Whether you own a home or a commercial building, when it comes time to get your roof repaired, you must hire the best roofing contractors. Roof replacement and repair is no small investment, especially if your insurance isn’t covering the costs. Therefore, you need to make sure the job gets done right the first time.
And because the roof is so vital to the structural integrity of the rest of your building, you can’t afford to drag your feet. However, you also don’t want to rush the process of finding the right roofers for the job. Ultimately, it comes down to asking the right questions.
Not sure where to begin? Follow along for the top seven questions you should be asking potential roofing contractors before hiring them to work on your home or commercial building.
1. How Soon Can You Start and How Long Will It Take?
Availability is important when hiring any service. It can be especially important if you have an emergency roofing situation on your hands. For example, if a violent storm came through and tore up your roof with high winds.
Even if there isn’t traumatic or acute damage to your roof, small damages can lead to big problems down the road. Even small water leaks can lead to expensive water damage, wood rot, mold, and other issues within the building. Therefore, when hiring roofing contractors, you need to ask how soon they’ll be able to start the job.
Similarly, whether you’re worried about your home life or business being disrupted, you also need to ask how long the overall process will take. Typically, the answer to that question will depend on what they uncover in their inspection.
2. Are You Licensed and Insured?
When looking into residential and commercial roofing contractors, it’s important to ensure you’re talking to a licensed roofing contractor. Although roofing license requirements vary from state to state, your contractor will need a valid business license at the very least.
However, you should also make sure the roofing company carries liability and worker’s comprehension insurance. Liability insurance is important for covering any damages done to your property during the roofing repair or replacement, should any occur.
The worker’s comprehension insurance is there to protect the individual roofers. Should they get injured on the job, worker’s comp will cover their medical bills and any other related costs. If the company doesn’t cover their workers, the injured employee could hold you, the property owner, liable for expenses.
3. What Experience Do You Have?
Next, you need to ask roofing contractors about their experience. How long has the company been in operation? What training and certifications are their contractors required to receive?
This can be especially important for commercial buildings. For example, if you’re hiring metal roofing contractors, you need to make sure they know how to work with that type of roofing material.
Experience is also important when it comes to inspecting your roof and identifying issues. An experienced contractor will have a keen eye for finding damage and potential problems. They’ll also know what type of practices to avoid, such as layering new shingles over old ones to save time.
4. Do Your Services and Materials Come With Warranties?
Speaking of quality workmanship, you should ask prospective roofing contractors what types of warranties or guarantees they offer. Most roofing material manufacturers offer 20-year warranties on their products as a minimum. The higher quality materials can even be guaranteed up to 50 years.
Additionally, the roofing company will offer a workmanship guarantee which covers your roof in the event that it was installed improperly. Keep in mind, no manufacturer or contractor will be able to guarantee your roof against things outside of their control, like severe weather, falling tree limbs, etc.
5. Do You Have References and Reviews?
As a consumer, you deserve to know you’re investing in a credible company. Whether you’re looking for a dentist or local roofing contractors, you should take the time to find reviews and testimonials. The references written by previous customers will tell you everything you need to know about the company you’re considering hiring.
Most roofing contractors will post reviews on their websites and social media pages. If you can’t find them there, use Google to search for “roofing contractors near me” and “reviews.”
6. Will You Give Me a Free Estimate?
As always, costs are important. It doesn’t matter if you’re a homeowner or a business owner. Before hiring a company, reach out to your local roofing contractors to get a free quote for your roof.
Then, compare and contrast prices. However, make sure you know what each pricing model entails. The cheapest option isn’t always the best option.
For example, a super cheap roofing contractor may not:
- Offer warranties
- Have a license or insurance
- Use quality materials
- Have professional experience
- Etc.
Make sure you know what you’re getting with each company that gives you an estimate. If they won’t give you a free estimate at all, they’re not worth your time. It’s likely because they know their prices aren’t competitive in the industry.
7. What Measures Do You Take to Protect Property?
Finally, as a property owner, it’s important to ask roofing contractors what measures they’ll take to protect your property from damages. Obviously, this includes having liability insurance, as mentioned above.
However, there are other concerns, such as:
- Protecting your driveway and landscape from vehicles and roofing refuse
- Protecting your gutters from ladders and other damages
- Ensuring they look for underlying damages to your roof and report them to you
- Cleaning up after themselves (material waste, nails, etc.)
When the roofers finish the job and leave your property, you shouldn’t have to worry about new damages. However, accidents happen. When they do, it’s important that the roofing contractors make it right.
Are You in Need of Roofing Contractors?
If you’re in need of some local roofing contractors, we can help. We offer both residential and commercial roofing services for repairs and full replacements. Contact Fitz Roofing today to get a free estimate and see what we can do for you!
