Q: I recently had a roof put on an investment property, but even though the contract calls for 30-year shingles, the contractor put on 20-year instead. He admitted the mistake and offered to credit me $340 — the difference in the cost of the materials.

My issue is not the cost of materials but the fact that I’ve lost 10 years on the life of my roof for a measly $340. I plan to keep the property for my retirement (I’m 34), so in all likelihood I will need to replace the roof in 20 years rather than 30. My question is: How do I put a value on these 10 years? What would be the correct amount to credit me to level the value that I’ve lost?

I want only what’s fair and am not trying to gouge the contractor. I understand that mistakes happen. Also, I would rather just figure out a value than have the contractor go back on the roof to replace the shingles, which will cost him money and give me a headache. What are my options here? How much should I be credited to make things fair?

A: This is a tough one. You can accept the $340 the roofer is offering. You can sue him for specific performance of the contract. To wit: Rip off the roof and install the shingles you contracted for. Or you can try to negotiate a reasonable compromise. We’d opt for the last.

We can see the roofer’s point of view. The labor to put on a 30-year roof is the same as that for putting on a 20-year roof. So from the roofer’s viewpoint, the only difference is the cost of the material. He is offering to reimburse the difference to you. In his mind, he’s making you whole. What it doesn’t take into account, and what you recognize, is that the useful life of the roof is reduced by 10 years.

We agree with your assessment that the reduction in the roof’s life is worth more than the mere cost of materials. We recommend that you don’t accept the roofer’s offer.

We also recommend that you don’t sue the roofer, unless you absolutely have to. It’s our belief that controversies are better settled by the parties themselves rather than by the court. Filing a lawsuit should be the last resort. If you sue and you win, you’ll still have the mess of the re-roof on your hands.

Before we get into our suggestion for valuing the difference between 20-year shingles and 30-year shingles, it’s helpful to understand that these figures are approximations only. Twenty-year shingles and 30-year shingles refer to the manufacturer’s warranty period. The actual time the roof lasts can be greater or lesser than the warranty period.

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