The roof over your home is a structure that requires specific skills to repair, and you should only hire a roofing contractor you can trust.
It requires expertise to install a roof on a home, and you need the best person for the job.
Although every surgeon carries the title of doctor, you would certainly appreciate the services of a surgeon specializing in treating your particular condition. You would take the time to establish their qualifications as well as their years of experience. You would do so because your health is important to you and so you take it seriously. Such is the procedure to use when hiring roofing contractors to fix or install the roof on your home. After all, the roofing structure needs to withstand anything Mother Nature throws at it. You just cannot outsource the job to the first roofing contractor that shows up on your doorstep. The government sets industry standards that companies and individuals should meet before they can offer such a service. Therefore, you need to ask for trade licenses, professional licenses as well as accreditation before letting them talk about the kind of service you require.
Many shady fly-by-night roofing contractors show up in places hit by a storm, promising to carry out a roof replacement in record time and probably half the regular price. In case one of them rings your bell, you are better off giving them the marching orders. Despite their smooth talk and apparent desire to help, such contractors are only there to rip you off. True enough they might fix your roof and keep your home safe in the short term, but in the end, they will cause you untold misery. They are likely to do a shoddy job, use inferior roofing materials in addition to possessing minimal roofing expertise. Moreover, such roofing contractors are likely to offer a guarantee that is as useless as it is worthless. In a few years when the roof starts falling apart, you have no way of tracing them since they move from one town to the next. A local roofing contractor, on the other hand, would deliver excellent service because they have a reputation to protect. In any case, anyone offering shady services is unlikely to last long in business.
If you want to install a new roof on your home, it will not hurt to tour your locality, making notes of the roofing designs that you find appealing. Once you do, you can inquire about the contractor’s identity and initiate contact. Alternatively, you can ask your friends and family for referral and save yourself the hassle. Word of mouth marketing is quite useful since many people are sincere about their experience with a particular roofing company. Similarly, you can take to the internet to vet the reputation of the roofing companies your friends recommend. At the very least, each should have a web presence and an active social media presence, since some of these are some of the signs of a roofing contractor you can trust. Look at the client reviews about their experience with the company and make a note of the complaints as well. Pay careful attention to how a particular company responds to and handles customer complaints. Avoid any business that ignores or deletes such comments since they are likely to treat you in the same way.
Meeting in a swanky restaurant to talk shop and sign the contract might seem alluring, but do not be swayed by a medium rare steak or any other delicacy for that matter. A physical visit to the office alerts you to the financial wellbeing of the roofing contractors. Be wary of anyone trying to keep you from calling on them at their offices. They might be operating from their home or pickup trucks. While that does not automatically mean that such a roofing company is likely to carry out a botch job, it might alert you to something else. It tells you that they are not in the best of financial shape, and as such, you need to tread carefully. Should you settle on hiring them to carry a roof replacement, you would need to be proactive about the process. Reputable roofing companies should not require you to pay the whole sum upfront. A low sign up amount is one of the signs of a roofing contractor you can trust. Substantial upfront fees are a major red flag, and you should tread carefully or seek out a different contractor altogether.
It might seem like overkill but you need to consider that you will be parting with a substantial amount of money for the roof installation. Do not settle for printed images on a brochure or a portfolio. Instead, have the company refer you to some of their previous clients and talk to them yourself. Ask for a list of five and call up about three of them. Other than just viewing the house, ask the former client about their experience and sentiments about the overall project. You may be surprised to find that although the results are fantastic, some customers had to endure a considerable amount of pain and inconvenience from the company. You certainly do not want such an experience when carrying out a roof installation on your new house.
Better yet, talk it over with a lawyer, as that will help you root out any draconian yet self-favoring clauses that an unscrupulous company might insert in there. Failing to read and understand the content of the agreement is the bane of many homeowners. Put off by the fine print and large content, many people often wake up to harmful hidden clauses too late. Have a lawyer explain the contents in a simple language before committing to the deal. On the same note, reputable roofing companies should allow you to take your time with the contract rather than have you sign on the spot. Remember, you are paying for the services, and as such, the company should not put any pressure on you in a bid to win your business. If they do, they may not be a roofing contractor you can trust.