How Will The Work Be Done/how Will It Be Installed
Its good to take an interest in how they will carry out the work. This will help prepare you for how much work is actually involved and how much disruption you are likely to encounter.
So now you have a clearer idea of the preparation that needs to be done before you finally decide on which roofing contractor is the right one for you!
Do You Have Any References I Could Call Up / Look At
While photos of previous work is one thing, being able to get honest feedback from past customers of your prospective roofer is a great way to gauge just how well they did the job – not just the finished product, but throughout the entire process.
Certain roofers may have past customers who have happily agreed to be a reference for them in the future, but this will always be at the discretion of the customer themselves. You cannot ask your prospective roofer to hand you details of former customers who did not agree to have their details handed out.
If the roofer does not have references you can contact, ask them if they have testimonials or if there is somewhere you can view reviews regarding their work online.
Questions To Ask A Roofer Before Hiring Them
March 2, 2022 by Steinmeyer Roofing
Since your roof provides crucial protection for your home, its maintenance and repairs should be done by a qualified roofer. Several things should be considered before hiring a contractor for any of your roofing projects, and its a must to know your roofer well for your peace of mind.
To help you learn more about the roofing companies youre considering for a job, Steinmeyer Roofing, Inc. shares a few questions that you should ask before any one of them.
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Stay Informed During Installation
If youve done your homework choosing a product and an experienced roofer, the installation will be a stress-free process on your part. Plan to inspect the work done on your home every day, even if youre not present during the work. Keep in touch with the contractor or project manager so youll know how things are going.
It wouldnt hurt to offer the workers something to drink if youre there. Some homeowners put out a cooler with bottled water and ice every day of the job. A little extra courtesy will go a long way to ensure these workers treat your property with immaculate care and continuous respect.
Ready to start your Roofing Project?
How Do Your Prices Compare To Your Competitors
This question gives you valuable information at face value, but it also functions as an open door for the roofer to say negative things about their competitors. No matter what business someone is in, throwing dirt on a competitor is usually in poor taste. Its better to keep the focus on the positive value you bring to the table than to start trying to stomp on the other guys. It can also indicate insecurity or unprofessionalism. The higher road is to refrain from bashing the competition, so listen for whether you can respect their approach when you bring it up.
This a particularly difficult question to answer for someone whose prices are higher than the competition, but its also the chance for them to show you where they shine. For instance, the more expensive companies might tell you something like this:
Give your roofer a chance to offer an explanation for why their prices are higher than the competition, and at minimum, you may find out some useful information.
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Questions To Ask A Roofing Contractor
As the main thing protecting your house against the elements, your roof will no doubt at some point either need repairs or even a replacement. When the time comes that you need to call in the workmen for the job, it can be rather daunting knowing which one to choose. Although it may be tempting to go with the one who gives the cheapest quote, its always best to delve a little deeper and try to find out exactly what work you will be getting for your money, before you sign on the dotted line!
As trusted roofing contractors with an excellent reputation throughout the UK, JTC Roofing have compiled a list of questions you should ask any roofing contractor, to make sure youve got everything covered before agreeing to use them for the job.
Balance Costs And Value
It may be easier to think of the process as a game that requires you to balance your budget against what you want. Try asking yourself these questions:
- Whats the least amount you need to spend over the next 20 years, while still having an aesthetically pleasing roof?
- Should you buy that premium metal roofing to minimize your summer cooling expenses?
- How costly will repairs be if you select basic asphalt?
- How much will you save over other high-end materials if you choose the more sophisticated laminate asphalt for your roof?
Once you have some ideas and a budget, crunch the numbers with your roofer. Then, you can make a decision with an informed strategy in mind.
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Secret Questions To Ask Roofing Contractors Over The Phone
If youre looking to hire a roofing contractor , then Im certain you want to do the job ONE time, right? Roofing isnt a fun job to do twice because the process can quickly take up lots of your valuable time and hard-earned money
The high cost of replacing your roof the wrong way is very high . Its one of the most expensive home remodeling projects youll ever take on! So with this being true Im sure we can agree that as a homeowner you need to do everything in your power to make sure you hire an experienced contractor the very first time you replace your roof.
