Warning: picked the cheap roof over the mid-range one and it cost me double

Last spring I had to choose between a $6,000 asphalt shingle roof and a $9,000 standing seam metal one for my rental house in Phoenix. I went with the cheap option because I figured it's a rental, why overspend... Fast forward to August and the sun baked those shingles so bad they started curling up after just three months. Now I'm looking at a full replacement for $7,500 plus the original $6,000 I already wasted. Has anyone else picked the budget route on a big home repair and regretted it?

2 comments

2 Comments

jake9861mo ago

Yeah @grantw32 nailed it. You bought junk, not budget.

grantw321mo ago

See it a little differently honestly. You're comparing a basic shingle job to a top tier metal roof which is like comparing a Honda Civic to a Mercedes. The real budget mistake wasn't picking cheap it was not knowing that cheap shingles in Phoenix are basically a scam. There's a middle ground like a mid-grade architectural shingle with a proper reflective coating that would have lasted way longer than that bargain bin stuff. The problem wasn't the price it was the installer or product you picked for that specific climate. You could have spent half of what the metal roof costs and gotten a perfectly solid 15 year roof if you did your homework on materials and labor.