Good Neighbor Podcast Northport
Bringing Together Local Businesses and Neighbors of Tuscaloosa and Northport!
Good Neighbor Podcast Northport
Chaz and Chelsea Gunter: Protecting Homes with Expertise and Integrity at Legacy Construction and Design in Southern Alabama
In this episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast, we sit down with Chaz and Chelsea Gunter, the passionate owners of Legacy Construction and Design. Guided by faith and a dedication to helping others, Chaz and Chelsea share their inspiring journey into the roofing industry. From free roof inspections to simplifying insurance claims for storm damage, they break down how their services take the stress out of roofing for homeowners.
Discover the process they use to determine whether your roof needs a full replacement or just a repair, and learn how to navigate the complexities of insurance claims. They also highlight why selecting quality roofing materials is essential, especially in Alabama's tough climate. Chaz and Chelsea explain how viewing your roof as a system—not just individual shingles—can ensure long-term durability, featuring top brands like GAF, IKO, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning.
Learn the key signs your roof may need attention and why annual inspections by certified contractors are crucial, especially for roofs over 12 years old. Don’t miss this insightful episode where Chaz and Chelsea share their passion for protecting homes and overcoming the challenges of the roofing industry.
#GNPNorthport #LegacyConstruction #RoofingExperts #StormDamageRepair #RoofReplacement #HomeImprovement #RoofingMaterials #InsuranceClaims #SouthernAlabamaHomes #HomeMaintenanceTips #GAFShingles #OwensCorningRoofing #IKORoofing #CertainTeedRoofing #CertifiedContractors #ProtectYourHome #RoofInspection #ConstructionLife #QualityRoofing #CustomerSatisfaction #SupportLocalBusiness
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Patricia Blondheim.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. I'm your host, patricia Blondheim, and today we have good neighbors, chad and Chelsea Gunner, and they are the owners of Legacy Construction and Design that serves Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, chaz and Chelsea. How are you today?
Speaker 3:Good, how are you guys?
Speaker 2:I'm doing great. Thank you, chaz. You've got a really cute wife. No one's going to be able to see her on this audio recording. I just thought I'd call that out. I think you're you know honey pass your coverage.
Speaker 3:That's the goal.
Speaker 2:Hey, listen, tell me about legacy, construction and design.
Speaker 3:So we are a we do full construction, but most of our work is through roofing. We do full construction, but most of our work is through roofing. You know we do. We work with homeowners on their insurance. You know, if they've got storm damage to the roof, leaks, anything like that, we'd be glad to do a free inspection for them, check it out, see if they might qualify for for insurance to warrant a replacement to the roof. And then we also do out-of-pocket estimates. So if it's just something that maybe you don't qualify through the insurance company for them to pay for it and you're looking to get a new roof, we'd be glad to do that as well. We kind of specialize in everything. So as far as designer shingles, slate, terracotta, tile, cedar, shake, anything you can think of, and we also do commercial as well. So nothing is out of the realm of our scope of work.
Speaker 2:So what inspired you to specialize in roof replacements and why is that a critical service for homeowners? Why is that a critical service for homeowners.
Speaker 3:Really, my wife told me one day that God told her that I needed to sell roofs, and I thought she was absolutely crazy because I didn't really know anything about roofing Nothing and so I prayed about it. We prayed about it together and I decided to do it, give it a shot. I worked for a company for several years. Then God led me to start my own. He literally led us in this direction. It's been the best thing that's ever happened to us. My wife and I, we're definitely we like to help people in any way. We're very big on that and so very big in our faith. And I believe that. You know, legacy is a company that doesn't just concentrate on, like, making a dollar. We kind of built this company to use this company so we could help others, and so we've done that several times, you know, not just with construction but other needs as well, and so that's really the purpose of this is to help others, not just to, you know, run a business and make money. That's not what it's about for us.
Speaker 4:So I think that we have found that a lot of homeowners aren't aware of. You know how getting a new roof can benefit them, especially with their insurance, so they're really just afraid to take that step, to get it inspected or whatever, and they think that you know that it might make their insurance higher. And so that's something that we take pride in is just like explaining the process to them, handling the process for them, just taking the stress off of it all and just being able to help them get a new roof and also get to share our faith with them during that time, and it's just been a blessing.
