Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home. So when it’s time to get it repaired or replaced, you want to make sure you’re leaving it in the best possible hands. Choosing a roof contractor can be a stressful task when you’re trying to make sure that you’re getting the right fit. Thankfully, there are a few ways you can help make sure you’re making the best choice for your home.
Start Local
Whenever you hire anyone to work on your home, and most importantly on an area like your roof, you want to make sure that you can check up on your contractor and find out everything you can about them. So you’ll want to make sure that you start out by finding someone local. You can go about this in a number of ways including:
- Finding the roofing shingle you want and getting a recommendation from the manufacturer
- Checking a site like Angie’s List or HomeWyse for a list of contractors near you
- Asking a friend, family member, or neighbor who has had their roof worked on recently for a recommendation.
Once you get the names of some local contractors, schedule an estimate or meeting with a minimum of three. This will allow you to compare and contrast the contractors and help you uncover some red flags that might not otherwise be obvious. For example, one contractor’s inexperience or reticence might be more obvious when compared with the others.
Ask for Information
Once you meet with the potential contractor, take the time to get a number of different pieces of information from him. This info will allow you to do your due diligence and check up on several things that can help you feel confident that you’ve made the right decision. Right away, you’ll want to make sure you get:
- A copy of his driver’s license and his license plate number so you can confirm that he is local
- A copy of his roofing contractor’s license so you can make sure it’s in good standing
- His business address and phone number so you can find out how long he’s been doing business in your area
- The full name of his company so you can check up on him at the Better Business Bureau and make sure there are no outstanding complaints against him
Once you’ve got these preliminaries taken care of, and you’ve had a chance to talk to him about the job and get a written estimate, you’ll want to take things a step further and request the following as well:
- At least three local, recent references
- References from suppliers to make sure that he has no outstanding debts or liens
- A contract that specifies a start and end date, exactly what work will be done on your roof, what materials will be used, how he intends to clean up after the work is done, and a lien release that won’t hold you responsible if he fails to pay his supplier’s bills.
Comparing Information
In most cases, you’re going to find that three local, competent roofers are all able to give you an estimate for the work that falls within the same general price range and that uses the same types of material. Occasionally, however, you’ll find a few red flags that could allow you to cross one off your list. These may include:
- A price that is much higher or lower than the others
- Ambiguous information, such as specifying an underlayment, but not what thickness or quality so you don’t know exactly what you’re getting
- A reluctance to provide you with the requested information, or promises to get back to you with it in a timely way but without any follow up
Assuming, however, that the contractors you interview do fall within the same price range and can all provide you with the necessary information, you’ll want to make sure that ultimately, you choose the contractor who you feel most comfortable with. After all, this person will be working on your roof – the most important part of your home and one of the most expensive parts as well. Make sure that the person you speak with will be doing the work himself, or that you feel comfortable with his crew if he’s not. Ask as many questions as you have to feel as though you understand what’s happening to your home. A good contractor will take the time to help you understand what’s being done and why, so you can feel confident that you’re making the right choice.
Do Your Homework
A lot of the process of choosing a roof contractor involves quite a bit of legwork on your part. You’ll need to check up on the candidates and make sure that they are who they say they are, and that they will do the work you’re paying them to do. While this is time consuming and something of a hassle, remember that you shouldn’t trust your roof to just anyone without making sure that they’re right for the job first.