Before you hire a roofing contractor either for an installation or repair of your roof, there are some questions you should be asking. If the person does a shoddy job, it can mean the roof will leak, get damaged and lead to expensive repairs in the future. It’s best to ask the roofer some basic questions before hiring him:
What’s your full name & address?
Ask the contractor for his full name & address. If the company uses a PO Box address, ask them where their office is located. If the contractor is unable to provide or is unwilling to provide this information, it’s definitely a cause for concern. It’s best to move to another roofing contractor
Do you have any insurance?
It’s important that the contractor have the necessary worker’s compensation & the liability to also protect the homeowner in the case of an accident. Your homeowners’ insurance might not cover injuries caused to the workers on your site and you will be responsible for all the costs
Do you use subcontractors for the work?
Ask the roofer whether any of the work is handled by a subcontractor. If yes, ask whether they are licensed and insured as well
Do you have a roofing-contractor license?
Ask the contractor whether he has a state/ city license. Certain cities require that the contractor be licensed. Keep in mind that a business license is very different from a roofing contractor license. The former is only for tax purposes & it doesn’t mean that the person has passed any test/ is qualified to handle roofing work
Can you provide references?
Ask for any local job sites you can visit to check the person’s roofing work. Also ask him for references. Follow up with those clients and ask if they are satisfied with the roofing work the contractor handled
What warranties do you offer for the roof installation work?
Check for what duration the contractor guarantees his work. Well-established roofers will provide longer warranties. The material warranties are provided by the roof manufacturer while the installation warranty is provided by the roofing contractor
Apart from all these questions a few other things you should be taking into consideration are:
- The response time of the contractor
- Whether he was proactive in his approach
- Was the office staff friendly and did they answer your calls promptly?
- If the rates were too low- check why they were so
- Check how knowledgeable the representative is
- Are they willing to provide customised solutions?
- Was the contractor able to communicate well with you
- Did they provide a detailed quote on time?
- Check which materials the roofer uses
Be Prudent
It’s also important that you go by gut feel. Understand how the person’s response is and how sincere and passionate he seems about his work. Only a credible and well-established roofer will be particular about ensuring that he answers all questions and addresses all the doubts that a potential customer may have. Choose your roofer with care; your roof has to last you for decades and will cost you a sizeable amount of money and it’s in your best interests to make a smart choice.