Speaker 2:So how do you help homeowners determine when it's time to replace their roof versus just you know?
Speaker 3:repairing it. You know, not all the times does homeowners need a full roof replacement. Typically what happens? We'll have a you know a storm come through, or you know maybe it's been. Several storms have come through and you've just never thought about getting your roof inspected. So you usually don't think about it until you've noticed like, oh, there's shingles in the yard or there's water dripping in my kitchen, something of that nature, and so you either call us or somebody knows somebody, and they'll give us a referral.
Speaker 3:So we'll go out there, do a free roof inspection. We'll climb up there, we have special equipment, all the equipment you would need to safely climb the roof, and we're licensed and insured so you don't have to worry about us if something was to happen. So I know that's a question that I get asked several times, but we'll do a roof inspection, we'll take photos of all the damages that are up there and we come down, we create a report for you and we'll show you all the photos of all the damages that we found, to see the hail or wind damage. You know, we can usually pinpoint where the leaks are when we're on the roof, and so we'll show you all that and then we'll get with your insurance company if we think you have enough damage to file a claim and we'll file the claim with the insurance company right there with you. They'll be on a three-way call with us and so they'll give us a claim number and assign an adjuster and we'll meet the adjuster out there.
Speaker 3:We show up to every adjustment so we want to make sure that that insurance company is. You pay them monthly, so we want to make sure that they're giving you a fair inspection and not just trying to escape out on anything. But once that's done, we can pretty much get your scope of work in from the insurance company, which is the estimate that we work off of and do your bill contract put your roof on. It's pretty simple as far as determining if you need a roof. You know there's certain insurance companies look for different things and we're very vetted in knowing what they look for and because we work with them all the time, we know this. We see the same people almost every time with every insurance company and we know which ones are harder than others, and so that really plays a part into you know if you should file, if we did, if we think you should file a claim or not.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and it's helpful to know that on the front end, by the way, and to have a relationship with the different adjusters, because you know, and I know too, that there are only a few adjusters out there. There really aren't a lot. They work really, really hard. They do the best that they can. They're all sort of saddled with their own company's criteria and it is different. It really is different.
Speaker 3:We meet them out there. We let them know like, hey, we're just here to help you guys in any way that you need help. I'll point out any damages that I see and you know I'll help you look for anything that I may have missed.
Speaker 2:But you also know that that if I have insurance company a, you know what the criteria are because you associate with those adjusters as opposed to another homeowner that might have insurance company B. So you're able to make a good, logical choice about whether or not you're going to enter into the claim. That's right Into the claim process and that is. I think a lot of homeowners really don't understand that.
Speaker 3:Yep, I do my best to teach my homeowners and I tell them like I say look, you're going to, you're going to learn more about the insurance business and and how to put a roof on. Once I'm finished, You're going to learn more than what you want to know once we're done with this process.
Speaker 2:You've probably forgotten more than I could ever learn. Yeah, so what factors should homeowners consider when they're choosing a new roof? Because you have a choice at that point. It's not just anymore, it's not just shingles, you know what I mean. There's been lots of innovations in the roofing industry. So what factors should homeowners consider when choosing a new roof? You know materials, durability, aesthetics. Can you unpack that?
Speaker 3:Yes. So there's several great manufacturers out there. We're certified in several of them, but there's a couple that give better warranties with their products. One of those is being GAF. We're select certified with them, so we can offer extended warranties with their products. One warranty that we offer is a silver pledge warranty. It gives you a 10-year workmanship warranty, and then it also gives you a 50-year labor and material warranty in the event that you have a defect in your product, and the best part about it is or one of the best things about it is it's transferable to the next homeowner if they decide to sell their home.
Speaker 2:So value added to your sell their home.
Speaker 3:So value added to your Right right and so, as far as that goes, you really want to find a product that's going to have a great warranty that goes along with it and a company that's going to stand behind their work. But the really good part about that warranty is like, let's just say, we was to go out of business as a company, then your warranty still holds with that manufacturer and they'll actually get the person that's another person that's the same, certified with that manufacturer to come out and do the work. So you're not just getting some random person out there to to do any repairs or replacement that's needed. And so we we've done multiple, we've used multiple manufacturers shingles, and I tell my clients that when I go out there I say, look, I'm not just here to put any type of roof on here. I don't want to. Just I don't want to give you like a premium grade shingle and then put Dollar General or cheaper components on there to go with it.
