There are over 80,000 roofing services contractors in the USA today. So, if your roof is past its sell-by date or starting to show signs of advanced wear and tear, you’ve got some work to do finding the best one in your area.
There are many excellent roofers in business today, all you need to do is track them down. Fortunately, there’s an easy ten-step process you can follow to help you find reputable and reliable residential roofing services.
Get started on your road to a new roof right here.
Table of Contents
1. Research Residential Roofing Services
Word of mouth remains one of the most reliable ways to find the best businesses nowadays. Ask family, friends, and neighbors if they can recommend a roofing contractor they’ve worked with recently.
Ask them how their roof is working out and find out if they experienced any problems along the way. You don’t want to work with roofing services that only got the job right after three or four tries.
Add any recommendations you receive from your contacts to your shortlist, then spread your net wider by looking at online reviews about local roofing companies.
Sites like the Better Business Bureau can provide a lot of information about contractors in your area, including ratings, complaints, and positive feedback.
Don’t let a few negative reviews put you off. Rather, focus on how the contractor worked with their client to resolve these issues.
Thanks to your online and in-person research, you should end up with a range of local contractors to choose from.
2. Visit Their Website for More Information
Once you’ve got your list of top contenders, you can look a little deeper online to find out more about them. Look up each contractor’s website, where you’ll find more information on the services they offer.
A professional roofing contractor should have a professional-looking, easy-to-use website that gives you a great first impression.
The first place to go is their About Page. Here you’ll find information about how long they’ve been in business and their qualifications.
If you’re suitably impressed by this summary, check that the business has a brick-and-mortar address. This proves they’re not a fly-by-night operation and that they’re as well-established as they say they are.
Finally, their services pages should provide information on whether they provide the services you need, and whether they can travel to your neighborhood. For instance, if you’re looking for roof replacement and the contractor only does repairs, you’ll need to cross them off your list.
You may encounter more customer reviews on the roofing company’s website, too, so pay attention to these.
3. Choose Licensed Roofing Contractors
Most states require roofing companies to hold a license if they want to operate a business within their borders. You can check the requirements for your area and contractor licenses with your state licensing board.
It’s vital to work with a licensed contractor for obvious reasons, but you could also experience trouble with your insurance company if you have your roof installed by an unlicensed contractor.
So, look up the roofing companies’ license registration numbers or call them to ask for this information. Then, check with your state board whether this license number is active and up to date.
4. Ask About Insurance
Insurance coverage is just as important as a valid license when hiring a contractor. Always work with a roofer who has liability insurance to protect you if something goes wrong while they’re working on your property.
It’s also a legal requirement for roofing companies to carry workers’ compensation insurance.
Bonded roofing companies have extra cover to protect you in the event they don’t complete the job you’ve hired them for. This insurance proves that an insurer has enough faith in them to cover this eventuality.
You must ask for proof of insurance. Don’t work with a contractor who isn’t willing or able to provide you with written evidence of their insurance policies.
What about health and safety protocols? Roofing companies need to have all the documents handy to prove that they comply with appropriate OSHA regulations and have a spotless safety record.
5. Find Out About Extra Accreditations
State licensure requirements usually dictate that a roofer must have adequate trade school training and on-the-job residential roofing experience to pass the licensing examination. Yet some go the extra mile by earning extra accreditations.
These include:
- NRCA ProCertification
- NFRC RoofCert
- Institute of Roofing
Websites like the Better Business Bureau and Home Advisor also rate roofing contractors according to reviews about their services.
Some roofing materials manufacturers also award elevated statuses to residential roofers who provide ongoing service excellence. These include the GAF Master Elite Designation and the Owens Corning Preferred Contractor award.
The more accreditations and ratings a roofing contractor has, the better their service and workmanship are likely to be.
6. Ask for References
Once you’ve been through all the above steps, your shortlist should comprise only a few top contenders. Now, it’s time to ramp up your investigations on a more personal level.
Call each company and ask them if they can provide references from previous customers and ask for their contact details. Then, call these homeowners and ask them their opinion about working with the relevant roofing service.
If a contractor refuses to provide you with these contact details or can’t do so, move on to the next one on the list.
7. Compare Prices
Choose three of the roofing companies and ask them to provide an estimate or quotation for repairing or replacing your roof.
Don’t accept a telephonic estimate. They can’t give you an accurate indication of costs without conducting a roof inspection first. They should preferably discuss a range of options with you once they’ve completed their assessment, too.
When you receive the cost estimates, don’t automatically accept the cheapest one. A more expensive quotation may involve superior materials, more experienced workers, or longer warranties.
Some roofing contractors may also include ongoing roof maintenance as required. Be sure you understand everything that’s included in the quotation and don’t hesitate to ask if you need more information.
8. Ask About Warranties
The best roofing contractors offer their customers two kinds of warranties. Manufacturer warranties protect you from defects in the roofing materials, while labor warranties provide compensation in the event of installation mistakes or poor workmanship.
These warranties cover you for any eventuality and ensure you get what you paid for in the end.
You must ask for written guarantees of all warranties offered, and they should include detailed explanations of what’s covered as well as any exclusions.
9. Ask About Payment and Financing
If you need to pay for your roof installation or repairs yourself, discuss how the procedure works before you sign anything.
Reputable contractors won’t ask for large sums of money upfront. A well-established company can carry the costs of installing your roof until they receive payment at the end.
Some contractors can assist you with finance for your roof or help you find reputable lenders.
The best contractors work with a wide range of insurers and can help you get compensation from your insurance company for valid roof repairs and replacements, too.
10. Interview Them First
Reach out to your preferred roofer for an in-person meeting to iron out the final details of your roofing job. During this interaction, you should ask for further information on the following:
- Will qualified individuals work on your roof?
- Do they vet their employees before hiring them?
- Will the workers receive on-site supervision?
- Who is responsible for cleaning up after the job?
- Do they consider the environment in all their activities?
- Who can you speak to if you have more questions?
During these interactions, you’ll learn one of the most important things about the contractor. That is, whether you feel you’re able to count on them to allay your anxieties and deliver on their promises.
It’s best to work with a company that has a good culture, takes pride in its work, and offers a positive experience for its customers. Choosing a team that’s passionate about their profession and committed to their customers makes all the difference to the outcome of your residential roofing project.
Make Good Decisions for Your Home
The right residential roofing services can help you increase the value, comfort, and appeal of your home. Choosing the wrong one will lead to years of discontent and extra expenses.
Rather, put up with your leaking, ugly roof for a little longer while you do your due diligence to find the best residential roofing service in town.
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