Building Materials: Cost VS Quality

How Much should I Spend On Building Materials

“A penny saved is a penny earned”. That’s a good old American quote just about everyone knows, references and many live by. Unfortunately when it comes to purchasing building materials for the structure you will one day call home, this might not always be true. Another famous saying comes to mind here “You get what you pay for”. So, what is the balance between saving some of your hard earned dough and acquiring materials for your home that will last? Let’s take a look at a few scenarios.

The Common Battle Of Price VS Quality

Mr. and Mrs. homeowner are about to replace the roof on the home they just purchased. They have a few other projects in mind for their new home as well so they are working with a pretty tight budget. A great local roofing contractor comes over to give them an estimate and offers two options.

A) Replace roofing system with an architectural laminate shingle and a complete roof system. Upgraded system warranty, grade A shingle, limited life time 50 year material coverage.

Price: $8,753.00

B) Replace roofing system with 3 tab shingle, minimalist system and standard material warranty:

Price: $5,287.00

Wow, what a price difference. Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner are very happy with the price of roofing system B, after all they are going to save over $3,000. This is a common misconception that we deal with in the trades. The problem with this is revealed as you really begin to paint a picture of what you are getting as far as quality and the life span of the products installed.

Determining The True Cost Of Material Choice

Taking a deeper look into what Mr. and Mrs. homeowner are actually getting might just make you change your mind on whether or not they really saved any money. Roofing system B is a 3 tab shingle which is rated as a 25 year roof. It has a true roof life of about 8-13 years. Roofing system A is a thicker shingle with a 50 year limited lifetime rating. The roof life of this shingle is about 17-25 years. If you consider the fact that they will be replacing roofing system B two times in the lifespan of roofing system A then did they really save any money? Re-roofing or construction on your home can be a very invasive process we well, do you really want to do it twice? There are other facts to consider as well such as damage to the roof deck or framing structure do to failure of poor materials that can cost extra money. If you look at things over the long run, purchasing quality materials is going to protect your family, home and save you money.

Hire A Professional Contractor And Avoid Costly Mistakes

Play it safe! Always consult a professional licensed, bonded and insured contractor in your area before taking on a construction project. Estimates are usually free and a local contractor will always be up to speed with current building codes and the best materials for your specific job.