Taking Control of Your Roofing Job

You may think you can repair your roof by yourself and save tons of money in the process. Think again. This may not be a wise decision. Instead you should hire a professional roofer to do the job. You must be careful when selecting a roofer as there are stories of contractors that scam people out of their money. They either never finish the job or take the money upfront and disappear. Or they finish the job, but had shoddy craftsmanship. Therefore, it is vital to find a roofer that is reputable and allows you to have control over the roofing job.

The first thing is to verify that the person you will hire is a certified professional. They will be taking a large chunk out of your bank account so you need to do a thorough background check. Ask for references and contact those references. A professional will easily give you a list of references and will most likely volunteer this information upfront. If certification is a requirement in your state then ask to see their certification card.

Try to find a roofing service or company that has a long history in your area. Look for their advertisement in the yellow pages. What is their tax ID number? Ask for a list of vendors and credit references. If they are unwillingly to supply any of this information then think twice before hiring them.

A subtle but telling signal that someone may not be a true roofing professional can be had simply by looking at the equipment they use. Is their truck filled with ladders and all the tools of the trade? Is the name of their company on the side of their vehicle? Is it stenciled on or just a magnet with their logo? Do they have air nailers and other modern equipment? These are not necessarily indicators of potential fraud, but if things don't look right, they probably aren't.

A major factor to consider when hiring a roofing contractor is to determine the level of skill their crew demonstrates. Does the contract employ full time skilled roof mechanics or are they using temporary employees and day laborers? The competence level of the crew is much lower if it consists of day laborers. You want a roofing company that has qualified roofing mechanics. Demand that the team consists of only qualified roofers. If they give you any hassle about this do not hire them.

Has the roofer told you what type of materials they are going to use when fixing your roof? Be sure that they don't stick you with cheap materials. This can happen easily because there are several different grades of shingles and plywood. If you end up with cheap materials you will no doubt have to make repairs in the next year or two. Therefore, you need to specificy the brands and types of materials you want them to use.

It is tempting to hire the lowest bid, but the lowest bid hardly ever means the best deal. Often times roofers that do not have experience or people that are going to take your money and run give low bid estimates. Remember you can't get something for nothing. Look for competitive bids that are within 10% of each other.

In conclusion, you should verify that you have all the details written down. Don't sign a contract until you fully understand what you are getting into regarding the contract. It is common practice for honest contractors to provide service after the sale so they can make you a loyal customer in the long run. The key is to never work through an expensive job without a contract. If you keep these tips in mind when choosing a roofer you have a new roof and be a satisfied customer.

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About the author: Alby Fernsworth is the your host at Ferns Roofing, the web's premier location when you're after accurate up to date advice and ideas about Roofing. For more articles on Roofing visit: www.fernsroofing.com/articles Why not sign up for our free Roofing newsletter at: www.fernsroofing.com/newsletters
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