Your roofing system is one of the most important parts of your home, it’s also one of the most expensive renovation projects that you can complete on a property these days. Choosing a contractor who will do good work can be challenging and time consuming. Here are 10 ways to do your homework when it comes to finding a quality contractor for your project.
By no means would I suggest that you do all of these items below but this should give you several ways to get solid information to make a decision for your family.
Google Reviews- This one is simple and fast because everyone knows and loves Google! Check out the company reviews and make sure they have recent high ratings and a minimum of 20 reviews would be a good start. In the event that a contractor has 10 or less positive reviews, the reviews could simply be friends or family and not actual clients. This is absolutely the best place to start your search if you have no referrals from friends or family that have had a good experience with a local contractor.
Local Shingle Supply Houses- This is a little trick that is extremely handy! You can google search for local shingle supply houses and call to speak with their manager. Advise the manager that you are considering doing business with XYZ company and want to know if they have a good reputation in the market or if they pay their bills on time, this gives you insight on how the company handles their finances. Google the top national supply houses first like ABC Supply, Superior Distribution or Mid Atlantic Supply.
Yard Signs In The Area- Do you see roofing company yard signs all around? Look up the companies on google and if they are highly rated, go speak to your neighbor about their experience.
Insurance- Make sure that the company has workers compensation and general liability insurance on all installation crews that they use, this will protect you as the property owner in the event that the company damages your property or if someone gets hurt on the job site.
Warranty- Have the contractor provide you with a copy of their warranty policy. Most reputable contractors provide 3 years for a workmanship warranty, if a contractor offers less than 3 years on the workmanship of a roof replacement, be cautious.
Manufacturer Guidelines/ Building Code Adherence- Property owners are not always construction experts, make sure that you discuss the manufacturer guidelines or code compliance items in reference to the materials the contractor plans to use and based on your local building code requirements. If the company representative is not confident and/or cannot explain these things involved, they may not be as experienced as they may seem.
Estimates- Are estimates required for insurance restoration projects? No, not always but if a contractor simply refuses to give you an estimate or does not know how to estimate/measure a project, this would be a major red flag for me.
CRM Software- This is more important than one may think, keeping correspondence organized, and your personal information secure can be a huge deal during the stages of your construction project. Many contractors still run on a handshake and an estimate written on a cocktail napkin, this just doesn’t typically turn out well for clients especially on the communication side of things. Using quality software that keeps clients files organized and safe is a huge plus!
Phone Responsiveness- Make sure the company answers and returns correspondence within an hour of your call or definitely within 24hrs of a call/email if your correspondence was after hours.
Contracts/Paperwork- A quality contractor will provide you with documentation that clearly outlines their processes, pricing, next steps, payment terms, etc. If a company does not have documents that clearly protect and communicate with their potential clients, they are likely not going to be a reliable choice for your project.
We hope this helps you pick a great roofer for your next project! If you need more info, a quote or an inspection please reach out to us at 919-808-5111 or at www.roofcentral.com.
Sincerely,
Mike Miller
Roof Central Co-Owner