When picking a roofing contractor to do your roof repair or fix any roof leaks, you have to go with the guys that have the most years of experience and are the most professional.
Professionalism of Roofing Companies
Like with most businesses that deal in construction, there are a lot of small fish out there that would just love to get work from you. In return for your cold hard cash, they're going to give you a below par job.
Roofing companies are no different. There are plenty of guys out there who will take work just to make a few extra bucks, and who can blame them? We're all trying to get by these days. Unfortunately, if they see an easy target, they're going to jump.
Listen to how the roofing contractor talks with you, how they speak. Are they just trying to sell you something? Do they have well thought out reasons behind what it is they're saying? In general, do they seem professional to you?
If you're left in the dark about anything, and your local roofing contractor just can not seem to explain something to you, then your best bet is to look someplace else.
Find a company with a long track record and a successful history that they can proudly stand behind. Your roofing contractor should have absolutely no qualms discussing anything with you about your roof. They should be able to provide you with of all the answers to all of your questions, no matter how big or small the job.
Choose a roofing contractor that can provide you with prior references, who has a long history of completed jobs. You can ask to see pictures of their past work. They should take pride in showing you the work that they've done prior to this time and be more then obliged to offer any request you have. You're the customer; you're business should matter greatly to the roofing contractor and if they want the work, they will have no problem obliging to your terms.
What Questions Do You Ask before You Get a New Roof?
There are a few things other than references and pictures that you might want to check up on. For example, does the roofing company have worker's compensation? If they do not, run. You could end up footing a rather large bill if anyone were to get hurt.
What is their insurance coverage like? Not only do you want to make sure that they have insurance, but ask them what it covers.
You also want to see how long the business has been established and whether they have had a stable address and phone number for customers to call.
Another thing that you want to look out for is if the roofing contractor seems to be pushing you into a lot of extras. You can always get more than one estimate, and most companies provide free estimates anyway. This will help you gage how serious it is to get a roof replacement. If you have a contractor tell you that they could repair a little flashing and a vent and you'd get some extra life out of the roof, it might save you some bucks. But do not sacrifice the roof over your head to save some money!