Not Enough Workers, Supplies to Cover Roofs Lost in Storms

By Rachel Pleasant - The Ledger

LAKELAND: The message on Dave Strickland's answering machine says it all:
"We are currently backlogged into the first quarter of 2005 . . . If you are willing to wait weeks for an estimate and months for your roof to be replaced, please leave a message. Those who are unwilling to patiently wait, please don't leave a message."

"I'd say about 50 percent of the shingle roofs in the county need to be replaced," said Strickland, owner of Dave Strickland's Roofing in Lakeland, a small residential roofing company. "We've got about 10 years worth of work to do."

"A lot of contractors are... getting 300 to 400 to 500 calls a day. Part of the problem is insurance companies are saying homeowners need to get three estimates. So these roofing contractors are chasing their tails right now.