Bev27, if that "less than 20 years" is on a replacement roof, that's about all you get in So-Fla. I do not know why original tile roofs last 25 years but replacement tile roofs only last 16-18 years... BIG MYSTERY!?!? You'd think the tract home builders would be using the cheaper underlayment, etc. Might have to do with trusses sagging over time...? (FYI: if you ARE on your original tile roof, when they strip it off, every ceiling in your house will crack a little, because the trusses will "bounce back" when that tremendous weight is removed. No biggie, a bit of spackling and paint... but save the interior re-mod/re-paint 'til after the roof job. ;') I'm in Ft. Laud, got the worst of Wilma, and the houses with cheapie thin shingles took flight, while those with heavier higher quality shingles were fine. If your area of SW FL has not yet adopted the Miami-Dade codes (as Broward has), then it's up to you to get familiar with them, and get quotes based on that... e.g. RING-SHANK NAILS, closer nail spacing, etc. That said, NO, you do NOT want to downgrade to asphalt shingles. The concrete (not thin clay barrel tiles) tiles will last 2.5-3 times longer than shingles, PLUS the esthetics, property value, and COOLING COSTS issues. If upfront cost is an issue, the recent run-up in values should give you plenty of equity to borrow against. Having my own home plus rental props in So-Fla, I realize that I am really just RENTING MY ROOF... yep, it's about $100/month/property! (OOPS, that's 2003 pricing... ) The experience vireyafl had in Andrew with CEMENT-glued tiles is no longer a problem if the new EPOXY FOAM is used--it's rated for 208MPH! Make sure you get that too. The METAL roofing sounds promising, but of course the problem is finding a roofer that KNOWS how to install it properly. Perhaps mfrs. websites list roofers they have certified via training and inspection of their jobs. Of course since the attic is well-nigh useless in So-Fla, I'd REALLY rather have the all-concrete roof (pre-stressed T-sections anyone?), and only have to worry about caulking up the seams every N years. ;')

Lighter colors are more energy efficient than dark. Replacing the gutters may also involve repairing/replacing the fascia---the wood pieces to which the gutters are mounted. If those fascias are damaged(rot/etc.) that could be the reason the gutters are sagging. Replacing the fascias should be done after the old shingles are removed and before the new ones are installed. That allows the installerds to also check the framing to which the fascia trim is installed. As far as checking to make sure the soffit vents are unblocked, unless the sheathing is removed, you have top go into the attic to be able to check. I am going to add another possible solution to the venting problem---depending on the design of your roof. Adding vents that only vent the bottom 2/3 of the attic means the top 1/3 is not vented. If your attic/roof is a gable end design---the ends of the attic are flat extensions of the walls and the roof is shaped like the letter A(called a gable roof)---then a ridge vent is the better option. That allows physics to vent the attic---hot air rises to the top of the attic---and that is where the ridge vent is installed. Good open soffit vents are the other requirement. One soffit vent every other rafter bay is usually sufficient. However, if your roof design is a hip roof type---four angled sections, a ridge vent will not be sufficient. Adding the turbines will help. The limits of length for gutters is basically determined by the width of the fascia. The gutters need to be slanted slightly towards the downspouts. As a general rule, most single family design houses are not to long to require multiple downspouts ulless there is one on each end of the gutter run. (My house has down spouts on each end) Ask the insurer if they have any recommended installers. Ask neighbors and look at proposed contracts---you will be safer with a contract that details exactly what will be done----repairing/thickness of sheathing, inspecting /repairing fascia, adding/type of vents, inspecting/clearing soffit openings, type/brand/color of new shingles, 15 or 30 pound roofing felt, ice dam type/installation, installation of drip edge, disposal of old materials. You need to know if an installer has insurance, is licencsed/bonded, and how l;ong they have been in business. There are a lot of 'new' roofing companies that may do a job that looks good but did not do the basics that have to be done for a long term job.

There is not " a single "correct " way of doing a metal roof but here are a few thoughts for your consideration. I am taking you at your word about being familiar with construction because much depends on your ability to apply experience to which way to go. Be certain the one saying two layers is honest as well as experienced before sighning a contract with him. Most properly installed composition shingles look like 2 layers at drip edge because of starter strips. Can you install metal over one layer of composition? Maybe. The main consideration is wherther the deck and frame will support the extra weight. Then there is the question of how smooth and level surface the shingles afford. Regardless of other underlying material,decking must be capiable of holding screws. 1x deck is strong but usually has many gaps between edges and ends of boards that if a screew gos through,a leak is likly. OSB and plywood are flat and smooth but must be thick enough to prevent flex between rafters. I have installed metal over a few compostions with no problem after several years. On a couple where shingles were aged and deck was strong, we layed tar paper between the shingles and metal. Another had heavy truss framing with questionable decking so we installed 2x4 laths over tar paper making certain to hit rafters with lath fasteners. If your husband is a healthy 70 yo,you might consider hireing laborers to work under his supervision. I agree with Hollysprings about metal not being difficult compared to other construction tasks. A word of warning about roof tearoff. Think twice about putting old shingles in anything without dump. The shingles interlace and make the intire load act as a single blob that resists shoveling off. If you use a non-dumping truck or trailer, lay a cross tie or similar on floor at front with heavy chain on it. If bed is more than 8 feet long, put another drag half way to back and leave enough chain slack between the drags to alow first to move a few feet and pull some material off before chain tightens on other drag. In farm and ranch country you may find people who have installed metal as part of thier farm work. A farmer or rancher who has built thier own barns might welcome extra or off season work. If that sounds interesting,in addition to other means of asking,check out the people on "Yesterday's tractor forums". The board you want is "tractor talk" . If you go with diy ,you can buy or rent the specialized cutters. If your husband decides to supervise labor and isn't comfortable on a ladder and/or walking on the roof,rent a lift to alow him safly going to roof level as well as saving time lifting materials.

