1. Do you have insurance?
You might already have known that you should work with a roofing company with insurance, but do you know what to ask, how to tell if they’re telling the truth, what to look for, etc.?
First, Roofing Contractors should have workers compensation, as well as liability insurance.
Liability insurance protects you as the homeowner against potential damage caused by workers during installation. No roofing job should result in damage to property, but accidents do happen. This is what liability insurance is for.
Workmans compensation insurance covers you in case a worker gets hurt on the job while working on your home. A Roofing Contractor without liability insurance puts you at risk for liability for medical bills and other associated costs if someone gets injured!
Roofing can be a dangerous job, make sure you won’t be liable for any emergencies.
Get Certainty: Ask to see the certificates
For extra peace of mind, ask to see the certificates of insurance, and call the insurance company to verify the validity of the policies.
2. Do you use Roofing Subcontractors?
Find out whether the Roof Contracting Company you are considering hiring will use Subcontractors to work on any part of the job.
If so, you will want to ask all of the same questions you asked the Contractor, of the Subcontractor – especially whether they are insured.
3. Do You Offer a Warranty for Your Roofing Work?
Ask the Contracting Company how long they warranty their work for.
Industry standards often dictate a 5 – 10 year warranty on work performed, with any issues arising from improper installation being fixed free of charge.
At a minimum, your roof should come with a warranty for at least 1 year.
The manufacturer (maker of the roofing materials) usually covers the materials, and the roofer covers the work performed.
The manufacturer and workmanship warranties are two separate warranties, so ask the Contracting Company what is covered under each warranty and the duration of each.
4. Do you have references of happy homeowners who you’ve replaced a roof for?
… and if not, why not?
Plus check out the business on online review sites, like Yelp, Google, and elsewhere.
You can also request to speak with their references, although past customers might not want their personal information released.
Get Certainty: You can even try asking for the address of past roof jobs so you can check out the work.
There’s a chance that they won’t be willing to give out past client’s addresses. If that’s the case, you could try asking one of the references if they mind you checking out the work done.
5. Do you have a roofing contractor license?
Licensing requirements for Roofing Contractors vary by city and state, but ask your roofing contractor about the requirements, and see what they say.
Do they have a license by your city or state? Why or why not? What are the rules?
Get Certainty:
Check if a license is required in your area, and if it is, check with your local licensing offices to make sure the Roofing Contractor is up to date and doesn’t have any outstanding violations.
6. Will You Remove My Old Roof?
Plus, what will it cost you?
Sometimes your existing roof will be removed for free, but a few factors will impact this.
Some Roofing Contractors will say that it’s okay to shingle over the current roof, but this is often not recommended.
Unless the old shingles are removed, you will not know if there are soft spots, rotten wood, or other problems beneath the current shingles.
If any problem spots remain behind under the new roof, you will have larger, costlier problems in the future.
7. What is Your Full Company Name and Physical Address?
Is the Contractor local?
It matters.
You don’t want to work with a roofer who is not local. Some less reputable roofing companies will travel to storm-stricken areas to fill the demand when roof damage is rampant.
The problem with these companies is that even if their work is done properly, you will still want to be able to reach them in the event that something happens.
What if an issue comes up related to your roof’s installation, but you are no longer able to find the company that installed your roof?
The chances with a non-local Roofing Contractor are much higher.
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