The most efficient way to do this is by doing your due diligence during the contractor research and roof estimate process.
Our goal in writing this article is to make the research and estimate process much easier for you because consider the cost of replacing your roof the wrong way just one time. In this scenario, youd be forced to re-roof your house again only a few years later because of avoidable mistakes made by the contractor you hired originally:
Big bucks only a few years later. Especially because the figures above dont factor in the 3%+ yearly increase in roof prices or the cost of real damages that lead you need a second roof in the first place.
Again, the easiest way to avoid these headaches is to take time preparing for getting your first set of roofing estimates.
What Is Your Workmanship Warranty
Roof warranties are in place to protect your roof investment. Youll have one on your roofing materials and another on the contractors workmanship.
You must ask a roofing contractor what kind of warranty they offer on their workmanship. They could offer anywhere from one year, two years, three years, five years, 10 years, 25 years, or even a lifetime.
For example, a company that relies heavily on caulk will give a two-year workmanship warranty because the caulk will fail within a couple of years. However, if a roofing company really cares about how your roof is installed, theyll provide you with a lifetime warranty.
Just be warned, warranties are only worth the paper they’re written on. To learn more about your roof warranties, read this article on what roof warranties cover.
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Question #: What Is Your Legal Business Name
Getting a roofers legal business name is especially important nowadays because of how easy it is to falsely represent yourself online. A little detective work can go a long way in your pursuit of hiring the right contractor.
Answers you can accept:
- The exact name theyre marketing themselves as
- Our legal company name is X, but were doing business as Y
- We market ourselves as Roofing Company, but our legal business name is Roofing Company LLC or Roofing Company Inc
Dont accept answers that sound hesitant, or are unclear. This is the easiest way to guard against being scammed. When in doubt, ask for proof! No roofer should have trouble emailing you a copy of state licenses or proof of insurance .
Using this information, you can search for their business in state and federal directories to ensure they even exist. If they dont, then you may be dealing with a fly by night contractor whos out to either steal your deposit or install lower quality materials than you paid for.
For example, Roof Hubs official company name is F& B Remodeling, LLC. Were doing business as Roof Hub, which is perfectly legal and often encouraged for Limited Liability Companies. You can see that our matches the doing business as name.
Searching for us in the Massachusetts corporation search returns this:
Are They Licensed & Do They Have Insurance
The most important question to ask a potential roofer is if they are licensed and insured to work on a roof. If they are not, you are liable for any accidents that may occur to the crew. Every province is different, so be sure to look up the necessary requirements for your area. A quick online search will reveal if they need additional licensing. Be sure to ask about workmans compensation and general liability insurance as well. If the company refuses to show proof or does not have the necessary licensing, find another company.
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Top 10 Questions To Ask A Roofer
Planning for a quality roof installation can be complex. There are many angles and issues to consider, the most critical being securing a good roofing contractor.
At Gotcha Covered Contractor, we understand you want the best roofers for your project. With that said, what questions should you ask to ensure your roofer is qualified?
Any Unseen Problems That May Arise In Working With Your Roof And Materials
Have an honest conversation with the roofer and ask if they for see any potential problems that may arise during the installation. Every roof is different and poses different challenges. This is just to keep any surprises from happening at the end of the day.
I really hoped these roofing questions helped you in making a better sound decision is choosing your roofer. If you have other questions that you think are important, please include it in the comments below and Ill be sure to add them later!
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What Will The Cost Be For Plywood If The Roofer Finds Rotten Or Soft Decking
Once your roof is up, it can be hard for you to backtrack and dispute overinflated costs for plywood sheeting to fix soft, rotten decking. Its important to find out before you hire your roofer how much theyll charge per plywood sheet if they find pieces that need replacing while working on your roof.
How Long Will The Job Take
Any professional roofing company should set your expectations about the length of time the job will take. Roofing is a major home improvement project, and it has the potential to disrupt your life to some extent while it is in progress. You lead a busy life, and youre juggling a hectic schedule to fit roofing into the mix. A professional roofer should be able to give you an accurate estimate about the following points:
- When will the job be started once we enter into an agreement?
