Top 10 Questions to ask for your Roofing Contractor
In any job that involves construction, there is always a particular safety concern. It’s natural to feel anxious, and professionals usually diminish that by explaining to every client how the project will be done.
Having the assurance that your contractor is both knowledgeable and skillful can give you peace of mind and know you’re in safe hands. This is especially true in roofing.
A professionally done roof can help raise the value of your home, enhance the aesthetics, and of course, protect you from the forces of nature for a very long time. Still, the question remains, how exactly do you figure out if your roofing contractor is the right guy for the job? Well, we recommend asking them these crucial questions to know information, like their experience, expertise, and weaknesses.
We recommend asking these questions first before you decide on who to hire as your roofing professional.
1. Do you have any references from your past customers?
The first sign of a good roofing professional would be experience. Contractors work so hard to provide the best quality service within their skill set that provides them with feedback. The best things to ask first is to check the review of a roofing contractor.
Knowledgeable roofing professionals take care of their reputation, as this is an alternative way of generating more business. Second, building contractors know that roofing projects are something people only need to do twice or thrice for their houses; that’s why if a contractor is reasonable, they would absolutely do their best to give customer satisfaction in return for good reviews recommendations.
Aside from asking your roofing contractor, you can also go online and check their reviews there. It’s a good idea to check local reviews and also on their website.
2. How do you come up with your price?
Installing a whole roof is not a minor thing budget-wise for homeowners. But do keep in mind that the lowest price isn’t always the best. You want to get high-quality service even for a slightly pricier company, as long as they do their job well. What use is a low-cost roof if it’s full of holes or low-quality materials because of an incompetent roofing professional, right?
It would be best to ask how they calculate their estimate and not be shy to ask for more than one. A good roofing company can provide you with different estimates as these changes depend on several factors. You should always feel comfortable with the transparency of your contractor regarding their quotes.
You can also ask for a breakdown of the expenditures that sums up their estimates and other included services. Will they take off the old roof if it’s a replacement job? Clear the debris or nails once the roof is installed? What materials will they use? These are the type of questions you can ask them to get a detailed overview of their price.
3. What type of work do you exactly do?
This might be a weird question to ask, as they are your roofing contractors, but you still need to make sure that building and installing a roof is one of their primary services. Your roof is maybe one of the most critical parts of your house. It’s your first defense against rain and other forces of nature. A roofing job is not something you want just to be done by a general contractor. Their skills and experience might not be sufficient to create a high-quality roofing job for your home
4. How long have you been in the roofing industry?
This question might be simple, but you can know many facts and information about a contractor just by asking this. Aside from knowing how many years they have been operating. You’ll also have a brief overview of their past projects, how trusted they are, and how their company started. You don’t want a professional contractor who’s relatively new or has been transferring from one industry to another all the time. You want a company that is both experienced and have proof of previous high-quality roof projects.
5. Are you Licensed? Do you have all the necessary certifications?
As with any construction job, a contractor is bound by licenses and certifications, which are issued by the state. This is an essential thing for you to ask to avoid being swindled by sketchy roof contractors. A simple rule of thumbs is, if they don’t want to show proof of their license, then don’t do business with them. Many things could go wrong if you decide to go with an unlicensed roofing contractor, don’t risk the safety of you and your family for a little bit of savings from these types of companies.
6. Where will you store all the roof materials during the job?
Building and installing a roof is no simple job. There is a lot of planning, tools, and labor force involved. For example, if you’re going for a metal roof, long sheets of metal will be used and will take up a considerable amount of space. Another thing to note is if your house is big, it’s also going to need a roof that matches its size, thus increasing the overall materials.
That’s why it’s essential that you and your contractor are on the same page regarding roof material storage. Some questions you can ask are:
- Will these materials be a health hazard to us and our neighbors?
- Is there a chance that it might damage parts of the house?
- How about my landscape or lawn? If you store materials there, my plants could get damaged.
7. Who are your staff that will work at my house?
To be fair, you can’t just let anyone that told you they are your contractor go inside your house. Before a project begins, make sure to ask the company who the guys or the professionals would be working on your project? You don’t need to go so far as to know their personal details, but some facts that you might want to know are
- How many people are going to be working?
- Who’s the supervisor?
- Will the people working on my project change over time?
8. What is our time frame?
In any industry, setting expectations is one every professional share. A great roofing company will proactively explain to you the design of your roof, how the process will be and give you a time frame for project completion. This is very important as big construction projects do disrupt day to day activities in your home. If, in any case, your contractors forgot to give you a time frame, don’t be afraid to ask as it is your right as a customer. Some things you can ask are. Will the work start immediately after we signed a contract? How long will it take to reach a stage where the materials are not stored around your house anymore.
9. What kind of warranty do you offer?
Any professional roofing contractor with confidence in what they do will automatically offer you a warranty or some other form of guarantee. It’s something you need to ask if they don’t give it proactively. Roofing project takes a lot of effort and money from your side; that’s why it’s imperative not to forget to ask your contractors about warranties.
10. What protocols do you have in place to protect my property during the job?
There are a lot of skilled roofing contractors out there already. You won’t have any trouble finding a great company. What’s rare is a company that understands and respects your home.
What separates great contractors from good ones is their ability to care for their clients’ property. Here are some questions you can ask them
- How do you plan to keep your work area in my home clean?
- What are your plans to keep the noise as low as possible?
- Do you need access to other parts of my house? (bathrooms, garage, etc.)