How can you make sure you choose a good roofing company, one who won’t rip you off or do a poor job replacing your old roof with a new one? When you call a roofing company to get a quote, you’ll no doubt have to listen to their sales pitch about being the best, but are they telling the truth? One of the best methods for sorting the good contractors from the bad ones is to have a standard set of questions for every potential roofing contractor. Consider asking these questions:
1. Why should I give you my business?
This question invites the company to give their best sales pitch, but it can tell you a lot. Listen carefully to their response for the following:
- Do they answer promptly, or do they stumble over their words? This is something they should be able to easily talk about.
- Do they sound confident about their service?
- Is their story convincing enough for you to give them your business?
2. How long have you been in business?
It should be easy for most companies to answer this question, and also easy for you to verify the answer. Anyone from the company should be able to say without hesitation “Since 2001,” or “For 5 years”. You will be able to check whether their answers match what’s on their website. If you check on our website you will see that Four Seasons Roofing has been in business since 1996.
3. Are you licensed and insured? Can you show me proof?
- The license is issued by the state or the municipality giving the roofer permission to do business.
- The insurance is the policy they carry so that if anything goes wrong, their insurance will pay.
Both of these are vitally important, and every roofer should have them. You can avoid being scammed by asking to see proof of both the roofer’s license and insurance. There are too many ways that things can go wrong, so protect yourself by making sure your roofing company has a valid license and up-to-date insurance.
4. What materials will you be installing on my roof?
It’s a good idea to do a little homework beforehand so you will have a better understanding of what the contractor is saying. Have a look at the types of roofing material and get an idea of the pricing. Compare the warranties and check the other features such as wind resistance or algae resistance.
By knowing all this you will be protecting your interests. You certainly don’t want to find yourself paying premium prices for bargain basement roofing materials that probably won’t last five years.
4. Where will the materials be stored while the job is in progress?
A large volume of materials and tools are required for every roofing job. What you need to know is:
- Will this block my driveway, mess up my lawn, or damage my landscaping?
- Will it cause an HOA violation?
- What security measures will you have in place to prevent the roofing materials from going missing or being stolen? (This is why your roofer needs adequate insurance.)
6. What is your procedure for obtaining the necessary permits?
Take note that this is an open-ended question and not a simple yes/no question. Asking an open-ended question will test whether the roofer has a prompt and well-informed answer. If your roofer isn’t sure where to obtain the necessary permit, or even if a permit is necessary, drop him like a hot potato.
When you talk to us at Four Seasons Roofing about your roofing job, you will notice the difference immediately. We have been installing roofs since 1996 and are passionate about getting your job done right, so contact us today for your quote.