So, you have that dreaded leak coming through the roof in your house! Or, perhaps, you’re looking for an upgrade and want to enhance the beauty and value of your home, and you the skills of a professional roofer. How do you go about selecting one that is, not only capable of doing the job, but will do it in a cost effective manner and professionally? After all, how many of us are going to go up onto the roof to inspect it after the job has been completed? Not many of us would be brave enough to do that, so we have be sure that the roofer we hire is trustworthy and takes pride in the job that they do.
Below are some helpful hints on how you might go about selecting a licensed roofing contractor to carry out the work on your home (or office):
Referrals:
Ideally you will be able to count on friends, relatives or colleagues for referrals. Perhaps one or two of them have had work done on their properties and were happy with the job that was done. If this is the case, then you’re probably going to be better off seeking out those referred roofers, rather than taking pot luck by choosing one from the YellowPages or Google.
In the same way you can seek recommendations of good roofers, you can also find out about which roofers to stay right away from. If any of your friends have had bad experiences with these types of contractors, they will be sure to let you know. And then, regardless of the quoted price that you might be given, you should stay away from these companies, or you may come to regret it.
If you can’t get referrals from family or friends, then go online and look for the reviews that have been left on various independent review sites. There are many sites, such as Google My Business, Yelp, Kudzu and so on. Be careful though….it has been found, on occasion, that some businesses will get false reviews put online, so this should just be the first step in your quest to find a good roofing company. If you find a lot of negative reviews about a single company, then obviously you should steer clear of them.
Licensing, Bonding, and Insurance:
There are reasons why cities, counties and states require roofers to be licensed and bonded. The main reason is for our protection. We obviously don’t just want anybody going onto our property and working on our roofs. If the job is done incorrectly, not only would we have to get it done again, but it could also, potentially, end up costing of thousands of dollars in additional damage being done to our homes.
Each region will have its own ordinances determining why types of registration each roofer must have. So it would be a good idea for you to check with your local licensing office to find out why licensing and insurance coverage you should be checking that your chosen roofer has.
When you find the roofer that you want to hire, make sure you ask for physical proof of licensing and insurance. Don’t just take their word for it. If they can’t show you this, or are unwilling to do so, then don’t hire them – (and report them to your local licensing office, so they can be checked out to determine if they are a legitimate roofing contractor).
Customer care:
If, during your search to find a good roofer, you find you take several attempts to get to speak to someone, then this should be a red-flag to you. If you’re having this problem before the job is carried out, then what would it be like afterwards, and if you’re then having problems that need to be rectified? So before you finalize a contract with your chosen company, it might be worth making a few test phone calls to the office to see how promptly they answer and how courteous their staff members are.
References:
If you didn’t get any kind of personal recommendation, then it would be worth seeking out references before hiring a builder. Keep in mind that they are only going to give you details of customers who are happy with the work that was provided. So it is still worth going online to carry out your own investigations about the company before hiring them.
