Local roofing companies still face delays after Helen

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – We’re seeing rain for the first time in over a month. adding more concern to those still dealing with structural damage from Hurricane Helen.

Local roofing companies are challenged to meet the demand for roofing work.

For the last month, people have only been worried about what is in front of them on the ground with the rubble. But over the past couple of days, a battle has been raging on their rooftops.

Roofing companies say the urgency for repairs is growing as more weather is expected in the future and resources to deal with them are limited.

Tarps are becoming the new roof style for hundreds of people.

Augusta resident Susan Wyatt says the heavy rain was the first real challenge to her roof since Helen. This is a test that failed.

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“This morning we had a mop and everything. I put the bucket down and it can still drip and drip, and the color of the ceiling has changed again,” Wyatt said.

Wyatt says she’s not alone.

“Everyone is trying to find roofers and remodel their houses. And one friend had very bad damage to the back of his house,” Wyatt said.

Contractors say their workload was already overwhelming after the hurricane, but now it has reached another level.

“You know, now homeowners are faced with water pouring into their homes. So it’s a lot more difficult to do,” said Daniel Williams, general manager of Best Choice Roofing in Augusta.

Roofing companies such as Brighter Side Roofing and Best Choice Roofing say they have cut jobs from 15 to 20 a month to hundreds.

But they say the biggest problem is a lack of manpower to complete in-person assessments, which is slowing down the planning process.

Samuel Leverett, owner of Brighter Side Roofing, said, “As a roofing company, we can come out and give you an estimate. But in many cases, our estimate may not match what the insurance company is going to do. So we’ll come in, contact your insurance company, see exactly what they’re going to cover and what they’re not going to cover, and see what the price is going to be, what the costs are going to be.”

In the meantime, Wyatt and her neighbors are hoping things will get better moving forward and they’ll have one less thing to worry about after the storm.

“I know the Lord will take care of this,” she said.

Roofing companies we spoke with say the average wait time for a roof replacement is six to eight weeks, and tarping can take a couple of days.

They ask for patience and to simplify the process by first contacting your insurance company to see what and how much they will cover in the adjuster’s summary report.

They say roof replacement costs can range from $8,000 to $14,000.