What to Look for When Hiring a Residential Roofing Company

Choosing a residential roofing company is a decision that you will have to live with for 25 years or longer.  Roofing repairs and replacement can not only be expensive, but they are crucial to protecting your home.  So, when selecting a roofing contractor, what should you consider?  Let’s take a look at some of the most important things to consider.

Reputation and Reviews
When making a list of possible residential roofing companies to complete your roofing project, you should consider the reputation of the contractor.  Ask friends, family, and colleagues if they can recommend a good contractor, but also consider how long that roofing company has been in business. Check the companies reviews online, not only do you want to know that the company has experience with your type of project, but working with a roofing contractor that is established in your community ensures that they will still be around if anything goes wrong with your roofing repairs or replacement.
This means that your residential roofing company should have a brick-and-mortar location that includes a business address, phone number, and email.  Most companies will also have a website that can direct you to reviews from past customers, contact information for the roofer, and examples of the kind of Projects they have completed.  All these indicators suggest you are working with an established and reputable roofing contractor that is committed to serving its customers.

Staff not Subcontractors
Some residential roofing companies hire subcontractors to complete roofing contracts, and this should be an early red flag.  Subcontractors are hired if the roofing company is not capable of completing your contract themselves, quality control may be an issue.  The best way for a residential roofing company to ensure workmanship is to hire, train and oversee their staff themselves, not to hire another company or person to do their work.

Estimates
Any reputable roofing contractor will provide a detailed written estimate for all roofing work that needs to be done.  Job specifications should be clearly outlined before you begin a roofing project.

Liability and Workers Compensation Insurance
The next thing you want to know before you hire a residential roofing company is that they have adequate liability and workers compensation insurance to protect your property and their workers.  Ask your roofer if they can provide proof of insurance before agreeing to work with them.

Warranties, Maintenance and Emergency Service
Many roofing contractors will offer warranties for their workmanship that differ from the warranties for materials used in the project.  If there are problems with your roof that arise from errors made by your contractor or their staff, you want to be sure that repairs will be covered.  Likewise, always try to work with a residential roofing company that provides service outside usual business hours in case an emergency.