Patience running thin

After the roofing contractor came out yesterday, I expected he would get back with me today with some solid numbers for the back room roof and for fixing my siding and the patio cover. But what do I get instead, I get an email, saying what is my budget for the roof. Well, I've told him, my budget is not $1300 for 3 1/2 squares. That's too much money! That's almost $400 a square! I have asked, get me a price for something less. He has said, maybe brai or this or that, but no numbers. He wants me to set the numbers. So, I say, well, insurance is allowing $635. He comes back with more vagueness and more questions just won't talk numbers, reminds me I was going to take it off to begin with. Well, duh, that has been settled for a while now. Why bring that up again?

How can I set the numbers? I don't know the cost of materials. I called Lowe's. How much is roll roofing and how much does it cover? How much is 30# felt paper? How much does it cover?
So I try to calculate this and come up with about $100 in materials! We're only talking about 18x18 roof surface at best! So, I add in a guess for lumber and figure $300 labor should be adequate for this little job. That's a bottom of the barrel roof. That should come to just under $500 but the cheapest of the cheap for that little space!

He writes me back and says he doesn't understand, remember lumber minimum charges, etc. $300 isn't under his minimum. He will not give me any numbers! Only that $1300! Then he says something about it has to be put on in over 50 degree temps and it will crack if I don't. Well, it's going to be in the 60s and 70s this week! What's 50 degrees have to do with anything? He's not going to be putting it on in the middle of the night.

I swear, I have been talking to this guy for weeks, and he talks like he knows all this stuff about every building trade there is, but it's time to put up or shut up! Let's get going on something! If I didn't know better I'd think he was just doing this out of sheer boredom or something and has no intentions of doing any of it! I know that's crazy, but this is driving ME crazy. Thank God I haven't given him the half down on the house portion of the roof yet!

And to top it off, this is all email. I tried to call him to have a two-way conversation! We are obviously not undertsanding each other. I have two phone numbers, and he doesn't answer either one. Only email. Crimeny!

I really hope I don't have to scrap this whole thing and start over with the blasted roof! In the morning I have to call the level guy - which was the very first thing I tried to get done - and try to get that accomplished. Now this roof thing is headed for the toilet. What's the matter with people!