Qualifications of Roofing Contractors
Roofers must meet the requirements of their local municipality. Before hiring, make sure to check the qualifications and directories of your state’s roofing contractors.
The following are good roofing contractors:
- Experienced
- Licensee in your region
- Insured
- Bonded (meaning that money is available from a bonding company to consumers in the event that they have to file a claim against the company)
- Willing to provide references
- Willing to write and provide a custom estimate
Services offered by a roofer
The services offered by roofing contractors vary from one company to the next. Ask the roofers that you are interested in working with about their services. These are some of the most common services for roofing:
- Roof inspections that look for:
- Leaks
- Roof damage
- Maintenance and repairs
- Roof replacement
- Installation
- Weatherproofing
- Insulating
- Ventilating
- Shoveling (removing snow and ice dams).
- Roof cleaning (pressure washing away mildew and moss buildup)
- Painting, sealing or treating (especially wood or metal roofs).
- Removal of debris
A good time to inspect your gutters is when you are repairing a roof. There may be roofers who offer window, siding, and gutter services. Ask local professionals if they offer other services. Having roofing and gutters done at once can help you save money, as the contractor will be already on-site.
How to hire a roofing contractor
There are two options available to you: independent contractors or roofing companies. Both have their pros and cons. Compare bids to find the lowest price, and make sure you check out roofer references, reviews and qualifications.
For quick repairs, independent roofing contractors are a good option. It may take longer for large projects like replacing an old roof to be completed because they work with subcontractors or independently. They may be experts in one particular style. Although hiring an individual is risky, it can also mean that you will work with the same person throughout the entire project. Just be careful and keep in mind that some of these are “fly by night” operations. If something goes wrong, it may be hard to get a hold of them again in the future.
Larger jobs are easier to complete by roofing companies. They also offer discounts, free consultations, and can provide warranties on their work. With some large companies, you may not have the same contact person for every phase of your project.
Here at Craftsman, we offer a full realm of all things roof! We give you the point of contact of a small contractor, but we are a company with almost 30 years of experience in excellent customer service. You will have one point of contact throughout your project, and we will make you feel like you have made the right choice! Call Craftsman today for your free estimate.