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Factors to consider when hiring professional roofers

Are you looking for roof repair? Well, roof installation is a tricky trade with various important aspects to consider, which is why you need to choose a professional roofer.

Generally, a well-constructed roof will last anywhere from 2 to 5 decades, depending upon the quality of the construction material; as well as, the skillful installation from the roofer. Weather conditions like hail, and storms, as well as, the installation procedure are some of the reasons that may reduce the lifespan of your roof.

Tricky, right?

We understand that it’s a significant investment, not just in terms of the monetary cost of the process but also because the roof acts as your home’s first line of defense against the outside elements protecting you and your loved ones.

In this blog, we have come up with some important factors to consider when you are hiring a professional roofer for repair or new roof installation.

Let’s see what we have on the list for you:

1. Think local for roofing needs

We have solid reasons to recommend that local roofers need to be given priority when you are looking for roof fixes or new installation.

The first reason to consider a local professional roofer is that you will have plenty of work experience in your area for the said person. You can easily drive around the neighborhood and check out the skills and expertise of the roofer. Also, you can directly talk with the previous clients to assess the service level offered by the local roofer.

Moving on, another factor that signifies the need to hire a local roofer is because you will have access to the person in case anything goes wrong. While roofs are meant to last decades, there are always chances of the unpredictable elements that may harm the roofs, triggering the need to claim a warranty for a quick fix. Going with a regional professional roofer may limit your chase to follow up on warranties or even if you need quick fixes.

Last but not least, when you choose a local professional roofer, you are investing in the local economy which is the best way to boost the neighborhood economy, besides, you can always drop in the office to have a chat or assess the reputation of the person.

2. Client reviews

According to stats, nearly 80% of people like to check out the reviews of the service or product they intend to purchase, as a reassurance for the quality. And when we are talking about professional roofers this becomes even more important because it isn’t just a personal project but also incorporates major costs, and you may not wish to be felt abused for it.

In fact, nowadays it’s pretty easy to check out the reviews for any business. Most professional roofers will have the clients’ testimonials updated on the website, however, those aren’t trustworthy all the time. The better approach is to follow-up the reviews online on third-party sites or Google My Business, which are more credible.

Even better if you can directly talk with the previous or existing clients of the roofer. Honestly, a professional roofer with a great reputation won’t have any hesitation in directing you to some of his clients for reviews and endorsement. And if they do have a reservation; there’s something not right about the service level.

An important aspect to consider is the fact that you shouldn’t just be looking for positive reviews, rather also check out the negative reviews and assess the type of response from the roofer. That’s because things may go wrong unintentionally and more than the problem itself, it’s the attitude of the roofer to rectify the mistakes that matter most.

3. Ask to see samples

Any professional roofer will be glad and proud to showcase his previously completed projects as a self-endorsement. Many of them would have had galleries made exclusively to portray their projects for the customers, whereas, others will be please to take you to the completed project sites and inspect the quality of work physically.

In fact, if a roofer fails to produce previously completed work or show hesitation in referring to his projects, you may need to ask the reason explicitly, and in any case, there isn’t a valid explanation that should be a red flag for you to leave immediately.

4. Insurance and licenses

Well, another important factor to check when hiring professional roofers is the licensing and insurance coverage of the business. Each area may have different local licensing and insurance rules, which you may want to check out.

There is no way you can let an unlicensed or uninsured roofer take over the project because in that case, you won’t just be liable for non-compliance with the regulations but also in case of any incident you will solely be responsible for the monetary or life losses.

Professional roofers make sure that their licenses are kept up to date, and in case the license has expired it shows their carelessness towards the regulations, which isn’t a good indication for the service level.

5. Collect several quotes

The temptation to go with the first contractor that you come in contact with may be very real, however, it’s important to subdue that temptation. After all, you can’t just hire anyone for such an important project, where any installation or repair flaw may lead to bigger problems.

Thereby, when you are looking for a professional roofer it is important to keep your nerves and keep comparing several roofers in and around your area. This won’t just help you to compare the expertise and skills of each of them but also enable you to compare the cost and avoid being trapped in costly contracts.

However, when you are looking for a professional roofer, pricing shouldn’t be the most important aspect to consider. In fact, never go with the cheapest offer, rather compare the pricing of various contractors to have a baseline price for the project, and then perform cost-to-value for each professional roofer to ensure you are able to choose the best professional for the work.

10 Things A Good Professional Roof Contractor Will Never Do.

Roof installation isn’t just an expensive investment, but also an important investment into your home, or office comfort and strength. Thereby, when you are looking for a roof installation job you need to be sure about the quality of the installation including; the quality of the material, as well as, the expertise and skills of the roofing contractor to complete the job expertly.

