u/HumanBuffalo

I’m curious how other roofing contractors handle this.
I get contacted fairly often by homeowners who had a metal roof installed by another company. They want me to review photos, evaluate the workmanship, point out deficiencies, and essentially provide a free expert opinion based on my experience with metal roofing.
Personally, I’m not in the habit of giving away that kind of expertise for free. Beyond the value of my time, I also don’t want to become involved in disputes between homeowners and other contractors or create unnecessary bad blood within the industry.
How do you handle these requests? Do you politely decline, offer a paid inspection, or provide some level of feedback? I’m interested in hearing how other professionals approach this situation.

Looking for some input from other metal or shingle contractors.

We looked at a very challenging metal roofing project a while back. This wasn't a straightforward install—it required a high level of experience, and we made it clear to the homeowner that it wasn't a project for someone learning on the job.

We gave him our best price, explained exactly how we would approach it, but he ultimately chose another contractor. Throughout the process, the homeowner also had some pretty strong opinions on how we should handle the job.

He hired another contractor, not a metal guy - big mistake.

5 weeks into the job and the contractor who was hired delivered materials, torn off part of the existing roof, and nothing installed - 5 weeks on the job.

The contractor was fired and now the homeowner is begging us to come back and finish it.

We don't want to inherit a project where expectations have already been difficult to manage.

How would you respectfully decline this opportunity while maintaining a good reputation in a small community?

Or would you consider taking it on only under certain conditions?

Thanks for your feedback.