Picking Your Roofing Contractor – Choose Wisely!

You have all your bids and XYZ Company is 15% lower, great sign the contract. WAIT! There are several things to consider before you sign that contract. A lower price doesn’t necessarily mean the job is going to cost less. Check the references the contractor has provided and ask for more than the typical three they may provide initially. A reliable company will offer to you contacts for all the projects they have completed. Something to remember is that any company that has been in business for a substantial length of time will have had some problems. How the problems were handled will tell you if they are a stand up company. When contacting the references ask if the company had to come back for any leaks, and how it was handled, did the company do what they said they would, how did they leave the site after the work was done, if there were change orders was the price in line, and would they use the company again.

So the price is right and the references are good, now sign the contract, right? Wrong! Before you sign the contract ask the contractor to provide you with proof of insurance, both general liability and worker’s compensation insurance. If the contractor does not have worker’s compensation insurance and an accident should happen, you may be held liable for the incident. A reliable contractor will be happy to provide you with this information, the contractor in most cases will just need to make a telephone call to their insurance agent to have a certificate sent to you.

All right, the price is right, the references are good and the contractor has provided proof of insurance, now it must be time to sign the contract. NOT YET! Is the contractor certified by the manufacturer to install the materials they are supplying? The contractor should be able to provide you with literature from the manufacturer stating they are certified and for the number of years they have been installing the system they are proposing. You may also want to ask them if they have won any awards from the manufacture for the quality of their workmanship. Don’t let your roof be a learning experience for the contractor.

Next is the roofing system everyone is proposing the same? If there is any question at all, call a roofing consultant to look over the proposals. It will cost you a little, but could save your assets.

By now it looks as though you have all the bases covered, but what about a warranty? Ask the contractor to provide you with a sample copy of the warranty they are offering on the roofing system they are proposing. Contractors that are certified to install a manufacturer’s roofing system can generally provide you with a warranty on materials and workmanship that is backed up by the manufacturer.

Now you have a contractor with credible references, proper insurance coverage, certified by the manufacturer of the roofing system proposed and a warranty that you are pleased with, now it is time to consider which bid is really the best value for your dollar. The best practice is to find the right contractor, only 2% of roof failures are due to the materials used – choose wisely!