The gentle pitter-patter of raindrops plays the role of background noise in peaceful soundtracks for a reason. Rain provides a calming, soothing sound until the pitter-patter turns to an annoying drip coming from the ceiling.
Your calm will transition to anxiety when your roof begins to leak. You’ll have all kinds of questions. Do you need a new roof or just a roof repair?
Furthermore, how do you find great roof installers? What do you ask them when it’s time to decide? How much will a roof repair or installation cost?
The right roof installer will solve all your roof issues. The wrong installer will create more problems.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know as you begin searching for the right company to complete your roof installation or roof repair.
Credentials
Knowing how to install roof shingles does not necessarily make you the best person for a roof installation job. More than anything else, the company installing roof shingles on your home should have proper licensing, insurance, and bonding. Here’s what this means.
Insurance
Installing a roof takes grit and courage. It’s a dangerous job, and thus homeowners hire the job out. A qualified roofing company will have insurance for all the workers should something happen to them when they’re working on your home.
If your contractor does not have proper insurance, you could be liable if something happens to the workers on your roof. Your homeowner’s insurance may not cover them either, and if that’s the case, you’ll be stuck with the medical bills. So make sure the installer has proper insurance.
Licensing
Licensing means the company has gone through the proper training to shingle your roof.
They may have gone to a technical school or followed through with an apprenticeship. Sometimes licensing means the roofer has paid a few for the license or worked a specific number of hours for the license.
Licensing also proves that the roofer takes their business seriously. They care enough about their business to go through the necessary steps to achieve proper licensing. It also means they’ve roofed a job before and can guarantee they will do a great job on your roof.
Bonded
Bonding refers to the reliability of the company. A bonded company is saying they will not walk off the job but will stay until they’ve completed it.
Contractors will pay a bonding company as a kind of insurance plan. The contractor is ensuring you that they have the right materials and subcontractors when they sign on with a bonding company.
So when you hire a bonded contractor, you’re ensuring that the contractor won’t ditch town in the middle of the night with half the job done.
Experience
After ensuring the contractor has proper credentials, you must make sure they have experience installing roof shingles. Ask the company the following questions when you contact them:
- How long have you been roofing homes?
- What experience do your roofers have?
- What kind of buildings have you roofed?
- How do you know what kind of shingles to recommend?
The right roofing company will also ask you the right questions. They will ask you about what type of look you want for your home so they can recommend the right shingles.
They will also provide you with several options and not just a single estimate. Their estimates will have layers to it with a simple plan up to a more ornate plan.
The experience of a company will come out as you talk to them. Listen for clues such as when they talk about other homes they’ve roofed.
Then, ask about where those homes are so you can take a look at the company’s work.
References
A good roof repair company will have a good reputation. Homeowners are quick to recommend great roofing companies and to also share bad news about a company if they have some.
If the roofing company is local, ask your neighbors if they’ve heard of them and what they know about the company. If no one has heard of the company, go online to look for customer reviews.
If the company has a website, peruse it for a gallery of pictures showing the work they’ve done. Then visit the Better Business Bureau to see more customer ratings.
You can also determine the quality of a company based on their advertising. Do they advertise in a local paper or on billboards/ Companies that advertise take their business more seriously?
Affordable, Not Cheap
You want a company that provides an affordable roofing service. But beware if the estimate looks too affordable. You want something you can afford but not something cheap since “cheap” also means “shoddy.”
Get several estimates from different roofing companies so you know what the average cost will be for replacing your roof. If one estimate is significantly low, stay away from it.
Professionalism
Lastly, look for a company that looks and sounds professional. When they come to your home to give you an estimate and measure your roof, they should look clean and orderly. If they do not have a company shirt on, they should at least have a clean shirt and pants on
They should also sound professional. They use words like “flashing” and “soffit” to refer to parts of your roof. They should also take time to patiently explain your options.
Spoken communication and dress indicate professionalism and the company that you want to hire.
Hire the Best Roof Installers For You
Are you looking for the best roof installers in your area? Contact us today for a free estimate. We specialize in commercial and roofing renovations in the greater Champaign County and Vermilion county areas.
Our family-owned and operated general contracting company will make the process smooth and easy for you. Call us today and give us a chance to earn your business and keep it for the future. We would love to help you.
