Ten tips how to hire a roofer
Nobody knows how to hire a roofer like another roofer. Every time you search for information about how to hire a roofing contractor, you always read the same three things. Get three estimates, do your research, check their licenses.
It’s always the same partial information, not the whole story. Today, I would like to share with you, valuable inside information from a roofer about how to hire a roofer.
Treat It Like A Job Interview
Tip one, always remember that during the interview you are in control, not the person who is presenting to you. Unfortunately, sometime people feel obligated to buy just because a salesperson is spending their time telling you about their great company, products and services.
If you run a business, you will not hire just anyone because they say that they want to work for you. The same thing applies when hiring a roofer. You must qualify them. So, treat it like a job interview no matter how aggressive sales pitch is.
The contractor that comes to your door is offering you services so that you will hire them. You want to talk with them, think about what they tell you, review the company, do your research. The contractor wants to work for you, but don’t feel obligated or pressured to sign anything until you are 100% comfortable with the contractor. It’s totally fine to say no even if the contractor has spent 2 hours at your house.
Ask What Brand of Materials They Use
Tip two, ask about materials they recommend and why they recommend that brand. Red flags should go up if they are offering any brands or liking all brands.
Ask in detail about materials. A lot of sales guys have no clue about materials. They don’t know what brands they sale or they sale all the brands out there. Which means they either don’t have a preference or they don’t have a good relationship with the brands.
That is incompetence. A good contractor knows their product and can rate and compare
the competition and tell you the differences.
Ask Who Owns the Business
Tip three, ask who owner of the business is is and if company is in their name. Google both owners name and company name. If something doesn’t add up be careful. Unfortunately, it is common for shady business owners to keep switching business names because of problems and run businesses under someone else names.
What will happen when they do a bad job again will it be with your job? Worst case scenario no job will be done or no warranty coverage on the work done.
So, please ask for name, who runs the business and who the license holder is. It’s very common for a bad business owner to screw people over, not pay people, go bankrupt, just flat out shady dealings, and then just start over clean slate with a new business.
If a contractor is running the business under someone else name, like there wife, sister, brother, son, daughter, someone else in the company, this is a red flag. Because they may very well have issues with their contractor’s license.
If you Google, the owners name and company name you can find out if they have criminal charges are legal actions against this person./p>
Ask If They Do Repairs
Tip four, if the contractor that does your work does not also have a service/repair department, another red flag. What will happen when you have a leak or minor issues? If the company is set up only to do big jobs who is doing their repairs?
A contractor needs to have employees who can do warranty calls otherwise they have to sub it out. It is crucial for a company to have a service department. Things happen with a roof, how a company fixes the issues that happen is of vital importance.
If you have a small leak from shingle blow off, you need a company that has a service/repair department that can deal with the problem in a timely manner. Not have to wait for a contractor to call a subcontractor to deal with the problem.
Ask If They Cover the Deductible
Tip five, stay away from a company that is offering to pay your deductible. That includes paying for yard signs. It’s not legal to cover the deductible so do not do business with a company that is offering to pay your deductible. Also, you can watch the video at the link below to find out more about this topic.
Ask If the Manufacturer Honors the Warranty
Tip six, do they register the warranty with the manufacturer or is their warranty backed up by manufacturer warranty? If they do not register the warranty with the manufacturer then be careful, the warranty can only be in their name. So always ask, did they register warranty with manufacturer, who is behind the warranty?
If the warranty is not registered with the manufacturer then it is like doing the work, yourself. Only organized contractors go through all the paperwork required to register with the manufacturer.
If the warranty is with the business and the business goes out of business, then your warranty is no longer any good. So, make sure the warranty is with the manufacturer.
Never Go with The Lowest Bid
Tip seven, always due your due diligence if you decide to go with the cheapest bid, 80% of people who go with the lowest bids experience problems. You must ask yourself why it is so cheap.
Go with someone who you can trust, who you believe, go with your gut. The numbers don’t lie.
Better Business Bureau receives many complaints from the roofing business and most of them come from people that went with the lowest bid.
Roofing protects your biggest asset, your home, so you want to protect it with the best and not have any problems. The fact of the matter is, a good roof is not cheap.
Avoid Websites That Sell Your Information
Tip eight, stay away from websites that sell your information like HomeAdvisor or Angie’s list. They sell your information and promise to connect you with a trusted contractor.
In truth, they are actually connecting you with a contractor who is willing to pay for your business which may or may not be the best company to do business with. If they are paying for your business, why are they paying for your business? Probably not the best way to find a roofing contractor.
Google reviews is a good place to start your search and it is free.
Better Business Bureau
Tip nine, check a company on BBB for any major complaints. If something bad happens with a contractor this is a good place to find out about it. They keep the complaints for years on their website. Always ask a contractor if you do see complaints so you get both
sides of the story.
Always Go with Your Gut Instinct
Tip ten, don’t always go with the first roofing contractor out of obligation or pressure. Never sign any agreements unless you are 100% comfortable. If you don’t feel like signing, don’t sign.
You want to be comfortable from start to finish with the process. Get as many estimates as you need to until you feel right about your decision. Then and only then sign an agreement. It’s your house so protect it.
Please comment below and thank you for reading.
My sister would like to have her home’s roof re-constructed since this will make it studier, which is why she has decided to start looking for a service that may work on the truss material too. Thank you for sharing here as well that she should check the company’s status in the BBB. It’s also a good thing that you clarified here the importance of seeking estimates first.
My home’s roofing shingles are already falling off due to a lack of maintenance. Anyhow, I’ve decided to start looking for an experienced roofer that may address the matter before it gets worst. I’ll also keep in mind to ask the roofer regarding their materials and warranty.
Getting the help of a roofer that offers great warranties and repairs definitely feels like an important part of it all. With that kind of help, you could be as safe as possible when it comes to your home’s roof, especially if it was long overdue for a repair like that. Once I find a roofer in the area, I’ll ask them about these kinds of details once we get to work on it.
It’s great that you talked about how a good roofing contractor knows their product and could rate and compare the competition and tell you the differences. Our current roof is already very worn out due to all the storms it endured, so we are thinking of installing a new one in its place. So with that in mind, we should probably ask for some expert assistance from a roofing contractor.
Thank you for the advice to ask contractors what materials and brands they suggest and why. As you said, a good contractor is knowledgeable about their product and is able to assess and evaluate the competitors. I’ll make sure to share this with my aunt, who has been planning to renovate her roof, so she may keep it in mind and look for roofing professionals that might be able to assist her.
Hiring a roofer can be a long process. Luckily, this article has some helpful tips for determining how to hire the best fit for the job. Thanks for sharing!
Dedicating good money when hiring a roofing contractor is something that makes a lot of sense to me. I feel like this is easily something that should be taken care of by an expert, so if you need some help with that, it’s for the best that you prepare to pay a hefty sum. I’ll remember this for sure when I start looking for a roofing contractor who can assist us in the near future.