- How long will the job take once work begins?
Of course, there are things that can happen that are beyond the roofers control, such as when a hurricane hits right in the middle of when your job was supposed to be happening, but these variations should be rare and understandable departures from the approximate timeline that you receive.
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What Else To Ask A Roofer Before Hiring
Roofing contractors must follow state guidelines to offer services. You want to verify that they follow the law and will work to ensure a satisfactory completion on your project. Ask these questions and follow up on the answers:
* Some contractors dont offer guarantees. They could still be a reasonable choice, but you want to know their limits before hiring them.
Do You Have Liability Insurance / Workers Compensation
Given that roofing has the potential to leading to damage to your home or the injury of workers, all operating roofing companies must have both professional liability insurance and workers compensation insurance.
Professional liability covers the cost of repairing any unforeseen and unlikely damage to your home that could occur on the job. Workers compensation will cover the costs of financially compensating any worker that could injure himself/herself while working. If a roofing company has both forms of insurance cover, this means you will never have to pay the price for any work-related incident that could occur.
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Questions You Need To Ask Your Roofer
When it comes to roofing projects, its paramount to hire the right roofing contractor to ensure the job is done right the first time. There are a lot of roofing contractors out there, and choosing the best one can be a daunting task if you dont know what to look for. When doing your research, be sure to ask the following questions to weed out the bad ones from genuine, experienced roofers.
Common Questions To Ask Roofers
As a North East and Newcastle roofing company, weve been asked a fair few questions over time. When it comes to roof installation or even roof repairs, you need to have the confidence that your roofing contractors are up to the job. Therefore, youve got to ask the correct questions. If you dont know what they are, weve pooled all our knowledge together to discuss all roofing questions and answers you will need to get the home of your dreams.
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Do You Provide A Written Estimate
Before you sign anything or agree to any work, get a detailed written estimate of the planned work project. It should include every aspect of the work, from the overall job plan to the cost of removing the old roof, the materials needed, the labor costs, and the cost of removing debris and refuse from the site after the roofing project.
Question #: What Level Of Roofing Insurance Do You Have
Roofing insurance can get tricky as many states may require different levels of insurance depending on what type of contractor you are.
In Massachusetts roofing contractors are required to have at least $1,000,000 in general liability insurance in order to legally operate in the state. Rhode Islands general liability requirements for remodeling contractors are half
To figure out what level of insurance is needed in your state, head over to Google, type in roofing insurance requirements, then choose a result from your states official website. Youll want a .gov website to be certain, not a .com or net. Using Massachusetts as an example, the site is mass.gov.
Answers you can accept:
- An exact match, or an amount exceeding the minimum state requirements
- A copy of the companys liability policy sent via email after the phone call
Dont accept answers that are indecisive, hesitant, or dont match local, state, and/or federal requirements. Even if the company doesnt have insurance, its easy to answer yes, we have insurance. Giving an exact amount is harder, which is why we recommend asking this way.
If a roofer is hesitant over the phone when you ask this question, it is a red flag, but they may not be lying. If so, you dont need to rule them out right away. Just ask for them to email you a copy of their insurance liability policy.
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Do You Have Liability Insurance
General liability insurance protects any damage to your home that may occur during construction. Without liability insurance, you could be saddled with all the costs for damages incurred by your roofer. Ask to see an insurance certificate from your roofing company before any installation takes place.
Will Your Roofer Reuse Old Flashings Or Install New Ones
Replacing the flashing on your roof isnt a simple job. Your roofer needs to remove and measure the existing flashing, and then custom bend the new ones before installing them properly. For some less reputable roofers, new flashings just arent worth the hassle. But for homeowners, theyre a necessity. Your old flashings are designed to integrate with the dimensions and shingle type of your original roof. Like other elements around your home, flashings also show their age over time. Not replacing them now can mean bigger repair bills in a few years especially if they begin to rust and leak, causing additional damage to your roof and home.
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