When you need a new roof, you need an expert. You want someone who knows what they’re doing to work on the roof of the biggest asset you’ll ever own.
A qualified roofing contractor can save your home from disaster. But how do you know if you’ve found a good roofing company or just a fly-by-night swindler?
As you interview contractors to complete your roofing repairs, use the following five questions as a starter to know if you’ve found the best roofing contractor possible.
1. What Experience Do You Have?
First and foremost, you want an experienced roofing contractor. Thus, ask the contractor about their experience. A good roofing company will have a portfolio of the work that they’ve done.
If the contractor does not have a portfolio, ask them for the location of places where they’ve worked. Visit these locations and examine the work quality.
2. What Roofing Contractor Jobs Have You Completed?
Not all roofing repairs are the same. So ask the contractor about what kind of jobs they’ve completed. After all, installing a steel roof looks much different than repairing asphalt singling.
Look in particular for a local contractor or a contractor with local experience. Thus you will ensure you’ve found a contractor who understands local building codes.
3. What Other Services Do You Offer?
Ask the contractor about all of their services. Do they find the shingles for you, or do they just install what you purchase? Do they do demolition when you have roof damage, or do they expect you to tear off the old roof first?
With each of their services, the contractor should also have specific prices for each service. This way you can create a budget with the services they provide.
4. What References Do You Have?
A good contractor will have references. They should be able to provide you with at least three to five business or contact names that can verify they know how to install a new roof or make reliable roof repairs.
You can also check up on the contractor’s reliability by going to the Better Business Bureau online. At this location, you can see if the contractors have unhappy or satisfied customers. Recommendations at the BBB will help you know if your contractor has integrity.
5. Are You Licensed, Bonded, and Insured?
Always make sure the person doing your roof repairs has proper insurance and licensing. The license means the roofing contractor understands building codes and has the right knowledge to fix our roof. Insurance means the contractor has liability insurance that covers your property should they make a serious mistake.
Many states require roofing contractors to also have a surety bond. This means the contractor has a third party who will complete the work should something prevent them from doing so.
Hire With Care
Your home is the biggest purchase homeowners typically make. You can ensure that you’re taking care of this asset by interviewing roofing contractors carefully. When you ask them these five questions, you can rest assured that you’ve hired a qualified roofing contractor.
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