Marin Roofing Contractor: Best Work Examples
This year, California became the first state to mandate that in 2020, all new homes have solar power. Many Marin homeowners are ahead of that regulation. Booth and Little recently did a complete roof replacement on a Novato home, which included specifications for a solar installation for Jay and Kathleen Z. They needed a new roof and wanted to lower their PG&E bills, so they talked to Darren Little of Booth and Little and Deena Vaughn of Solar Broker Networks to be sure they had the right roof for the right solar system.
Success with solar
Jay said, “Booth and Little made it easy. Of course, we conferred about what would be the best investment in terms of roof covering and color but they did all the rest. They came in and removed the old roof, and were really careful about not making a big mess anywhere. It was seamless between them and the solar crew. As the homeowner, I felt we were in good hands, all the way around. Last month, we had a minus PG&E bill.”
As Vaughn explained, “From a construction standpoint, during a re-roof is a perfect time to do solar. I coordinated with Darren’s crew so once the old roof was torn off, the solar contractor came to install the stanchions and the roofing could be sealed around those penetrations. When the roof project was completed, I coordinated with Darren and the solar contractor to complete the solar installation. Coordination is everything. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of doing many such solar installations with Booth and Little.”
With solar in mind, another of Booth and Little’s customers, Mark C. a Tiburon homeowner, decided he wanted operable, solar powered skylights with built-in shades. He called Booth and Little to get a referral to someone who could do the installation. When Darren told him his roofers could do the job, Mark remembers how relieved he felt, “I knew that Darren was the only guy I wanted for this project, because, skylights can be tricky.”
Mark continued, “I gave Darren the model numbers and asked for four skylights to go into the bedroom, the living room the kitchen and the guest house. We opted for skylights that open because we wanted to be able to take advantage of the ceiling fans with the added air circulation of an open skylight. Naturally, having an interior shade built-in, made sense for cooling, or simply darkening a room. All the shades are powered by the same remote. We also got a 30% tax credit because of the solar element. This is a great deal and Booth and Little did an excellent job.”
Challenging roofing projects
Some roofs prove to be a bit more challenging when it comes to older homes. Sunshine S. and her family live in a Cape Cod style house built in the early 1900’s. As with many older homes, previous remodeling projects have made more room for modern living, while creating certain challenges along the way. The typically steep roof along the front to the house belies the fact that a significant section of roof at the back of the house, over the master bedroom is essentially flat.
Sunshine explained, “On one side, they popped out the roof. They punched through to create a master bedroom. We think the old owner was a DYI guy – get in there and do-it-yourself. We found a few issues with wiring, too. One project leads to another with an older home, but we love it.”
She knew when the bought the home that it would need a new roof in a few years. Her Real Estate agent recommended she call Booth and Little when they were ready to do it. She is took her Realtor’s advice. “Booth and Little did a completely new roof,” Sunshine said, “They put a shingle roof on the sloped part of the roof and a Dura-Last roof on the flat part. They were great at cleaning up, too.”
She added, “We learned a lot from the process. One bit of advice – remember that it will take time to get on someone’s calendar. Many of the homes that are selling in Marin right now are older and need work. They need contractors and many need new roofs. The toughest part of the work for homeowners to find a good, reliable roofer is in understanding how long it can take to get on their work calendar.”
