Hiring the right roofing company to handle your home’s roofing needs can be a confusing and challenging process. Whether you own a commercial or residential property, your roof keeps you safe against harsh weather elements and keeps intruders out. For this reason, it’s essential to handle any roof damages as soon as they appear.
Handling roofing problems on your own is a potentially risky endeavor, especially if you’re not an expert. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor and Statistics, roofing is one of the riskiest jobs in the market. Ensure you hire a professional even if you’re dealing with a small roof problem.
However, finding a reputable roofing company can be difficult. That’s because there are thousands of options to choose from.
Some untrustworthy roofing companies are only focused on making a profit. Thus, if you don’t do your due diligence, you could hire an untrustworthy company that offers you low-quality roofing services. To avoid this, ensure you look at below six things before hiring a roofing company:
1. Their Credentials
Most states require roofing companies to have licenses and credentials to practice. Therefore, ensure you ask for state-issued roofing credentials from any potential roofing company.
Their credentials should include proof of worker’s compensation insurance and liability coverage. These insurance covers help you avoid paying out-of-pocket if one of the roofers gets injured.
Roofing is a risky job, and accidents are prone to happen. Thus, ensure the company is properly insured. Remember also to confirm that the workers handling your project are well trained and certified.
If you own a commercial property, you should ensure that it undergoes regular roof maintenance checks and inspections. As a commercial property owner, you’re responsible for ensuring your property’s roof is in great shape.
2. Insurance Coverage
Roofing projects are dangerous. Thus, hiring a company without the proper insurance coverage could be very risky to you as a homeowner. Ensure your roofing company has the below insurance coverage:
Liability Insurance
This type of insurance is also known as third-party coverage. Liability insurance covers any injuries and accidents that could happen on-site to non-employees. It also covers your property if the roofing company employees cause any damages.
Worker’s Compensation Insurance
Worker’s compensation insurance covers employees of the roofing company in case they get injured or become sick while on-site fixing your roof. Even companies with the most strict safety practices still incur work-related accidents. These accidents often result in injury.
For this reason, it’s essential to ensure the company you choose has worker’s compensation insurance. Choosing a company that doesn’t have worker’s compensation insurance is very risky. That’s because you could be responsible for any employees’ medical bills if an accident happened during the project.
3. The Location of the Company
Ensure you choose a reputable local roofing contractor. The company should have an operational office in your location and have a well-established relationship with your community. They should also have a good reputation within the industry.
Most homeowners have had issues with their roofing systems before reaching their 5-year warranty period, and the roofing company they contracted moved, closed down, or simply vanished. A warranty is just a piece of paper if the company isn’t there to fulfill its promise.
4. Don’t Focus Only on the Price
Never settle for a residential or commercial roofing contractor based on their price. Some companies reduce their prices to drive the market down and attract customers while offering low-quality services. Any company with proper insurance coverage and overhead costs must establish a price that will cover these costs.
However, companies with no insurance or an established office could do the job at a lower price. Most customers who choose roofers based on their prices often end up paying more for the problems. That’s because low-quality services often develop problems that need fixing.
Fixing these problems might be more expensive than the cost of hiring a reputable roofing contractor from the beginning. Ensure you choose a reputable and well-established company to avoid spending more money than you should. When comparing quotes, pricing shouldn’t be your only factor.
5. Communication Is Key
Communication is an essential aspect of successfully completing any project. When shopping for a roofing contractor, consider their team’s communication skills.
How fast did they return your phone calls? Did they get back to you when they said they would? How fast were your emails answered?
If your potential roofing contractor doesn’t follow through in their promise to communicate with you, you should move on to the next option. You can also try communicating with one of their agents about your concerns. However, if the issue persists, it’s time to walk away.
Good communication is a key aspect of running any business regardless of the industry. If a company can’t communicate effectively with clients and keep them updated on the current projects, they may become frustrated and unsatisfied with their work.
6. Check Customer Reviews and Testimonials
Reputable roofing companies often ask their customers for feedback after the service. Check the company’s website for customer reviews. You can also check customer reviews from independent websites such as Yelp, Google, and Yellow Pages.
Online customer reviews will help you understand more about the quality of the company’s services. You will also understand more about the company’s professionalism, efficiency, trustworthiness, dependability, and reliability.
Ensure you also check whether the roofing company also offers regular roof maintenance. There are many benefits of roof maintenance. These benefits include increased safety, peace of mind, and increased lifespan of your roof.
Now You Know How to Choose a Roofing Company
Choosing the right roofing company is not an easy process, especially with so many options in the market today. However, ensure that you choose wisely. Hiring an unethical and untrustworthy roofing company can be risky and expensive.
Thus, it’s advisable to screen any roofers before hiring them to handle your roofing needs. However, following the above tips will ensure that your property’s physical integrity is not compromised, and your roof will serve you for many years.
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