Exactimate is paying for itself and more.

I couldn't find the recent thread where I was asking about exactimate or I would have posted this update/ in there.

Exactimate is more than paying for itself. I'm building one tomorrow...a very small cottage: 12 squares of 25 year. I'm filing a supplement for about $1500 more than the original estimate for my portion of the roof. We also added about 1500 inside for interior damage and repair. We added another $1000 for an insulated garage door on the workshop. We are also asking for profit and oh of 10 and 10.

We'll see how much sticks. If they don't pay the oh and profit, we'll still be getting about 800 more on the cottage roof scope.

We supplemented another job and did better because it was a bigger roof (30 sq). The job went from 7400 to 9300 without overhead and profit. OH and Profit will push it beyond 11K. We are confident about the 9300.

CIAK Said: Okay, Jim funny things happen when you try to do things. Im hearing cantankerous old men. I dont want to believe it is a resistance on their part to the idea of honor noble ethical behaviors . There actually is a point here where they will stop sounding like a bitter old man . B) ;) ;) B)

Since I'm a relative newcomer here, a lot of this stuff is flying over my head...and I'm thankful for that LOL.

Okay, Jim funny things happen when you try to do things. I'm hearing cantankerous old men. I don't want to believe it is a resistance on their part to the idea of honor noble ethical behaviors . There actually is a point here where they will stop sounding like a bitter old man . B) ;) ;) B)

Ignorance is bliss. I'm just happy that I'm not as jaded as some that I've heard about.

A few short years/Naive....I get it....Understandable....

Thanks Ciak.

Maybe I'm just too naive. I've only been doing the roofing business for a few short years and I've run into my share of scoundrels, but I sure as hell don't have time to think about what they do or focus any energy on them!

Life is too short to waste ANY energy on losers and scoundrels. I love that there are lots of them running around giving estimates. Smart people see through their nonsense and it makes my job a lot easier. If every roofing contractor was doing a professional job in their estimating and application, I'd have a lot more competition. This is a wide open market!

Jim What I'm hearing you say is your hardworking and independent honest honorable and prefer to live and work by example to promote your and our trade . Not focusing on the chit etc that is alleged and we know is out there . I personally want to say Thank you to you and everyone else out there promoting our trades with this attitude

B) :) :) B)

TomB Said: If ya swim in chit....somes bound to rub-off on ya....some think it best, to just stay out of the cesspool....

Who is the chit in this equation? Me, the customer or the insurance company?

If ya swim in chit....somes bound to rub-off on ya....some think it best, to just stay out of the cesspool....

tico Said:

jimAKAblue Said:

It sounds like you were hooked up with some bad characters. There are lots of good people out there and you will find them if you seek them.

I know.and its sad that we lose alot of credibility to these types. I want to drive the success bus, not be driven in the money bus.

We? I don't subscribe to that mentality.

Actually, I see the lack of credibility that is rampant in the industry as a huge advantage to me. I don't have to badmouth the other guys...I just do my thing and my professionalism rings out loud and clear. If the customer has been exposed to one or more knuckleheads, I'm probably going to get the job.

We just won a contract from a lady who passed on the chance to get 4k put into her pocket. The knucklehead was concocting a nice felonious scheme that she was suspicious of. After we explained that the actions were felonious and could result in the insurance company denying the claim, she decided to play it straight with us. My unofficial findings are that there are more honest and decent people than there are felons, and, it's usually a pleasure dealing with honest and decent people. I call that a win win situation.

tico Said: its A sad thing whats happened. i worked for a national storm co.prior to that,I roofed Andrew for almost 4 years.with my brother and his partner.we are miami natives.somebody stuck the kettle with a mop handle,cleaned up the mess with A hank and my brother and I popped out. I had been living in NC prior to that.after that,went back to NC and thats when we had the 3 hurricanes,fran bonnie and floyd.roofed and lumberjacked them. fast forward to Ike.was livin in costa Rica,decided to come back and work doin something.at 49 I was worked out. so I decided to sell.the way we sold and worked all my life was to sell and work and have A few other guys that hustled some biz. I had not even fathomed that it had grown into what it is. I saw things that made me wonder when the feds were gonna kick the door down.from strong arming,ins. laws being broken and extortion,for lack of A better word.the dollar was God,and those that turned them regardless of morals was A disciple. you could percieve my feelings as rancor,and actually I just find alot of who and the what to the biz(mind you theyre not tradesman for the most part)loathesome. right now im not doin much.the ability to sell is all over this country.I may hit the road at some point. and when I do,you can bet one thing.I will stand apart from the rest.Im gonna work for the truly local person.Im gonna sell residential and commercial.Im not gonna be driven by the dollar.Im gonna be side by side with someone 6-8 mos. later,when A H/O comes to the office to complain theirll be A working office,not A skeleton crew of the left behinds cleaning up the mess of the rainmakers who went somewhere else to panhandle their morals on another community. thats the type of salesman I will be,there when the others roll out,and they told me Id get nowhere being completely honest. they are wrong.Im here,in florida,with no-one in my wake calling me A SOB.

It sounds like you were hooked up with some bad characters. There are lots of good people out there and you will find them if you seek them.

tico Said: ah jim,but how quick will one turn to scaled skin to win the deal or jam the adjuster? everyones A great guy til the deal is heading away,then the fangs come to bare.seen it. the snakepit it the concoction of all those involved.

What does "jam the adjuster" mean? We have zero power over any adjuster. If the adjuster does their job properly, they can't be "jammmed".

tico Your responses indicate that you harbour rancour .Jim and Tom both expressed an honorable position . Your experience has taught you what ? That the noble idea of honor and morality ethics go out the window when put under pressure . I'm curious about your position. How do you handle those very situations.

Tom I read Jims post. I read yours from this point .............. your authenticity is the root of your appeal and is what will keep customers coming to you and spread the word of mouth about your personal service,or whatever you are offering. That could be applied to the insurance work . That same brand and be the better for it. Keep it real very very real " Authenticity "

TomB Said: Personal statement....Im a simple man....although, a bit abstract at times....Sometimes I view what others get very excited over, as, (for lack of better words), cannon fodder, in the big scheme of things....I suppose, I equate devulging into the hail damage/restoration, snake-pit of an industry....dealing with insurance co.s & the such, as becoming a lawyer or a used car salesman....My compass just wont go there....Or maybe Im just lazy....

It's only a snakepit industry if you do snakepit business.

I see the business as something quite logical. The houses are damaged and we are in the business fixing houses. There is plenty of legitimate work to do, so we go there and do legitimate work. There is nothing snakepitty about it.

We have a very high percentage of very thankful clients. They are confused and intimidated by the insurance process. After we hold their hands through the process and put on a great roof, they are very thankful indeed.

We can paint the remodeling industry, in general, as a snakepit industry. Yet, we all know there are good guys and bad guys in every industry. I don't think the roofing business, or the "storm chasing" business is any exception. There are good guys and bad guys in it too.

Personal statement....I'm a simple man....although, a bit abstract at times....Sometimes I view what others get very excited over, as, (for lack of better words), "cannon fodder", in the big scheme of things....I suppose, I equate devulging into the hail damage/"restoration", snake-pit of an industry....dealing with insurance co.'s & the such, as becoming a lawyer or a used car salesman....My compass just won't go there....Or maybe I'm just lazy....