Choosing a roofing contractor

The dreaded time is here. His roof hasn't looked better for several years, but now it's starting to leak. You have postponed your search for a roofing contractor for the past few years, but now you must repair or replace your roof and you must find a contractor. Where to start

Hopefully your roof doesn't leak to the point where you're forced to do a frantic search for an available roofer to get the job done quickly. It should take a little time to find a good roofing contractor with a great reputation. Check your local yellow pages, talk to neighbors and friends to find a contractor that has satisfied customers and charges a fair price.

Once you have a list of potential roofers, take the time to evaluate them. A professional contractor is more than happy to answer your questions. A good contractor will also be willing to meet with you to discuss your roof and will be excited to get the job. Ask prospective contractors for details on recently completed roofing jobs and references. An honest roofing contractor is more than willing to share this information with you. You must request your business license number and information on who is linking you. Ask the contractor you are interested in to provide you with a quote or an offer for the job in question. Once all of your offers are available, narrow down your selection to one or two contractors.

A good roofing contractor knows everything about roofing. He knows how to care for trouble spots on building roofs and knows all the alternative products that cover roofs. A competent roofer will give you excellent advice on the products available to repair your roof and will explain the procedure step by step.

A reputable roofer will also have liability and workers' compensation insurance, so ask him about this. A contractor offering you a very low bid on a roofing job may have incomplete insurance coverage. You should also be very sure that it supports their work. What will you do, for example, if your roof starts leaking again after just a couple of months after he completes the job? If you say you will remedy anything that results from your work, ask for it in writing. A money back guarantee is not good without being part of the written and signed contract between you and the contractor.

An estimate should provide you with a price, a detailed description of the products used, and individual labor charges. Product samples should be part of this estimate along with the literature for specific product samples. A contractor who provides you with a wealth of information is the contractor who is likely to do quality work. The completion date must be included in the estimate and the contractor must know everything about local building regulations and ordinances. The contractor must know everything about the latest techniques and products available, as well as the new colors available and specific warranty information on the products they use.

Be sure to make your work hours very clear. If you don't appreciate being woken up at 6 a.m. From the sound of banging on your ceiling, be very clear about the times you want to get the job done. If you do not want workers to work at your home over the weekend, please let me know. Make sure the contractor agrees and respects your wishes, and get this in writing before closing the deal. Ask him what he provides if he can't finish the job in the time he estimates it will take to complete his roofing job. Do you offer a discount or partial refund?

You should also make sure that the contractor tells you who the supplier is, as well as any subcontractors that will be used on the job. Request that a receipt proving that it has been paid to any subcontractor be provided before you release the final payment to the Titan Roofing contractor.