Speaker 3:Then you don't have a because the roof is a system as a whole. You want the whole thing to be good, because if you get cheaper products but you got a good shingle, you know it could could not work out the best in the long term with the shingle. So we want to last. We don't want you calling us back for in two months saying that you've got a leak and it's because of some cheap product that we put on there. So we look to put on good quality and, as far as the color goes, we want to make sure that the homeowner is happy with that color, and so we'll give them recommendations and show them plenty of our portfolio of what we've done before and stuff like that. Bring up sample boards, all that good stuff.
Speaker 2:I'm glad you brought that up, because I think a lot of people are just. I think most people, probably 90% of the people out there, are not aware that your roof is a system. It's not shingles. You're not slapping shingles down.
Speaker 2:There's a whole chemistry experiment. And also, not every shingle you can buy is a good shingle for the, for the sun in the South and the humidity in the South. It's, it is a. It is a chemistry experiment down there. Yeah, so you want somebody who the certification is awesome, because you know that you're aware of all the interactions that can happen inside of what becomes a little ecosystem.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:So let's talk about you know how, what, what sort of materials should we be aware of that we need here? What do we need here in the South? What's a Southern, what is an ideal Southern Alabama roof? What does that look like?
Speaker 3:That's kind of a tricky question.
Speaker 2:It is a tricky question, but you know what A lot of people think it's just a shingle, and it could be any shingle, and that's not true.
Speaker 3:You know your standard architectural shingle is going to last you, especially in Alabama. The top brands like GAF, iko, certainteed those three brands and Owens Corning those four brands they do a really good job at with their shingles and technology has advanced so much and they've done so much with their shingles nowadays that they are lasting, you know, 20 to 30 years and that's with storms coming in, and so they're more impact resistant now and more wind resistant, which I know that in like central Alabama we don't really have to deal with hail a whole lot, but we do have to deal with strong winds, tornadoes, stuff like that. That's, your shingles are more prone to wind damage here than hail damage versus like somewhere up north where you deal with more hail. So I'd say you know you get a, get a good shingle that's gonna have a good wind resistance to it. You know ice and water in your valleys, starter strip, fell, buster.
Speaker 3:You want all the components with the shingle that you're buying from that manufacturer to go with the shingle. So your fell, your underlayment, your ice and water and your valleys, your starter strip and your rich cap shingles, all that stuff. Because what happens is is if you don't put the components on there that go with the shingles that you're buying the menu from that manufacturer, then you could lose out on the warranty that comes with the shingles themselves Because, like GAF, requires you to install four different components of or four of the same GAF components outside of just using shingles in order to get their wind proven warranty, which is a no limit wind warranty. They're so confident in their product that they believe in that the wind wouldn't do any damage to their shingles. Not saying that a tornado won't come through and tear anything off, but just regular gusty winds, stuff like that.
Speaker 2:Well, what are some key warning signs that a homeowner should watch for? That indicates that their roof needs attention. They need somebody to get up there and look at it.
Speaker 3:I would say granular loss is a big sign. A lot of times, if you don't have any gutters, you'll see. If you walk around the edge of your house usually about a foot or two away from the bottom of the house you'll see just like a little indentation, like a gutter, a little small trench with a bunch of granulars that are sitting there and usually a lot of times they'll kill the grass in that one area. So just like one line that's going around the entire house. And then if you do have gutters and you just go to your downspouts, you look right there at the bottom and they'll fall and hit the ground. They'll be piled up right there.
Speaker 3:So that happens from day one of install of the roof. So if your roof is pretty new I would say if it's or less then you really shouldn't have to worry about getting your roof inspected. If you have had several storms come through or you're more prone to in a storm area, then I would say get it inspected after each severe storm. But for the most part, if your roof is 12 years old or older, then you should at least have it inspected once a year by a certified contractor, not somebody who's not certified.
Speaker 2:Now doing construction and doing roof replacement. That is a rough job.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's hard work, it's tough on your body, it's tough on your mind. Not just the heat, the weather being up there, it's, it's a lot. So what do you do, chaz, that keeps you passionate about your, about your work? You know what? What? What would you do for fun?
