Where Are Your References
Checking references is a good way of determining a companys reputation. However, these testimonies can become skewed when only glowing company reviews are revealed. In order to avoid this common pitfall, feel free to ask for references from their last three jobs. This tactic will also help you get a good read on their current business dealings. For example, a company might have delivered great results during its early years, but might now offer poor quality services due to changes in management.
What Precautions Do You Take To Protect My Yard
A truly professional company will take all necessary precautions to protect the rest of your yard during roof replacement. While it will be necessary for a dumpster to occupy your driveway so the crew can properly dispose of your old roof, a quality company will go the extra mile to make sure that your yard isnt left disturbed by their activity.
At Weatherhead & Sons, we are always happy to answer any of these questions, or any additional questions you come up with. If you are interested in hiring us for your next roofing project, please feel free to contact us at our Grand Rapids office at . At Weatherhead & Sons, we pride ourselves on helping clients enjoy weatherproof homes through a quality roof.
Potential Pitfalls Of Searching For A Roofing Contractor On The Internet
Home service companies that come up at the top of search results, often pay for their placement. This means that top rankings in Google are not necessarily a reflection of their quality as roofing contractors. Companies that show up at the top of the page in a colored box marked as ads, are the ones that paid for their placement in the search.
It is certainly easy for the new and unproven roofing contractors to write fake customer reviews for themselves on their websites, as well as on Google, Yelp, and other online destinations. This means you should take all the reviews with a grain of salt and investigate further.
Did you know? Many online scammers, after their scams have been discovered, can simply close down the shop, and open up a new business under a different name in the same town, and buy their way back to the top of the internet rankings.
Changing a website URL for advertising campaign on Google is certainly not difficult. Compare that to Yellow Pages print edition, where advertising costs upwards of $5,000 for a full page ad, with new Yellow Pages edition coming out only once a year. Its easy to see that pulling off company reputation scams used to be a lot more difficult.
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Questions To Ask When Hiring
During the screening process, you will want to make sure to discuss all the different aspects of the project with the given contractor so that they fully understand all the little details. What that means is that they should be curious to ask you more questions if anything is unclear. While the scope of a plumbing leak could be quite straight forward, the complexities of a home addition are less so. With an addition, theres a bunch of small details that can otherwise easily be missed such as the finishing. If you fail to get it in the contract, it might not end up actually being included in the quote, and therefore you may have a different expectation of what youre paying for versus what the contractor believes he will be doing for you.
Besides the contractor asking questions, you should also be asking the contractor a lot of questions. While you probably wont need to ask all the questions when youre having something small done, it can be a good list to have in the back of your mind when your remodeling a bathroom. Here are the most important questions that you can consider asking too, even for smaller projects. Hopefully the first one should not come as a surprise to you.
- Do you have the necessary licenses for the project? And what is your license information so that I can make sure it is valid and covers the right classifications?
This should need no further explanation, so well head straight to the following question.
How To Find Out If A Roofer Is Insured And Licensed
Want to find out if a roofer is insured and licensed? Diligent homeowners will make sure that any potential roofing company is insured and licensed.
Weve talked about all the questions you should ask when choosing a roofing contractor, but lets assume they say yes to everything. The potential roofer claims to be insured, bonded, and licensed to perform work. Do you trust them or do a little investigative work of your own? We suggest the latter as you can never be too careful about which roofer you choose. Historically, our industry is full of roofing scams therefore it can never hurt to double check.
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Are You Licensed For Roofing In Michigan
In the state of Michigan, it is necessary for roofers to be licensed. If your roofing contractor has a license, we highly recommend checking up on their record at your local licensing office.
Keep in mind that a roofing license is different from a regular business license. If the contractor you are considering lacks a roofing license, this means that they are not qualified to handle your roofing project.
The Cost Of Getting Your Roof Repaired
Is the damage to your roof relatively fixable?
Then you may just need some simple repairs which may also be covered by your insurance, particularly if you follow these basic steps.
You should start by mitigating the damage to your roof with tarps, plywood, or other coverings once it is considered safe for you to start repairs.
Note that after a major storm or fire youll want to wait until professionals can assess your roof and property in general before you go in and start putting up tarps or plywood, or doing any other minor repairs and coverage in order to make sure everything is safe.
