Member name Judith Langlois
Company The Freeman Co.
Category Roofing
Was work done? Yes
Hire again? Yes
Approximate cost $11,000

Typically, it's rotting wood that traps installers - rarely do they simply lose their balance. "Most roofs have solid plywood decking, but this roof didn't," DiBonito says. "It's pretty unusual for our installers to slip. Of course, we took responsibility right away and let the customer know what happened." David DiBonito, estimator with The Freeman Co., moved to Austin right before a tornado struck Jarrell, Texas, on May 27, 1997. The category F5 tornado killed 27 people in Jarrell and wiped out entire subdivisions. "It gave me quite an introduction to Austin," DiBonito says.

Description of work: "They completed a metal reroof."

Member comments: "Except for one of the roofers falling through my bedroom ceiling, the job went very smoothly. They were careful to take off the old metal roof one section at a time and immediately cover it with the new metal roof. David DiBonito [the estimator] is very knowledgeable and explained everything thoroughly. Also, the worker who fell through the ceiling wasn't injured. Freeman put in new Sheetrock and painted at no extra charge."