Article from Arizona Republic (newspaper)
as it appeared on Yahoo!
It will take months for metro Phoenix’s stripped-down roofing industry to repair the tens of thousands of area homes damaged during a freak hailstorm in October.
Roofing contractors said waiting lists have grown to as long as four months for an appraisal – a 180-degree turn from the state of their industry before the Oct. 5 storm.
“It went from, ‘Lord, please let the phone ring,’ to ‘Can it wait? I have to go to the bathroom,’ ” said Jennifer McQueen, president of the Arizona Roofing Contractors Association.
Homeowners and contractors said the massive repair effort also has exposed a deep distrust of homeowners by insurers and lenders.
Gary Aller, director of the Alliance for Construction Excellence, part of Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, said it has been virtually impossible for most Valley homeowners with damage to hire a licensed roofer quickly, leaving homes at risk of more severe damage if another storm should hit before repairs are made.
The problem, according to the roofing-contractors group, is that 40 percent of the Phoenix area’s licensed roofers ...
