAF Timberline since from his counteroffer it's clear he has lots of padding to work with. (Upgrade to higher material-cost roof product plus top-of-line warranty upgrade--just take that off the GAF Timberline 40 price quoted.)
We have not heard back so are left wondering if he has gone off to lick his wounds and doesn't want to deal w/us because we have exposed his quote as being grossly over what it should be. We are disappointed as we would have liked to have used his company had we been sure he hadn't jacked up his price so unreasonably w/o providing any explanation or alternatively adjusting it to a reasonable amount. But his negotation ploy makes me wonder about his integrity and other issues that normally I don't think about in a contractor situation.
Ironically, the top guy on our list has done something in his negotiation w/us that has made us favor the higher priced guy, yet the higher priced guy appears to have rejected us because we didn't accept his last offer. So we feel we are back to the drawing board.
Are roofers that flush these days that they can quote super high prices and then back out later on when the potential customer questions the prices? Any insight would be appreciated.
The locally top-rated roofing contractor, second to top on our list of preferred contactors, who we've had several top references from various people, is extremely high priced in his proposal. We had him propose on four different roofing materials and all seemed high priced compared to what the other two quoted: Certainteed TL 50 yr $22K Certainteed Plus 40 yr $22K GAF Timberline 40 $21, GAF Grand Sequoia $24K. Focusing on the GAF Timberline, the contractor was about $4K over the other two. We wrote a short email advising him that he was one of three and that he may want to doublecheck his price as it seemed to be about $4K above the other two--if he made a mistake, let us know but if that was his final price, so be it. Not being pushy or anything but giving him a chance to look at his numbers.
The email back from him was a bit surprising. Instead of reducing his price or justifying it (either or both of which is what I'd expect), he offered to give us the GAF Grand Sequoia with the top-of-live Golden Pledge warranty for the same price as the GAF Timberline 40 under the condition that we tell him who the other two contractors are. This rubs me wrong! I used to work in US Government w/contractor bids and we would never release names of other bidders when negotiating like this. Aside from the fact that would be illegal in case of government, doing it in this instance would be unfair to the other two. Plus who's to stop the high priced one from talking w/the other two and maybe doing some intimidating or price fixing or whatever.
We wrote back and said that we would not release the name of the other two and asked him to reduce his price for the GAF Timberline since from his counteroffer it's clear he has lots of padding to work with. (Upgrade to higher material-cost roof product plus top-of-line warranty upgrade--just take that off the GAF Timberline 40 price quoted.)
We have not heard back so are left wondering if he has gone off to lick his wounds and doesn't want to deal w/us because we have exposed his quote as being grossly over what it should be. We are disappointed as we would have liked to have used his company had we been sure he hadn't jacked up his price so unreasonably w/o providing any explanation or alternatively adjusting it to a reasonable amount. But his negotation ploy makes me wonder about his integrity and other issues that normally I don't think about in a contractor situation.
Ironically, the top guy on our list has done something in his negotiation w/us that has made us favor the higher priced guy, yet the higher priced guy appears to have rejected us because we didn't accept his last offer. So we feel we are back to the drawing board.
Are roofers that flush these days that they can quote super high prices and then back out later on when the potential customer questions the prices? Any insight would be appreciated.