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Ok, your first problem is that you're in California. That means that you've got some of the worst contractors and highest insurance prices in the US. It's worse in SoCal, but NoCal is no picnic. Just to give you an idea of the contractor culture there, the average insurance price for a new home in CA is about $75,000 (as of 2004, which is the last year I have number for). That's for the workers compensation and the liability coverage for when you sue them for the construction defects you discovered (like in your roof).
The second problem is that roofers are the next-to-lowest rung of the construction ladder. The lowest is the demolition guys since you really don't need much skill beyond the very basics to knock things down. Roofers have a dirty, hot, nasty job that is pretty dangerous. And they don't work for much money unless they own their own business (unless they're really good). It's not uncommon for us in the insurance industry to find out after the fact that some roofer client has done something exceedingly stupid like transporting asbestos to the dump in an open pickup truck, basically exposing the entire community to an increased risk of cancer. Joyous.
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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin
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