How to Select a Reliable Roofing Contractor
Finding a roofing contractor to replace or repair the roof of your home or commercial building can prove a bit daunting. However, your search for a knowledgeable, reliable contractor that will best meet your requirements can be made much easier by following some common sense guidelines.
Qualifications For A Roofing Contractor
Licensed, Bonded, and Insured
First and foremost, roofing contractors must be licensed. Many contractors who advertise in the telephone directory Yellow Pages indicate their license number within their advertisement. Even if it IS listed, be sure to ask the contractor or their representative for their business license number.
Roofing contractors must comply with state and local regulations regarding bonding requirements. Before hiring a contractor, be sure to obtain the contractor’s bonding company information to make sure they are in compliance.
Contractors should also carry Workers’ Compensation and general liability insurance. When interviewing potential roofing contractors, ask for the name and address of their company’s insurance carrier and have them provide you with a copy of their insurance certificate. You will want to make sure the contractor carries the appropriate amount of liability insurance and complies with the Workers’ Compensation regulations in your state.
Professional References and Credit References
Ask prospective roofing contractors for the names and addresses of at least three professional references in writing so you can contact those people. A reliable contractor won’t hesitate to provide this information. Follow up those references by calling or visiting the homeowners or business owners to inquire about the quality of the contractor’s workmanship as well as the quality of materials used for their roof replacement or roof repair.
Obtaining a contractor’s credit references is also vital when you’re looking for a reliable roofing company. If a contractor has a questionable credit rating, that could have an adverse impact on whether or not your roofing repair or replacement gets completed in a competent, timely manner. You may also want to inquire about where your probable roofing contractor does his banking so you can as the bank about his banking reputation.
Workmanship Guarantee and Referrals
Outstanding workmanship is always a high priority of a trustworthy, reliable roofing contractor AND his crew. It is imperative when selecting a contractor to meet your roof repair or roof replacement needs that you also ask some pertinent questions about his crew. The contractor may have an outstanding job estimator, but the estimator is not always the person who will oversee your roofing job. Find out if the roofing contractor has enough people on his crew that are trained and qualified to do your job competently and timely. If a contractor has lots of jobs booked way ahead he might not have an adequate crew to handle all of the jobs he has booked. You will want to be certain the contractor you hire views your job equally as important as others he may be working on, even if your job is smaller than some.
When seeking a dependable local roofing contractor, always find out how long the business has been established in your area. If that roofing business has been around for a long time, you can pretty much be assured that the company is reliable and competent. Should a roofing contractor be fairly new to the area, or have a home office in a larger city or even a different state, you will definitely want to check them out more thoroughly before retaining them to do your roofing job.
Word of mouth referrals have always been considered the best when it comes to hiring someone to do work for you, whether you’re a homeowner or a business owner. So don’t hesitate to ask your prospective roof contractor to give you a list of some projects he has recently completed in your area. Another great way to learn about a roofing contractor’s reputation is to check out the testimonials some of his clients have left on his web site. These comments help give credibility to contractors who do outstanding roof repairs or roof replacements.
Craftsmanship and Product Warranties
Warranties for roof replacement or roof repairs range from 2 years minimum and up to 20 years. You will want to make this one of your PRIORITY questions when searching for a roofing contractor. There are many different roofing products available today. Make sure the contractor you hire to repair or replace your roof uses state-of-the-art materials and roofing installation techniques.
Proposal and Final Contract
ALWAYS get the job proposal or estimate and the final contract in writing! Verbal contracts are simply not valid, no matter how small your job may be. Your final contract should always include what work the contractor proposes to do, the total price for your roof repair or roof replacement, and the completion date of the entire job.