Hiring a Roofer
When hiring a roofer you should consider a few key points that will ensure quality roofing for residential and commercial properties. Unfortunately, there are plenty of unethical roofing companies that make it difficult to decide what roofers are trustworthy and reliable. Since roof repairs or replacement services come at a premium price, it’s important to protect your investment and work with a reputable Colorado roofing company. There are two things you should consider:
- What to look for
- What to look out for
These tips will help you when it comes time to hiring a roofer. B & M Roofing provides quality customer care, expert guidance, and exceptional workmanship for Colorado commercial and residential properties. Contact us today for a FREE ESTIMATE.
Hiring a Roofer: Tips to Consider
Before you begin an existing or new roofing project, be sure that you’re considering a few key things prior to committing to a company’s services. Roof repairs and new replacements are required for buildings and homes, especially if you’re considering the value of your home or commercial property. Your roof serves to protect the structure and, thus, it’s essential that whoever is hired has the credentials and experience to provide quality work.
1. Make Sure The Roofer Has Insurance
While searching for a roofer, make sure to ask each roofer that you contact whether or not they have insurance. If they don’t have insurance, then you shouldn’t hire them.
Every roofing contractor should have workmans compensation and liability insurance. Workmans’ compensation protects you from any legal damages if one of the roofing employees gets injured. Liability insurance protects you from any of the damages caused to your home/business during the roofing process.
Without workman’s’ compensation, if a roofing employee gets injured, it’s likely that you’ll have to pay their medical bills. Without liability insurance, you’ll have to pay for the damages caused during the roofing process.
2. Find A Roofer That Offers A Good Warranty
Every roofer should offer a warranty of some sort. That way, if the roof falls apart before a certain period of time, the roofer will repair that roof at no extra cost to you. But, remember that this is a roofer warranty and not a materials warranty, so you may still have to pay for new materials.
Ideally, the warranty that the roofer offers will be at least one year. If it’s less than that, or if they don’t offer a warranty at all, then that’s a sign that the roofer doesn’t trust the quality of their work.
3. Read Through Testimonials
The roofer that you hire should have past customers who were happy with their work. That’s why it’s important to ask for testimonials from past customers. If the testimonials include phone numbers or email addresses, you should email those people and ask them what they thought about the roofers’ work.
By doing this, you’ll get a solid idea as to the overall quality of the roofers’ work. This makes it much easier to determine if that particular roofer is the right one to go with.
4. Find Pictures Of Previous Roofing Jobs
To get a solid idea as to what the roofers’ work looks like, you should ask for pictures and, if possible videos. By looking at these pictures, you’ll be able to see what your roof will look like – at least, in part – when it’s finished.
If you like what you see, that’s a good sign. But, if you don’t, then that roofer probably isn’t right for you.
5. Check The Materials The Roofer Offers
Before hiring a roofer, get a list of needed materials. They should provide a list of options, which you will be able to select your own preference. A good roofer will work with you directly on determining the roofing materials that are right for you. But, if a roofer is only offering one type of material, that usually means that they aren’t too interested in giving you the roof that you’re looking for.
When you are speaking with roofers, make sure that they offer a multitude of different choices for both the materials and the colors of those materials. It’s also worth asking about which materials the roofer is most familiar with.
6. Determine If The Roofer Uses Subcontractors Or Employees
When speaking with roofers, ask if the roofer hires employees or subcontractors. If a roofer hires subcontractors, ask if those subcontractors are insured.
It’s very important that the subcontractors who work for the roofer are all insured. If those subcontractors aren’t insured, then if an accident were to take place, it’s likely that you would be the one paying for that subcontractor’s medical bills.
7. Compare Prices Between Roofers
Know how to choose a roofer and gather quotes from multiple Colorado roofing companies. While speaking with different roofers and comparing their services, make sure to write out the price of each roofer’s service. By doing this, you’ll be able to obtain an understanding of what each roofer offers and how much those services cost. This makes it easier to find the roofer that is right for you.
Along with that, however, you’ll be able to notice any major variations, in price, between roofers. If you see that most roofers offer one particular price, and then another roofer offers a much lower price, that usually means the service is less than ideal.
8. Don’t Be Pressured Into Signing A Contract
When speaking with roofers, never be pressured into signing a roofing contract before you’ve made up your mind. This is especially important if your insurance company is in the process of estimating the damages.
Instead of pressuring you into signing a roofing contract, a good roofer will tell you all about their services, what they can do for you, give you testimonials, and allow you to then make the decision that’s right for you.
9. Make Sure The Roofer Is Good At Communicating With You
In a roofing project, communication is key. That’s why it’s absolutely vital that the roofer you hire is able to communicate with you on a frequent basis and that they work with you regarding the needs and specifications that you have for your roofing project.
When speaking to a roofer, take note of whether or not they answer all of your questions. Make sure that they’re honest and direct about what they offer and how they can help you. If you need help understanding something about the roofing process, ask them and make sure they can give you a straight-forward answer.
If that type of straight-forward and direct communication isn’t happening, then there’s a good chance that roofer isn’t the one for you
10. Check Their BBB Rating
The Better Business Bureau is a nonprofit organization that offers a website that allows you to search for any business. Make sure you go onto the Better Business Bureau’s website and look up the roofer that you’re thinking about hiring.
When you go onto that website, read the customer reviews and any other pertinent information. If their overall ratings are low, then that means their work wasn’t very good. But, along with that, if they don’t have a BBB page at all, that could mean that they don’t have very much experience.