Your property is not more important than your physical safety!
Or you can hire a roofing company or contractor who has experience dealing with clean-up after major storms, ice damming, or other problems.
There are a variety of weather issues or other natural issues that can occur, so you want to make sure your specific roofing contractor has experience combating those issues.
Hiring a local roofing contractor can go a long way towards making sure that you get the right type of fixes that are perfect for your particular climate and environment and that could save you a lot of trouble in the long run!
Of course, you should also make sure that you have a contractor who has experience dealing with your specific issues.
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Sharpen Your Sales Skills
Your future depends on how well you sell.
Youll be wearing every hat from director to driver when you first start your roofing business. But your most important role is going to be sales. Honing your sales skills at every opportunity will be time well spent. The better you are, the bigger youll be.
National Roof Certification And Inspection Association
In 1995, the National Roof Certification and Inspection Association was born out of the evolution of the home inspection industry and its eventual standard to refer and defer any roof damage to a certified roofer. Today, the NRCIA has become THE authority in LeakFREE® roof protection by leading the industry in roof inspections and certifications.
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Verify The Contractor’s Business Location And Telephone Number
Make sure your contractor has a current business address and telephone number. A contractor who operates a business from the back of a pickup truck with a cellphone may be difficult to find if a job needs to be fixed after the last bill is paid. You can find a licensed contractor’s “address of record” when you look up his/her license status.
Why Contractors Need Insurance
The construction industry is enormous and can be very profitable if you know your way around a toolbox. The competition, however, is great, and having liability and workers comp insurance might give you an edge in the bidding war. Not to mention that insurance policies are meant to protect you and your customers.
If something goes wrong on a job site, an independent contractor can be held liable for damages and injuries. General liability insurance protects independent contractors from being sued for damaging the clients property or causing bodily harm.
How to invest in insurance is not difficult. It can be done in two different ways.
- Your client adds you to their general liability policy as an additional insured. Their insurance covers you for the duration of the job. You listed under your clients insurance can be more expensive for the client however, they may decide to add you depending on the situation.
- Purchase general liability insurance from a trusted insurance company in Utah.
- Both options provide protect you and your client if you are faced with a lawsuit over third-party property damage or bodily injury.
Penalties for not having insurance vary from area to area. However, if you fail to get insurance as a contractor, and its required, you could pay hefty fines that could potentially destroy your business.
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Lack Of License Lack Of Insurance
In addition to a lack of license, many unlicensed roofing contractors may not have insurance as well. This is because some insurance companies may require licenses before insurance is given. So youre not only potentially risking poor workmanship and fines, you may also be risking liability if a roofer were to fall or get hurt on your property.
You May Be Liable For Unpaid Bills
Unlicensed roofing contractors may also not be above failing to pay their subcontractors or suppliers after the work is done. Unfortunately, that leaves you in the position of needing to pay them even if youve already paid for the work in full. This can result in a lien being put on your property until you settle the bills. Remember, you often cant take an unlicensed roofing contractor to court, so you have no recourse to pursue him if he doesnt pay his bills.
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Does Your Roofing Contractor Have Experience With Your Area Or In Your Neighborhood
One of the most important things to consider when youre looking for a roofing company is if they have experience and good reviews in your area and with its climate, along with any other specifications such as working with your homeowners association or even requirements for historic homes if yours applies.
A licensed roofing contractor and one who has been successful in your area will understand the unique climate challenges, the damage that might have been done to your roof, and any other concerns you may have.
S When Youre Validating A License
Given that the different states have different ways of handling this information, we can only generalize about the process without going into detail about every single state, which would end up being a lot more comprehensive than the extent of this intended article again a reason to visit the exact page that applies to your specific situation.
When a contractor has provided you with a license number you may think that its enough to simply look it up to ensure that that license is still active, but that in itself does not suffice. What happens if you were in fact given a valid number, but while it may be valid, its not in fact the number of that specific business? You could have received a license number that was one for another business because the person that approached you knew that you would go online trying to look up the information, but counting on you not double checking if in fact that provided license was one registered to that person?
Making sure that their license is still valid should also be something youre concerned about and make sure to check out the following section too.
