You need a roofer for your project but don’t know where to look. Start the process of hiring a roofer by asking your neighbors or the Homeowner Association (HOA) for recommendations. You should look at the requirements and directories for roofing contractors in your state, as well as find and read reviews.
Then, call two or three roofers in your area to set up meetings. After checking references, reviews, and qualifications, you can compare bids and talk about the final price. Read on to find out how to hire the right roofing service for your project and budget.
Qualifications For A Roofing Contractor
Roofers have to meet the requirements of their city or town. Check the qualifications and lists of roofers in your state before hiring one.
The following describes good roofers:
- Experienced
- Approved to work in your area
- Insured
- Bonded (which means that a bonding company has money available to a consumer in case they need to file a claim against that company)
- Ready to give references
- Willing to give a price quote
What A Roofer Can Do For You
Services for roofs vary from company to company. Ask the two or three roofers you’re interested in and what they can do for you. Some common services for roofs are:
Checks of the roof that look for:
- Leaks
- Damage
- Maintenance and repair
- Setting up or replacing
- Weatherproofing
- Insulating
- Ventilating
- Shoveling (removing snow and ice dams)
- Clean the roof (pressure washing away mildew, moss, and buildup)
- Painting, coating, or sealing (especially for wood or metal roofs)
- Debris removal
When you are fixing your roof, it’s a good time to check your gutters. Some roofers also do work on gutters, siding, and windows. Ask the experts in your area if they can do other things for you. When you hire a contractor to work on your roof and gutters at the same time, you can save money in the long run because they will already be at your house.
How To Find A Roofing Company
When it’s time to hire a roofer, you can choose between independent contractors and roofing companies. Both have their pros and cons. Compare bids to find the best price, and check reviews, references, and qualifications of roofers.
Independent roofers can help you get repairs done quickly. Large projects, like replacing your old roof, may take longer to finish because they either work on their own or with other people. But they might be experts in a certain style. Hiring a single person can be risky, but you’ll be able to work with the same person for the whole project.
Roofing companies are more likely to finish large jobs faster, have manufacturer warranties cover their work, offer discounts or free consultations, and use more materials. But you might not have the same person to talk to about each step of the project.
How To Talk To A Roofer
To find the right roofer, it’s important to talk to different contractors. What you should ask is:
- What types of roofs do you build?
- Do you help people file claims with their homeowner’s insurance?
- Do you have a license to do this work in my area that is still valid?
- How many different kinds of insurance do you have, and what do they cover?
- Can you give me two or three references I can check?
- Do you do free inspections on-site?
- Do you take pictures during the inspection and when the project is done?
- After the inspection, will you give me a written quote?
- Do you do roofing repairs? What does it cost?
- Does the manufacturer back your work with a warranty?
- How do you keep projects on schedule? When the weather is bad, what do you do?
- Do you take old roofing materials away or get rid of them? Is there a fee to get rid of things? Do you use old things again?
- When and how do you send an invoice or bill? Can I use a credit card to pay? Do you offer payment plans?
How To Choose The Right Roofing Company
Before you choose a roofing company, you should always get bids from a few of them. You can pick the reasonable, middle-of-the-road bid or the contractor with the best availability and the lowest price. If you have enough money, you might choose the roofer who gave you the highest quote and has 20 years of experience installing the type of roof you want.
No matter which bid you pick, make sure the roofer you hire has the right skills.
If you know what kind of roof palmetto roofing you want, there may be fewer contractors in your area from which to choose. Most roofers know how to install and fix asphalt shingles, but not as many know how to work with cedar shake, clay tiles, or natural slate. Unique roof styles, like solar shingles or green roofs, may be hard to find in rural areas because they need experts.
When a roofer goes door-to-door to give bids in areas that have been hit hard by storms and high winds, they can be sneaky. Before you accept a bid from a local roofer to fix or replace your roof, check their license, insurance, and references.
