ldquo;Installing a new roof is one of the most important, and expensive, home improvement projects yoursquo;ll run into as a homeowner,rdquo; said HomeAdvisor. ldquo;Considering this, and since your roof is the first line of defense for your home against the elements, itrsquo;s important that you hire the best roofing company possible. Roofing contractors are a dime a dozen, so itrsquo;s important to follow a few basic rules when finding, choosing, and hiring a roofing contractor.rdquo;
These tips will help you make the best decision.
ldquo;You should talk to several roofing companies so you can gauge an honest and reasonable price range. You probably donrsquo;t want to make your final hiring decision on a couple hundred dollars for a project that costs several thousand dollars, but you should be wary of any remarkably low or excessively high bids,rdquo; said HomeAdvisor. ldquo;Of course, this will also help give you plenty of opportunity to build rapport and trust and to adhere to the other rules for hiring a roof contractor.rdquo;
Yeah, that low bid sounds too good to be true, right? It probably is. ldquo;The cheapest bid probably isnrsquo;t your best bet,rdquo; said Bob Vila. ldquo;Of course, the estimates issued are a factor to consider. But more important is your level of confidence in a given rooferrsquo;s ability to do an outstanding job. If yoursquo;re impressed by a company that isnrsquo;t the cheapest, ask yourself, lsquo;How much is peace of mind worth to me?rsquo; For many homeowners, itrsquo;s worth quite a lot.rdquo;
Yoursquo;ll want to see a rooferrsquo;s BBB rating, read any online reviews, and also ask how long they have been in business. Longevity is important ldquo;If a roofing company has been around for a while, it is a good sign they will provide quality service,rdquo; said Mr. Roof. ldquo;That kind of commitment shows the company is dedicated to their work and respects the people for whom they work. Substandard contractors have a hard time keeping business going for a long time.rdquo;
Go with a local company
ldquo;Use a roofing company thatrsquo;s lsquo;local,rsquo; especially after a bad storm. A quality roofer thatrsquo;s familiar with your area will get the right permits,rdquo; said Ernie Smith amp; Sons. ldquo;Theyrsquo;ll be familiar with local roofing installation codes and procedures. And theyrsquo;ll also know about local trends in roof >
You may encounter a roofer who insists that therersquo;s no need to get signoff from your HOA because the color of the new roof matches whatrsquo;s already in the neighborhood. Thatrsquo;s a good way to anger your HOA to the point of getting fined and maybe even receiving a demand that you remove the roof and start over with approved materials. In many neighborhoods that have HOAs, you need official permission before you begin, even if yoursquo;re putting up the exact same roof that you already have. Waiting for the thumbs up may delay the installation a bit, but its better than the alternative. Unless your roof situation is emergent and your HOA is not acting expediently, this is generally not an ldquo;ask for forgiveness, not permissionrdquo; situation.
Stories abound of people door-knocking in neighborhoods that have been impacted by storms, trying to drum up business. ldquo;Also known as roofing gypsies, these roofers travel around the country following the paths of storms, looking for homeowners to exploit,rdquo; said Angiersquo;s List. The chasers ldquo;know how the insurance companies work, and based on the square footage of the roof, they can figure out how much it will cost to put on a cheap new roof. The homeowner gets burned because the storm chaser only does the bare minimum to replace the roof, but doesnrsquo;t address any other problems, or restore the roof to its original condition. The homeowner is then left with a poorly constructed roof, and the fraudulent company that was once so ready to help has vanished.rdquo;
This is a red flag, and may well end up in you getting ripped off. ldquo;You donrsquo;t get your paycheck until after yoursquo;ve punched the clock, so why pay a roofer before any work gets done? A roofer has no incentive to follow through with the work once the cash is already in his pocket,rdquo; said Absolute Roofers. ldquo;Make sure you sign a contract first, stating that hersquo;ll get paid once the work is done. If he still tries to get you to pay up front, itrsquo;s time to tell him to hit the highway.rdquo;