Speaker 3:Really, just knowing that I was able to help that customer get a roof. I mean, I've had several clients that you know. They were like, oh man, I'm going to have to pay 20, $30,000 out of my pocket to get a new roof. And I'm like, well, have you even thought about getting your insurance to pay for your roof, if you, you know, have you had your roof inspected? Do you know if you have storm damage? And they're like no, I didn't even know that was a thing. And so, um, really, just the satisfaction of being able to know that I've helped the homeowner, we've gone through the insurance, I've saved them a bunch of money and I've given them a great warranty with a great product that's going to last a long time, and then they'll call me back when they have an issue later on or, you know, refer me to their friends and and that's what, that's what makes it all worth it Just knowing that I was able to help somebody that was about to spend a whole lot of money and they didn't need to, you know.
Speaker 2:So yeah, can you share just a piece of advice with every homeowner or listener here about maintaining their roof? What, what, what advice would you give them about keeping their roof?
Speaker 3:maintaining their roof? What, what, what advice would you give them about keeping their roof? Um, maintaining wise, I would say, you know, have your, have your roof inspected once a year, you know, by a certified contractor. And then, um, you know, because a lot of times, when the, when the shingles are done and um and everything is completed, there's still fasteners up there that are exposed to the outside but they've been caulked with silicone, simply because that's just how roofs are installed. That silicone on the flashing, the wall flashing, you know, maybe it's the end cap shingles for the final end cap on the ridges. Um, you know, those are exposed, but a lot of times that caulk will just get dried up by the sun. They'll start cracking and then the water will get to the nails and it'll start rusting those nails. Just, you know, some some touch up with some caulk stuff like that. That's super easy stuff and it can prevent you from having a big repair later.
Speaker 2:But yeah, Aren't we causing? I mean, I thought I thought roofing companies were just about coming in and and building a roof and then after that you don't really have association with them. So that's really the point of my question is you know, have a, have a continuing relationship with your roofer
Speaker 3:right, yeah, if I don't look to just come in and put a roof on there, I look to build a relationship. That's the whole point of of this business, honestly, is just helping people, building a long, lasting relationship, and when you have a, an issue, you you know you call me later. I've got plenty of homeowners that that'll me with with questions. That's not even roof related or construction related, so we try to make it the best experience possible, because the roofing industry has such a bad name these days, and so we try to. We try to be outside of that, and I mean it just starts like from day one of meeting you, I want to make sure that I give you my word and I follow up on what I say.
Speaker 3:As far as your build, I treat your house just like I would treat my own house.
Speaker 3:I'm making sure that I've taken photos of everything around your house, your property, your windows, your grass, your driveway, anything like that that could get damaged throughout the process of building your roof.
Speaker 3:So that way I have pre-existing photos of all that stuff, all your materials, before it gets put up on the roof, to make sure that all the colors are matching and the lot numbers are the same. And so I'm there, we're having, we're there the entire time that the build is going on, taking photos. That way, if there's anything that needs to be sent to the insurance company that was missed originally, we have photos of that, one to prove that it was needed, but two to prove that it was needed, but two to prove that we also did it. And we're not just asking them for money and so, and then, once we're finished, we'll take final photos, we'll keep you updated through the whole process and then we look to have a long, lasting relationship after that. You know, sending you, sending you, thank you, um, you know just text for every now and then saying, hey, how are you doing Stuff like that?
Speaker 2:It's all about the relationship, right.
Speaker 3:Exactly, yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you so much for coming by Chad and Chelsea and sharing your baby right. Obviously, your passion legacy roofing or I want to call you legacy roofing now legacy construction and design, because you can do it all. Maybe we need to have other podcasts later on about the rest, because roofing was a lot.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, there's, there's a lot.
Speaker 2:But thank you so much for coming by and sharing with me and the listeners.
Speaker 3:Yes, ma'am, thank you so much for having us. Yes, thank you so much for inviting by and sharing with me and the listeners.
Speaker 4:Yes, ma'am, thank you so much for having us. Yes, thank you so much for inviting us to come on your podcast.
Speaker 2:Always a pleasure getting to know you. Thank you for coming by. Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast Northport. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpnorthportcom. That's gnPNorthportcom, or call 205-809-4910.