I may seem harsh, but hopefully you take away some knowledge from this response. You should run from this contractor! I wrote more in my previous responses, then they listed in the details. With them being certified, they should know details are everything. There's much I see in their proposal I do not like at all. It protects them, not all parties involved. I'll list some, and in no particular order according to your proposal. Their payment schedule is a joke. It should read something like, 35% down at the end of the first working day and all materials are on site. With a copy of lien release given to the customer from suppliers ( no exceptions). The balance to be paid upon satisfactory completion. They state in "12", about a thorough clean up when job is done. This is outright ludicrous. A provision should be included in the contract about tear off, clean up, and securing the site everyday. Do not assume they will secure the site everyday against inclement weather. The clean up process should be continual during the day, with the debris walked across the roof and deposited in dumpster/dump truck. Your roof pitch is only around 4/12, so there shouldn't be debris on the ground during the day. Tarps burn grass in minutes in the hot sun, same with shingles. They should not be shoving the stuff off the roof. They should run a magnet (I still have a commercial type) everyday in the yard where debris had a chance going. The last thing you want you or your loved ones, or a pet stepping on nails. During tear-off, all existing roof covering fasteners should be pulled. Not hammered in. All sheathing should be refastened with proper fasteners. The sheathing comes loose when tearing off. All too often I see people just banging the fasteners back in. Look, the fasteners are not going any deeper, so it's useless to just have them sitting in the holes not holding the sheathing down. The decking should be broom swept, and air blown off before any ice guard, felt or new material is installed. You don't want bits and pieces telegraphing the new install. On #8, galvanized valley flashing. They must want to have open valleys on the front dormer. Galvanized valley flashing went out here in the 70's! No joke, You don't want rust spots in the valleys, or the discoloration. They sell preformed "W" valleys of aluminum in different colors, and copper if you want to throw money at it. Anyone using a metal valley should get it with the "W". I won't go into why. I always preferred a closed valley with cut back, or a closed woven valley. If a cut back is used, the installer must know which area of sheathing gets covered first. And there is more to know than just that. There is no mention of fastener size (length). All too often I was on jobs roofers wouldn't return to. Only to find they used 1" nails. Why? Because when you buy them, you get more per coil case or more per pound if hand nailing. Speaking of nail lengths, on their #10 for ridge vent. They need to use longer nails for cap over shingle vent. I would always use 2". I seen caps blow off because someone tried to cheap out and use the same 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" for the cap over vent. This is one of those tail light guarantees when not using proper length fasteners. Also it should be listed how far back they're cutting the sheathing for ridge vent. Too far and you got issues, some don't even cut it back and slap the ridge up there. It renders the vent useless. They should also list a saw depth. You don't want them cutting into the trusses. I say this because I've seen more than enough of botched work. Their #3. Drip on rakes only? Another short cut. There's absolutely no reason for this. The eaves should have drip also. The size of the face of the drip should be listed. You can get cheap drip edge with a 1" face, or get a nice looking 1-7/8 or there about. Never just on rake only. Also, it should be listed how far over the drip the shingle material hangs. Never should it be even with the drip, and never to the point of drooping over the drip. A 3/4" overhang is usually about right. However, this has to be determined in the field. Their #9. They write 6 nails per shingle. I could look up the requirement for this shingle, but I'm not. Generally there is 4, then when the shingle above it is placed, there will be 4 into the top of the previous shingle. So it gives you 8 per shingle. However, I have seen where people only place 3, so the total would be 6. This is incorrect according to manufacturers instructions. There are provisions for high wind applications, and roof styles such as Gambrel. You do place more fasteners, but the total fasteners holding the shingle will double since the next row also fastens the previous. I seen in your other thread, it appears to be an addition on the end of the structure. They did not address how they will step flash and possibly counter flash this area. Caulking/roof cement is unacceptable. It should be metal flashing, and not galvanized. I haven't looked everything they proposed, but I'm sure I wrote more than enough for you to run from this outfit.