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Learn About Contractor Bonds
California licensed contractors are required to have a contractor license bond. It’s important to know what bonds do and do not cover. Some bonds are designed to protect you against substandard work that does not meet with local building codes. Bonds do not assure the financial or professional integrity or competency of a contractor. Institutional lenders such as savings and loans, insurance companies or commercial banks generally require licensed contractors to secure bonds for large jobs.
Bonds may be classified as:
- Contractor License Bonds
- Licensed contractors are required to have a contractor license bond of $15,000. This bond cover any project the contractor agrees to perform. Be aware: this bond is often not enough to cover multiple complaints made against it or your project if it’s worth more than the value of the bond.
When In Doubt Check The Contract
If all else fails, make sure to thoroughly review your roofing contract before signing with a roofer. A standard contract should have several components:
- License Number: Make sure a roofers license number is prominently displayed on the contract along with the name of the company. A roofers license number should also join their company name on any business cards or advertisements.
- Timeline: Make sure your contract includes a clause that explicitly states that the services will be performed by a certain date. This date should allow for some flexibility around crew scheduling and weather conditions however, you need to protect yourself in case the project runs unreasonably long. A timeline clause should specify the date on which the roofer must terminate your contract and refund your deposit.
- Mechanics Lien: Ethical contracts will also include several safety nets for the customer, including a mechanics lien clause that protects homeowners from the potential impact of a roofers unpaid bills if they leave the project unfinished.
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It can be difficult to navigate all of the contractors in todays crowded roofing market. Ultimately, working with a licensed roofer is a necessity if you want thorough, ethical, and long-lasting roofing work. Your roof is perhaps your homes most important investment make sure youre spending your money wisely.
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How To Find A Roofer
What to look for when youre searching for a licensed roofing contractor, there are a number of things you should look for beyond just a basic Google search.
Ask your friends and family, look at reviews online, and perhaps most importantly, ask a public adjuster who is familiar with insurance claims.
The latter might be the most likely to know a contractor with local experience who has built a long-term relationship with homeowners and others in your community and can provide references, which might be the most aspect of finding a licensed roofing contractor.
You can find plenty of information online, but nothing compares to a real-life recommendation or testimonial.
One of the most important things to look for in a roofing contractor is the status of their insurance.
They should be licensed and have workers comp and liability insurance that will cover them in case any accidents happen whats more, you should consider the cost of your contractors insurance as part of the cost of your overall estimate for roof repair or replacement.
After all, you want to make sure that they are safe and covered in the case of an incident and remember that with their insurance, they are also protecting you as the property owner from being sued or billed for any accidents or injuries during your roof replacement or repair.
You also want to make sure they are licensed by the appropriate boards and associations for where you are located.
What’s Your Proof Of Insurance
Be insistent in seeing the roofing contractors proof of insurance. You will want to make sure that the company possesses both workers compensation and liability insurance. That way, if any of the workers become injured on the job, you will not be liable for covering their medical expenses. This should be the responsibility of their employer, not you.
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Helpful Tips In Finding Legit Roofing Companies
Nowadays, its hard to come by a trustworthy company that can provide you with your roofing needs. However, do not let this discourage you. There are still a number of legit roofing companies that will not take advantage of you. The key is knowing how to find them.
Here are 4 helpful tips on how to spot a legit roofing company
Check The Better Business Bureau Database For Licensing
The Better Business Bureau is an agency dedicated to helping regular homeowners find contractors in their area that they can trust, including those who restore roofs. If you go onto the BBBs website and search for roofing contractors, you can find information and reviews for all of the contracts accredited and licensed to operate in your area. The BBB ranks individual contractors according to a rating scale, with the top being A+.
Finally, its worth noting that in the state of California, all contractors have to provide workers compensation insurance to members of their team. This coverage provides wage replacement and medical benefits to employees who get injured on the job. In some states like Texas, this is not a requirement.
It is, therefore, much better to go with a roofing contractor that you can trust. While you could spend time searching through databases checking up on a particular contractor, why bother?
At Greatway Roofing, we are licensed, bonded and insured, meaning that if something does go wrong, you wont have to pay compensation out of your homeowners insurance. With us, you can rebuild your roof and your life with peace of mind.
Celebrating 20 Years!
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