These are uncertain economic times, to be sure. With so many people out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, of course income levels have dropped substantially, and where our economy will go from here is anybody's guess. For the most part, financial experts are in agreement that we are going to go through a downturn, but whether or not it turns into a legitimate recession remains to be seen. With some states making the move to get some businesses back to work, things may be changing quickly. Regardless of what happens, of course as roofers here in the Minneapolis area that specialize in installation of steel and other metal roofing, we're paying close attention to the predictions relative to our area.
What Can You Expect Regarding Residential Metal Roofing in 2020?
Cost of materials: One thing we're paying attention to is the cost of roofing materials. In our economy, cost generally depends on supply and demand (witness what has happened to prices at the gas pump as crude oil prices have plummeted.) With an overall decrease worldwide in purchasing of just about any raw materials, it's likely that the price of metals used to manufacture metal roofing will drop. Just how much of an affect that will have on the finished products remains to be seen, but it is a possibility we will be watching for. DIY Roofers Mean Less Competition for a Contractor: With most homeowners here in the Twin Cities being affected financially, it's reasonable to expect that some will opt for DIY projects to save some cash. You may see some of your neighbors working on asphalt roofing on their homes on the weekends. But what that means for those who are interested in having a metal roof installed on their homes is that there may be less competition for getting on the schedule of a licensed Minnesota roofing contractor. We don't believe that the DIY niche will see much work on metal roofs because it's a very specialized installation process. Even many trained roofers haven't worked with it before. Virtual Estimating and Inspection: Almost unheard of in the past, many roofing companies (including ours) are making use of digital technology to be able to inspect and provide a quote without even needing to come out to your home. What does that mean right now? The stay at home/stay safe initiatives throughout the country that would have prevented a roofer from coming out to look at your home have opened up fantastic opportunities to streamline the process via use of aerial maps. These maps - especially of urban areas - are extremely detailed and accurate. Some contractors are even making use of drones for close-up photos. And computer software has emerged to allow us to work with the aerial maps. This software even calculates the materials package. This can result in a much quicker turn-around. You don't have to be at home, and we can do the homework even in bad weather or at night. What isn't expected to change? The quality of both the roofing materials and the workmanship you can expect from the metal roofing installation crews here at Quarve. We have been a pioneer in this technology in the Twin Cities, with decades of experience behind us. No matter what the future holds in economic terms, you can count on our customer care and our craftsmanship quality to remain the same. By the way, we also install asphalt roofing, so if you're in the market for that type of roof and you're not up for doing it yourself, you can request a quote from us as well.
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