As a homeowner, there have probably been many issues that have popped up over the years that you have been able to fix on your own with a YouTube video and a trip to the hardware store. A roof isn’t one of those things. Whether it’s a roof repair or a roof replacement, hiring a roofing company is key to maintaining the health and integrity of your roof.
Are They Licensed and Insured?
The first thing you want to do is make sure that the roofing company you hire is both licensed and insured. Requirements vary by state, but each state does have them. Licenses prove that they have met the standard regulations to work on roofs, and insurance gives you the peace of mind if an accident happens on your property.
As much as we would like to believe the best in people, nothing is stopping someone from grabbing a clipboard and knocking on your door to offer their “roof repair services.” Even if they seem official, do your due diligence and make sure the person standing in front of you is a legitimate service provider.
Have They Done Similar Work to This?
You might hear that no two jobs are the same, and that’s true to some extent. There’s always a chance that a problem they’ve never encountered will pop up while working on your roof. However, if you have solar panels installed on your roof and this company has never worked with them before, that might be a sign you should find someone who’s more experienced in the work you need done.
Will They Do An Estimate?
Any reputable roofing company will come out and inspect the damage or potential replacement that you want done on your roof. They’ll use this information to give you an estimate of how much the job will cost and can often spot issues with your roof that you might have missed.
You can use the estimate to compare different roofing companies and choose which one to hire. If the roofing company you contact won’t provide an estimate, that’s a massive red flag.
How Long Will It Take?
Similar to the cost estimate, any reputable roofing company will be able to give you an estimate of how long the job will take. This isn’t the guaranteed amount of time that the job will take. Things happen, and no one can see the future, but this estimate will give you an idea of how long it will take for that roofing company to do the job.
If the roofing company you’re talking to isn’t able to give you this estimate, there might be a legitimate reason that they can explain to you. For example, if the materials they need are delayed for an unknown period of time, they’ll let you know and should keep you updated. If they can’t give you a reason, maybe they’re not the right roofing company for you.
How Do They Handle Unexpected Issues?
There is no real right or wrong answer to this question. If you’re having trouble deciding between two companies, asking this question can give you insight as to how they work through problems. More experienced roofing companies will have examples to pull from of how they handle these situations in a way that is best for both the workers and your bank account.
Can They Provide References?
References are something many might not think about when hiring a roofing company. Reading through online reviews of the company can give you a better understanding if you’ll work well with them. If you can manage to talk to someone, either in-person or virtually, you can ask them anything from how the crew acted while they worked to if they would hire that company again.
