Top 8 Ways to Find a Reliable Roofer for Your Next Project

If you’re a homeowner, property investor or business manager in charge of property maintenance, at some point you’ll likely need to hire a roofer. As with any kind of contracting job, working with a roofer has its perks and risks. On the upside, hiring a reliable professional can save you time and money while reducing the risk of further damage to your property that would cost even more to fix later on. On the downside, working with an unreliable contractor can lead to significant costs and inconveniences down the road due to shoddy workmanship or unscrupulous business practices. To help you find a trustworthy contractor for your next project, we’ve put together this list of eight different ways you can vet and verify any potential candidate from start to finish.

Ask for recommendations from friends, family and colleagues.

We’d be remiss not to start with the obvious. If you already know someone who has had a positive experience with a roofing contractor, that’s a great place to start. Ideally, you’ll want to ask for an introduction or contact information so you can speak with the contractor directly to get a better idea of his or her work and business practices. If you know of multiple people who’ve hired the same roofer, that’s even better since the odds of finding a reliable contractor go up significantly. Beyond those basic recommendations, you can also ask for a few more details, like the average cost of their work and how long the project took from start to finish.

Check the roofer’s reputation at the BBB and through online reviews.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is an organization that collects complaints from consumers in order to help future customers evaluate and avoid problematic contractors. With that in mind, you can search for complaints made against any contractors in your area, as well as read any responses the contractor has provided. While the BBB grading system isn’t perfect, it’s still a good place to start when vetting contractors and roofers, as well as handymen and other service providers. Along with the BBB, you can also read online reviews of roofing company hanover, such as those found on sites such as Yelp, Angie’s List, Google and Trustmark. As with the BBB, you should be aware that most negative reviews are likely to come from people who didn’t obtain satisfactory results or had a legitimate complaint, though a few may be from competitors or other parties with an interest in harming a contractor’s reputation.

Pay by check, not cash up front.

Since it’s often difficult or outright impossible to get a contractor to refund a cash payment, you may want to consider a check instead. If you’re paying the contractor in full before work begins, you run the risk of being scammed or having to hire and pay a new contractor if the first one doesn’t show up or complete the work properly. By making a partial payment and paying the rest towards the end of the project, you’ll have more leverage to ensure the job is done properly. Keep in mind, though, that many contractors may have concerns about accepting checks due to potential fraudulent activity. If you go this route, you may need to provide proof that the funds are legitimate and represent a portion of your payment for the work.

Require a detailed contract with a wiring certification.

If you intend to hire a contractor to perform work on your property, you can protect both yourself and the contractor by putting the terms of the agreement in writing via a contract. While there’s no such thing as a “standard” roofing contract, you should look for certain things in a roofer’s contract before signing. First, you’ll want to see that any work and materials are detailed and described exactly, along with the cost of each item. This will help you avoid any confusion or miscommunication down the road. Second, make sure that the contract includes a specific completion date or timeline for the work to be finished. This will give you some leeway if there are unforeseen delays. Third, you’ll want to see that the contractor guarantees their work, as well as the materials and products they use. This will protect you from any potential flaws or defects with the work. Finally, you’ll want to see that the contractor has completed any required wiring inspections for the work being done on your property.

Make sure all workers are fully insured.

Since roofs are generally high up and dangerous, you’ll want to make sure that all contractors have valid workers’ compensation and commercial general liability insurance. This helps you protect yourself from any accidents that occur as well as medical bills that may be associated with an injury. If a contractor doesn’t have this coverage, it’s a red flag that they may be cutting corners in other areas, such as not providing required workers’ comp coverage to their employees.

Don’t pay until the job is complete and you’re happy with it.

Along with requiring a down payment before work begins and is paid in full before any warranty period ends, you may also want to request a partial payment be made when the contractor has finished a certain percentage of the work. For example, if the roofer is replacing your roof and there are several different stages to the work, you may want him to finish the tear off, hauling and disposal of the old roof before receiving the next payment. This helps to ensure that the roofer doesn’t stop working mid-project in order to try and finish sooner and get paid sooner. It also gives you some leverage if there is a dispute over the work or associated costs.

Confirm all final prices and services in writing before signing any contract.

Once you’ve found a roofer you’re happy with and have agreed to hire them for your project, you’ll want to make sure to confirm all prices and services in writing before signing any contract. Contract terms vary from one contractor to the next, and you don’t want to risk getting stuck paying for work you don’t want or need. For example, you may have agreed to a certain price for a roof replacement, but the contractor may have added extra charges for removing the old roof materials and disposing of them.

Final thoughts: Finding the right Roofer isn’t easy, but these steps can help!

Roofers are professionals who work with everything from shingles made of natural materials like cedar to synthetic tiles made of fiberglass and a wide range of metals. No matter what type of roof you have, you’ll want to make sure to maintain it properly. While you can do some maintenance yourself, such as clearing leaves and twigs, you’ll want to leave the more complicated and risky work to a professional.