To be honest, the importance of hiring a professional and experienced roof contractor is the most important aspect. While it may sound a simple operation on the surface, the significant of the roof to the structure of the property is massive and thereby you can’t compromise on the quality or construction of the roof, which not only protects your family but also everything inside your home including the valuable possessions and investments within the home. Unfortunately, since people don’t often get to interact with the roofs every day, they tend to ignore the importance of a high-quality roof installed by an expert contractor. Compromise during the roof installation phase is also one of the main reasons why roofs often start deteriorating too early in their lifecycle. Some of the things that lower the lifecycle of the roof include lack of maintenance, improper installation, low-quality materials, and others.

So, if you are looking for a new roof installation at your home, it’s important to choose a professional roof contractor; one who has the experience working in your region, as well as, has the professionalism to recommend you the best practices to ensure high-quality roofing.

But how to choose a professional roof contractor?

Well, this may be a tricky task with so many contractors claiming big for their experience and expertise. Nonetheless, you may ask for a referral from friends, colleagues, or neighbors. Alternatively, you can always ask them for references and details about previous jobs completed.

Now, if you are unable to find a good professional roof contractor by referrals or other means stated above, below we have come up with pretty basic assessment criteria that may help you to choose a good professional roof contractor. You can take these as evaluation criteria to determine the reliability and professionalism of roof contractors.

So, let’s just dive in…

1. Ask for full payment upfront

Ok, it’s quite common for roofers to ask for partial payment at the beginning of the project, which is more like the advance for getting into a contract. However, no professional roofer is going to ask you for full payment upfront. It’s like an unwritten rule where roofers seal the contract with a token payment with the client, whereas, the rest of the payment is compensated at the end of the project.

Thereby, if you see a roofing contractor insisting on full payment upfront, it’s a clear red-flag for you to suspect his proficiency and work ethics. Perhaps, the best option for you is to back off and find another roofer who understands the rule of the industry.

2. Work without insurance or license:

In case, your roofing contractor is unlicensed and someone is harmed during the work then you may be held responsible for the monetary or medical loss. So, before you hire a roofing contractor, make sure the contractor has the requisite licensing to carry out the work legally in your area.

In reality, a good professional roofing contractor will show you his licenses, as well as, make you aware of all the legal obligations for the work in your area. Also, he may recommend the material or design that’s more apt to your home and in compliance with the local laws; saving you time, money, and hassle.

3. Subcontracting the work to the others:

Subcontracting the work could be the worst thing you may experience for a roof installation. Few nonprofessional roofing contractors will subcontract the work to the others. This could be unsafe since you don’t know whether your work is in the safe hands or not or the contractor is trustworthy or not.

The best thing about the professional roofing contractors is that they complete their work on time and side by side they too have sound information about their workers for their expertise and reliability to work at your home. It is good to ask your roof contractor that whether the whole project is going to be held by himself or his trustworthy crew.

4. Borrowing tools and equipment:

All professional roof contractors will come fully equipped with the tools and equipment required for the job. In fact, they will have the backup tools just in case some incidence happens or they lost equipment. So, when you are looking for a reliable and professional roof contractor, make sure the contractor is aptly equipped with all the tools and equipment. Whereas, if you feel they are ill-equipped for the tools or equipment, it’s a clear indication of an unprofessional approach on part of the contractor and a sign for you to stay away.

5. Leave a mess:

A professional roofing contractor will take off the mess and he will clean the building property as well. They are going to treat your property as if the property belongs to them, as opposed to a non-professional contractor who will leave the mess around without any effort to clean it up.

6. Compel you to purchase unnecessary things:

A professional roof contractor will work with you to come up with the aptest and affordable solution for your roofing needs, instead of bulging you to make unnecessary purchases. In fact, some professional roof contractors are generous enough to use their links for discounted material purchases. Alternatively, an unprofessional contractor will force you to buy unnecessary items, often either to make money out of the purchases or to hide their inexperience in the trade.

7. Lack of quality material:

The professional roofing contractors will always use the best quality material that is essential for the sanctity of your roof, whereas, a non-professional contractor will try to sell you low-quality material, in a bet to save money for themselves.

8. Lack references:

References play a vital role when you are going to hire a roofing contractor. A professional one will provide you as many references as he may, whereas, a non-professional contractor would try to hide the references.

9. No permanent office phone or email:

When you are hiring a professional roofing contractor you need to take a look at whether the company has a permanent office phone or emails. This will make sure that the company has been around for some time and is reliable for the operations.

10. Lacking fast and smooth service:

Well, a roofing procedure is quite long but the first sign to detect the professionalism of contractors is that they try to work as fast as they can and their focus is just on their work, without unnecessary delays in the operations.

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Factors to consider when hiring professional roofers

10 Things A Good Professional Roof Contractor Will Never Do.