Avoid Frustration With Reliable Residential Roofing Contractors

Let’s face it, not all residential roofing contractors are reliable and honest, so you must be careful not to trust too easily. Like most other homeowners, you might not be very well informed when it comes to roof maintenance, and this makes you an easy target for roofing companies to take advantage, for example overcharging you on a specific service. Below are some tips to help you learn a bit more, so that you can approach your next contractor feeling confident in your decision making.

Questions to Ask Residential Roofing Contractors

1. Ask if they have insurance. A roofing contractor should have liability insurance and workman compensation, ensuring protection for both its employees and you as the homeowner. If the contractor doesn’t have workman compensation, you may end up being liable for hospital bills if something should happen to the workman on your property.
2. Ask if they are a licensed company. Requirements for licenses are different in each state, so make sure that your residential roofing contractor is licensed in your area, and that the license is up to date. This will ensure that you are choosing a legal contractor, which will give you a safety net should anything go wrong.
3. Check if any subcontractor is involved. You’ll need to ask them the same questions to ensure that nothing goes unnoticed or unchecked, as different roofing contractors will have different terms and agreements.
4. Check if they remove the refuge and waste after a job is done. You don’t want to be left with a pile of refuge too large to remove yourself, as the costs for hiring someone else to do it will be expensive.
5. Check that your roofing contractor is local. Some roofing companies travel to places when necessary, for example a hurricane in one state can attract a variety of other roofing contractors outside that state due to the high demand for roof repair. If you have a contractor that isn’t local, what will you do should something go wrong after the job is done, and your contractor is now in another state?
6. Know the average warranty. Ask around, and question multiple roofing contractors and homeowners alike. Anything less than 25 years as a guarantee should be questioned, as this is the minimum life-span of new shingles. Ask ABC Roofing about the GAF Master Elite Warranty on shingles which will give you 25 year labor and material warranty.
7. Ensure that there will be a qualified person on site at all times during the roofing installation. Someone needs to monitor the progress and work and ensure that no miscommunications occur on instruction. If there is no one to monitor the employees, that may be a red flag.
8. Be thorough when asking about prices. If your contractor only considers one factor in price (e.g. the size of the roof), then chances of hidden costs involved are high. Let them know that you are fully aware of the complexity when it comes to roof maintenance and ask them multiple questions regarding prices. For example, you can ask how much the condition of your wood decking will affect the price of roof replacement/upkeep. Other factors to consider are:
   • Current price of roof materials
   • Known issues of your roof
   • Condition of tiles/singles
   • Age of roof
   • Size of roof
   • Angle of roof
9. Enquire about inspection. Will they come inside to look at the ceiling as well as outside? How do they assess for water damage? Do they check the surroundings of the roof as well to observe for outside factors that may affect the roof?
10. What past customers can I talk to? This is a big one, because if a roofing corp. is confident in their ability and business, they should happily give you a few testimonials. Some companies provide customer opinions on their website, for example the testimonials at ABC Roofing Corp. Having the opinion of others can give a better idea of how trustworthy they are.

Knowing what to look for can make the difference between a long-term investment from a reliable contractor or an expensive, failed project. At ABC Roofing Corp., you can trust us, so give one of our state-certified professional roofing contractors a call.