Roofing Contractor: Critical Questions to Ask Them

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Roofing your house is an expensive project. It can also affect your property’s value. This makes it necessary to conduct thorough research when hiring a roofing contractor.

How do you ensure you’re getting value for money? It all starts by asking the right questions. We’ve put together a list of questions every homeowner should ask before hiring a residential roofer.

1. Is Your Business Local?

The first question you should ask the roofing contractor is, are you a local business? Why is this question important? When a storm hits an area, you’d see many trucks looking for roofing. The problem with these roofers is that they might not know the building codes in the cities.

These roofing contractors work on roofing projects in the storm-hit city and quickly move on to another town. They might not offer the best service because they’re in a rush. If something goes wrong, it will be hard to reach them.

Established Greenville residential roofers will help you get post-project services. It would help if you asked the contractor to give you their permanent physical location in your city. If the contractor can’t give you their physical address in your town, that’s a bad sign. It would help if you looked for another residential roofing contractor.

2. How Long Have You Been in Business?

Experience is essential in the roofing industry. Some young roofing companies are good, no doubt. However, five years from now, you’d want your roofer to be in business to help you with many other things that will pop up after the project.

As a homeowner, ensure you choose a well-established local contractor. A contractor with a solid history in the city. It’s important not to focus on low prices. Focus on getting the best roofing service because a good roofing service will exponentially increase your house’s market value.

Ask for the contractor’s legal business name and the name they operate with. Sometimes the two are different. Then, a simple Google search can reveal a lot about the company.

3. Are You Insured and Licensed to Operate in Greenville?

The roofing contractor should have the license to operate in your city. Many states require roofers to have a permit before using it in the state or city. Every state has different building codes. Only work with a contractor who’s licensed and whose license is up to date.

The most important question of all is, are you insured? Every roofing contractor must have general liability insurance and workman’s compensation in the event of an injury during the project. You can even ask the contractor to let you see a copy to be sure.

Every state has different laws regarding the type of insurance roofers can obtain. You must research your local laws to ensure your contractor has all the required paperwork for the work.

4. Do You Use Roofing Sub-Contractors?

Some roofing contractors sublet some of the jobs to other contractors. You should ask the roofer if he works with sub-contractors. If he says yes, you can investigate the sub-contractor too. Researching the sub-contractor will help you avoid many problems that may arise during the project.

5. Do You Offer a Warranty for Your Residential Roofing Work?

Even the best roofing job occasionally has problems. Roof replacement or re-roofing is a heavy investment, and you should put measures in place to protect your investment. One way to do that is to ask for a workman’s warranty.

The roofing contractor should be able to offer a workman’s warranty anywhere from two years to 25 years. Only accept a written warranty and not word of mouth.

6. Are you Certified by a Shingle Manufacturer?

Aside from the state-issued license and certification, is your roofing contractor certified by a well-known shingle manufacturer? Here’s why it’s essential.

Shingle manufacturers will only work with the best roofing companies in your city. They will only certify experienced and reputable roofers in your town. Here’s something to remember: when a shingle manufacturer certified a roofer, they risk their brand’s reputation.

When a shingle manufacturer certified a roofing contractor, they trust the roofer to install their products following established instructions and best practices.

7. How Will You Protect my Property During the Project?

The roofing contractor should leave your proper, at least as they met it. It speaks a lot about the kind of roofing contractor they are. And that’s why it is a crucial question to ask the roofer of your choice the following questions:

  • how will you ensure you protect my property like the lawn?
  • Will the heavy-duty equipment rest on the sidewalk?
  • Will the contractor insist on strict foot pattern traffic?
  • Who is responsible for the disposal of the unwanted roofing materials?

During the roofing project, debris can fall on your lawn. The trash can pose a danger to children and pets in the house. Ensure the roofer puts it in the contract that they’ll take care of any damage caused to your property during the project. They should be responsible for cleaning the yard after the work is complete.

Here’s one essential point you don’t have to miss, ensure that your local roofer disposes of the unwanted roofing materials properly after the work.

8. Can You Give Me References?

Like most people, you read product reviews and ask people who have used the product before buying. It is the same as hiring a roofing contractor. The roofing contract must give you references you contact for more information about the company.

The best roofing company in Greenville would be happy to give you a list of customers you can contact to learn more about the company. It’s a red flag when the roofing company refuses to provide you with a reference list. Once you have the list, you can call them and ask questions about the company. A good rule of thumb is to contact recent customers. Ask the contractor to list jobs completed in the last six months.

The questions can be about their customer services, work ethics, and many more. Googling the business’s name will reveal a lot about them. Customers usually leave reviews about the company. You can learn a lot about the company from its Google business page.

If you spend tens of thousands of dollars on your roofing, it is crucial to do your best to ensure you work with the best local roofing company. Never compromise quality for cheap services. Protect your investment at all costs. Working with the best roofers will protect your proper and give you peace of mind.

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