How to simplify finding a roofer

By: WhoDoYou Staff

Winter has come and gone and now you can see your roof again. Goodbye snow – see you in a year!

With the nicer weather and the ability to check out your roof comes some questions, such as, did the snow damage your roof? Can summer rains leak through? Or maybe you noticed issues already but are now fretting about the costs and procedures for actually replacing your roof. If so, good chance you need a roofer.

Where do you begin and will it be as bad you think? Read on and breathe in and out! We’re here to make sure you have the right knowledge to handle all corners of your roof!

When searching for a roofer, it can be hard to know who is good and who isn’t. Sure there’s word-of-mouth referrals, but what if you’re new to an area? What if “the guy” that everyone recommends has moved on? There can be many reasons why just asking your neighbor isn’t enough. Fixing, or replacing, a roof can cost a lot of money and is not something you can afford to have done poorly.

First, check for recommendations for a few roofers so you can compare. Unlike jobs like plumbing or landscaping, roofing work can be long and intensive. Therefore, it’s worth taking the time to actually meet with candidates. Think of this like an interview with the person responsible for keeping you dry at night!

How should you find recommendations? Well obviously you should start with WhoDoYou! There are many ways of getting your initial list. You can ask friends, post on social media, etc.

One extremely important step is to check  Contractor's License to ensure your prospective roofer is licensed. They have the correct contact info for all 50 states. Why is being licensed so important? According to networx, “If an unqualified person works on your roof, he may do more harm than good, and if he’s not licensed and insured, you could be liable if he’s injured.”

Part and parcel with checking licensing is the next step – insurance. What type of insurance does your potential roofer cover? A simple phone call will solve this – yes or no. If yes, how much coverage and what isn’t covered. This should be the second filter to determine who to take from whom to avoid. No coverage or low coverage can indicate someone who causes issues, someone who isn’t professional, or potentially someone too new to the industry.

Once you’ve narrowed your list, you can then sit with them to discuss some important questions such as: 

1. Pricing estimate or bid. Note that, “An estimate is the roofer's best guess on what a job will cost. It is given when much of the work that needs to be done is unable to be seen or measured. A bid is a fixed amount of money to do the job, an agreement that the job will be done for an agreed-upon price.”
2. How long does he think the job will take?
3. Can the roofer describe what is required to get the job completed?
4. What type of warranty will the roofer offer? What will be covered and for how long?

These will help you ensure you’re dealing with responsible and reliable roofers and the way they relate to you in questioning will also help ensure a comfortable working relationship. At this point, don’t just jump for the cheapest roofer – ensure that the answers satisfy your needs and that whatever prices were quoted are within your budget. Before going ahead and paying, check and see whether your roof repair/replacement is included in your manufacturer’s warranty. In addition, most warranties do include fixing for 15-20 years, but only if you can prove that you maintained it!

Finding a roofer shouldn’t be hard and when you check these few things, it’ll help ensure a much more pleasant experience for your entire household!