TEN STANDARD QUESTIONS FOR HIRING A ROOFING CONTRACTOR

Choosing a contractor can be a hassle for some.  Contacting multiple people for the task, comparing bids back to back. It can be stressful making the choice to trust one of them to do it right if your not well informed.  It’s not something you want to spend little time on and if the contractor ends up being unreliable it could cost you more money and time.  But if you use these questions as a base point to make it easier for choosing a contractor.

      1.   How long has your company been in business?

When choosing a roofing contractor you need to know if they have the experience you need to do the roofing job.  A contractor with fewer years in the business are still in the process of earning trust with their customers.  Choosing a company that has been around for 15 years compared to 5 years could be a safer choice.

      2.    Is this company legally licensed?

It is illegal to perform work without being a licensed contractor in most states.  Make sure to double check that they are legally licensed and are a legitimate company registered in the state you reside in as an official business.  Having legal problems is not something you want to deal with, it could seize the work being done on the roof and your search for another contractor begins.

      3.   Do they have insurance?

A company that doesn’t have workers compensation and general liability insurance could prove to cost you more money.  Don’t trust contractors that go without workers compensation, if someone is injured on your roof the money could come out of your pocket.  Not having general liability insurance is also not the best choice, without it you could have to pay for more damages than you need to.

      4.   Does this company have a good reputation?

Have you checked the background of this company?  More often than not when someone has made an investment and their unsatisfied they have something to say about it.  It’s always a good idea to look up the reviews on BBB to check their status.  Check the contractor’s website or social media pages for reviews.  Looking them up on angieslist.com or other review based website can be of help.

      5.   How much do they charge?

Some companies will overcharge you to get more money in their pockets.  Keep in mind that most business invest for profit.  Going out and finding the lowest bid could be bad news for your finances in the long run.  Hunting for other contractors may provide you with better bids.  Most contractors are willing to negotiate and give you the best price that they can do the job.  When contractors compete with pricing be wary of contract wording.  Compare detail for detail.  Are you getting the same labor and materials.  When you do negotiate your price, check your materials and make sure you are getting what you paid for.

6.   Do they provide a warranty for my roof?

Warranties will provide you with the comfort of knowing you won’t have to pay full price if another problem occurs.  Pick a contractor that offers the manufacture warranty on your roof materials. Also you want the roofing contractor to provide a workmanship warranty to guarantee for them to come back for a certain length of time to come repair your roof.  Depending on the company it would be better to find someone who will do it for free but some charge money for their workmanship warranty at a small cost.  It should be free as a guarantee that the contractor will fix any leak related to their work completed.

      7.   How soon can they finish the job?

If you have a roofing repair emergency or maybe a storm just hit, they’re some trustworthy contractors out there that can do the job within 48 hours.  Some may take a week and some may take a month due to their high volume of customers.  Some may take longer but they can also provide you with better materials, longer lasting repairs and better warranties.  Find the middle ground when looking through bids.

      8.   How will they keep you informed on what’s happening on my roof?

There should be customer service. The contractor should always set a meeting with you to go over the quote and work to be done.  They should keep in contact and have someone available to speak while on the job and off site hours.

      9.   Can I trust they are working safely on my roof?

Having untrained workers can lead to problems.  Before you finalize the project be sure to ask about safety and of course look into reviews.  It’s illegal to not have the appropriate safety guidelines covered under OSHA’s standards and regulations.  Not having appropriate safety on your roof could cause more trouble than that low bid is worth.

10.  Is there any way to lower the price?

If you found a contractor with the experience you need for the job but the price is not within your budget let the contractor know and negotiate a more suitable number to work with.  Some contractors will come at you with some low prices.  An experienced contractor will be competitive with other experienced contractors.  The projected cost should be comparable when receiving your estimate’s.  Most contractors will work with your budget. When the estimate is to low or too high, ask the contractor to go over the estimate with you.   Keep an eye on those bids.