What to ask a Roofing Contractor.

Here are some things to ask your potential roofing contractor before settling on one: 

1. How long have you been in business?
2. How local is your business? (This is important because there are times that “storm chasers” move into the area and could be here today and gone tomorrow!)
3. Who owns your business and how long have the owned it?
4. What completed projects do you have that I can visit and check out?
5. Who exactly will be installing my roof? Am I able to visit a project in progress and see them in action?
6. What training and experience does the crew have? Have they been trained by the manufacture you use?
7. What past customers am I able to speak to about their experience?
8. When would you be able to get my job on the schedule?
9. How long will my project take from start to finish?
10. Do you have proper licensing and certifications? Including insurance (Liability & Workers Comp) Request a COI for your records.
11. Is a permit required for my project, if so, who obtains that?
12. What steps do you have in place for the safety of your workers?
13. What steps do you take to ensure the safety of my home and my family?

After the initial set of questions, if everything aligns and you decide to proceed with your roofer of choice and the project you should also consider inquiring about the following things:

1. How will you access my roof?
2. How will you remove any materials that are torn off my roof? Will you have a dumpster onsite or a Roofing Buggy?
3. How will you protect the gutters on my home?
4. Will you have a porta potty onsite for your staff?
5. Will you provide me written warranties for your workmanship as well as the product that is being installed at the completion of the project?
6. Will you be using fasteners approved by the manufacture of my roofing material? How do you ensure that the proper number of fasteners are used and that they are located correctly?
7. How will you protect my driveway and the rest of my property from damage?
8. What is the cost of any plywood replacement in the event that some would be needed?
9. Who will be my point of contact during my project and are they easily accessible?
10. Who besides the installation crew will be overseeing my project to ensure the quality of the installation?
11. Will you install new flashings, or will you re-use the old flashings?
12. How will any roof penetrations be handled?
13. How will pipe penetrations be handled?
14. How is the final payment handled?
15. Are there any things that may cause deviation from the original signed contract?
16. How do you check the condition of the decking on my roof?
17. Are there any tax credits or rebates for the roofing materials that I am having installed?

Doing your research and making sure that you are selecting a reputable, licensed and insured contractor will ensure that you get a quality installation and will save you money in the long run because you should have to replace your roof less often. With roofing materials now, a person should not typically have to replace their roof more than one time in their lifetime permitting they do not cut corners and use a reputable contractor as well as quality materials.