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Property owners find they have many options when the time comes to select a roofing contractor. In fact, this market is saturated.
However, the owner needs to find a reputable person or company to handle their project, and this task is more challenging.
There are plenty of horror stories about roofing projects that have gone wrong.
Nobody wants to have their own horror story to tell, which is why the choice of contractor is critical.
What should property owners look for when choosing who should take on their roofing work?
Choose a Local Contractor
When looking for a roofing contractor, always go with someone local.
Following a major weather event, many companies go door-to-door offering to inspect roofs and make any necessary repairs.
Avoid working with one of these contractors.
While they may be able to get the work done in less time, they won’t be around in a few weeks or months if problems arise with the work they did.
They will have moved on to another area recovering from a major weather event, leaving the homeowner to find and pay someone else to correct the problems they are having with the roof.
Quality Over Everything Else
A roof is not where corners should be cut. Inferior materials, sloppy work, and more put the entire structure at risk of damage.
Never choose a contractor based on price alone. Consider all factors, including the materials they use, their experience, prior work, and more.
In addition, see if details matter to them. For example, will the crew clean up when the job is done?
Leftover debris can be dangerous to family members, pets, and property.
One small nail can do significant damage to a tire. Materials lying around the yard can lead to a family member or pet being hurt.
A reputable contractor will include cleaning in the project cost rather than offering a low price and leaving any mess for the homeowner to address.
Read Reviews
Never hire a contractor without reading reviews from multiple sources.
Google reviews are a good place to start the search for information about a roofing contractor.
Focus on those reviews from the past six months, as a lot can change in a short period.
The employees who worked on a job three or four years ago may no longer be at the company.
After reading Google reviews, move on to other sites to learn what is being said about the contractor.
The Better Business Bureau is one site to check, and there are many sites that now offer recommendations when a person needs a professional.
Take the time to check them out. However, reviews should only be one thing looked at when choosing a roofing provider.
Project Timeline
The average person does not know how long it will take to repair or replace a roof.
They must rely on the roofing contractor to supply this information.
Pay attention to this when speaking with contractors and ask for a project timeline.
If one contractor states they can do the work in significantly less time than their competitors, the property owner should question how they are able to do so.
They may be cutting corners to complete more jobs.
On the other hand, a contractor might say the work will take considerably longer than what competitors have stated.
The property owner must question why this provider needs the additional time.
They may have a valid reason or they might simply be trying to charge more in labor.
Independent Contractor or Roofing Company?
Both independent contractors and roofing companies take on roofing jobs.
However, a person will often find one option is better than the other.
Roof repairs can be handled by an independent contractor, as they don’t take long and only require one person on the job.
The property owner knows exactly who to contact with questions or concerns.
However, the job may take longer when only one person is doing the work.
In addition, they can be difficult to connect with if a problem arises that should be covered under warranty.
Roofing companies send multiple people to complete jobs.
This means the work takes less time and the price may decrease because the company can take on more jobs.
In addition, most work completed by a roofing company comes with a warranty.
However, having multiple people on the job makes it difficult to know who to contact if there is a problem.
A property owner might become frustrated after being passed from person to person to get a problem addressed.
Written Quotes
Always require written quotes from contractors.
All parties can refer back to this contract if there is any dispute as the job moves forward.
In addition, having this quote makes it easier for the owner to plan financially for the project.
They know exactly how much it will cost because it is all laid out in black and white.
The contract should include all details of the project, including a materials list, the payment agreement, the timeline, and more.
The price may change slightly if something comes up as the project moves forward, but an owner can prepare for this.
These slight fluctuations are one reason experts recommend setting aside ten percent of the project cost for unexpected expenses.
This is known as a construction contingency.
Keep the above in mind when choosing a roofing contractor.
The most important thing a property owner can do when making this choice is to ask lots of questions.
Not only will the answers provide valuable information when the time comes to make a decision regarding which roofing provider to use, but they also share information about the contractor.
Are they willing to answer questions, or do they seem annoyed? If they seem annoyed, look elsewhere.
The same holds if they use technical terms rather than explaining things in a way the average person can understand.
Personality is important when choosing a roofing contractor, as you may need to deal with them in the future if problems come up with the roof.
Choose someone with the necessary qualifications who you also feel comfortable with for a successful partnership that will last for years to come.
