Your roof serves as the first line of defense against the elements of nature. Unless you manage to secure your home externally, you would encounter leaks inside, right? Choosing the right roofing contractor happens to be a tricky task, with too many service providers around. If you are looking for an efficient roofer, you might start by checking out online reviews or seeking recommendations from your neighbors. In this post, we have come up with a guideline that can help you narrow down your options.
What qualifications should you look out for?
It’s easy to get carried away with attractive deals and discounts that most roofers offer. However, you need to be right with the basics. Once you shortlist three to four top roofers around you, interact with them personally and look out for these qualifications.
- Adequate insurance to cover any possible damage or accident
- Demonstrated record of experience in handling roofing projects of the same category
- License to operate in your area
- Ready to give references to clients
- Provides upfront quote with a written estimate
In this process, you can get an assurance of the quality of their services and the estimated cost.
Range of services the roofing contractor offers
When you hire a reputed roofing contractor, make sure to check out their range of services. Given that home renovations involve several allied services, it’s fine to expect to roofers to deliver the same. Here are some of the basic services that most roofers have on their portfolios.
- Roof inspections to detect damage or leaks
- Carry out routine maintenance and repairs
- Executing the necessary replacements and installations
- Delivering allied services like insulating, weatherproofing, and ventilating
- Removing ice dams and snow through shoveling
- Removing moss, mildew, and other types of buildup through pressure washing
- Painting, treating, and sealing metal and wooden roofs
- Removing debris and carrying out re-installations
When you hire a roofing contractor, you can also get your gutters cleaned. Look out for a roofer specializing in working on siding, gutter, and other accessories. When you tackle these elements of your home together, you can save a significant amount of money.
Getting a safe access to your roof
Before you allow the roofers to work on your premises, it’s imperative to know their plans. This includes proper knowledge on how they are planning to gain access to your roof. This should be safe and prevent structural damage to your building.
Roofers lacking experience often ditch the scaffolding and use a ladder while executing roofing contracts. Although scaffolding proves to be a little expensive, it ensures the safety of the workers.
Check out labor and product warranties
At the outset, it’s imperative to know the warranties you have on labor and products. Experienced roofing contractors use superior grades of materials. They also provide quality assurance in the form of a warranty. You should proceed with a roofing contractor who explains the scope of these warranties transparently. Manufacturing defects can lead to several glitches, ranging from damage caused by high wind to dark streaks due to the growth of algae. Using quality shingles, you can benefit from your investment.
Selecting the right roofing contractor
It’s recommended to get multiple bids and balance cost-effectiveness with the quality of craftsmanship. Try not to go too cheap in an effort to save a few hundred dollars. This would lead to long-term cost overhauls and damage to your property.
It’s advisable to partner with an experienced roofer with an established track record of success. You may also reach out to some of the references that the experts give to you in order to check out the quality of services. Working with an experienced roofing contractor, you can derive value from your investment. Experience and industry expertise define the profile of the best roofers around.
