That's a lot of roof for two guys. For reference, I had my much smaller roof (~1000 square feet) done last year about this time. It took a day and a half total, with two experienced roofers full time, one additional experienced roofer for half of the first day, one teenage helper the first day, plus me helping out where I could. I bought all materials and had them stacked on site when the roofers arrived. One layer asphalt tear-off, one single decking board needed repair, a few feet of flashing over a porch. New roof was 30-year asphalt. It sounds like these guys just bit off more than they could chew, as people are apt to do when they're hungry. They have too few hands, and maybe not enough equipment. It's a bummer, because they can work their rear-ends off and still not create a good experience for their customer. For $1200, I certainly wouldn't go this route, but live and learn.

Ichabod, we're in the desert southwest, but I probably should have expanded on that comment! Our annual average rainfall here is under 10". Snow does happen but is not common. Ice dams are not a problem here, for example, so local code does not require ice and water shield at the eaves, either. We recently had a wet 6" snow but that is fairly remarkable for us, down here in the southern part of New Mexico. Also to you and tlbean2004, thanks for your thoughts on the metal flashing. We may request metal valley flashings, with ice and water underneath. Metal flashings got the roof through 17 years with no problems, so I'm not sure why to abandon them now...unless the technology of modern underlayments has rendered metal valley flashings obsolete. I thought that was what the roofer was implying, and we weren't sure if that was correct. I'll admit I am also a bit more worried about this roof than I would be if it was not such a low pitch. So you folks are a big help. klem1, thanks for your explanation. Nope, no interest here in removing the 2x2 trim to try to treat the rafter tail end grain (DH would leave me if I suggested that) so it looks like the consensus is to keep a very wide metal flashing. I guess it will be less distracting when painted to match the wood. Our house was built in 1965 and I sure don't want to make uninformed decisions that lead to damage...all for the sake of looks. (As much as I dislike the look of the big drip edge.) I guess a smaller drip edge and rotted wood would not be very pretty, either. I need to figure out which ice and water shield product will work in our hot temperatures, if we want it under the metal valley flashing. One bid specifies GAF Weatherwatch (but the contractor isn't local.) I don't know how heat resistant that product is. I know Grace Ice and Water has the best reputation, but I was surprised to see the Grace website says that only their most expensive product, Grace Ultra, should be used in the desert southwest: Grace IWS Contractor's Guide So if the esteemed Grace Ice & Water Shield (regular product) will not stand up to desert southwest heat, I wonder how any of the (much less expensive) GAF ice and shield products would work. There are a few scary stories in some roofing forums about "bitumen bleed" when ice and shield products are used in higher temps than recommended. (Roofing is not for sissies, have you noticed?)

Thanks Cathy and abbisgram! Here is a pic showing the roof being put up. You can see the two hinged locations on the roof. I didnt see this being done, someone else took this pic. Getting it up my 275’ tree lined driveway was not completely smooth sailing. They had to take down some trees and some of the lowest shingles on the right were damaged/had to be replaced. They also had to take out part of my fence nearest the house(see above pic). The guy in charge underestimated the amount of trees/branches I needed to cut (and fence I needed to remove). No big deal, just sayin. Overall extremely happy so far. For those interested, I believe the breakdown was about 133k for house (delivered) and 11k for foundation/prep work. Prep work was a bit more bc despite me adding a bunch of fill to footprint of house (leeches live in my “soil”, and I have a vernal pool (and spring peepers!) that lasts until aug/sept, last house was rotted at bottom, it was toooo low) they ran into the footer of the previous house. I also will need to pay about $32/foot to bring natural gas line down street and possibly up to house. Hoping this will be under 2k but could be more. Better to pay up front and save $$ long term.

Just to be clear, I don't see causation for the developer, it isn't that you and your attorney can't argue causation for the developer, feel free to sue him and roll those dice, but it is an expensive get. Your chances of winning are much less than they are against the builder, and you are unlikely to be awarded attorney fees on a negligence case with this many questions. You must show that the developer had a duty and but for neglect of that duty your house would not have these issues. There are many problems with this assertion, first, and hardest to overcome, is if you knew the approved builders before you bought the lot then you found them acceptable. You have to prove that the developer had a duty to the homeowner. Someone please tell me how selling a lot with certain covenants and restrictions creates a duty for him to fully insure the benefit of those covenants and restrictions that supersedes your acceptance of those covenants and restrictions. That is just one of the three things that you are going to have difficulty overcoming. Once you establish duty, you have to show that there was no reasonable action available that would negate the damage, noting that there are other builders available you would have to prove that they all have similar issues. Once you get past that, you have to prove that the developer actually neglected his duty, which since he has kicked the builder off the development is another tough get. It just seems like a tough win, that is going to cost more than you end up with. Sorry, but that is my opinion. ---------------- Along with my father I have developed several mixed use developments (homes, apartments and shopping), and I am currently a member of an LLC developing a small shopping/condo warehouse district development. I am not saying the developer will not want to help, I am saying as a developer, access is the leverage I have (the money that builders can make from me). Once the builder is removed he is going to tell me to go pound sand. I will happily testify on your behalf if need be, however, if I start paying for things to get done I am opening myself up to an argument that I accepted responsibility. As much as I want financing and publicity to be positive, that has to happen on the front end. I can't start paying for the mistakes that builders make without opening myself up to being responsible for every problem by every homeowner.