Putting a new roof on your home is a huge job that requires specialized tools and equipment. While there are some homeowners that could be up to the challenge, it’s really a job best done by professionals for a lot of different reasons. Even if you have some of the tools, half the knowledge, and some friends to help out, it still could be dangerous to proceed on your own.
Roofing Companies Have Insurance, Licenses and Bonding
These are all very necessary for all contractors working on your home, especially roofers, for a variety of reasons. For one, if a worker lets go of a hammer or other tool and it slides down the roof and sails through the air breaking a car window, who’s going to pay? If the roofer doesn’t pay, his insurance company will, that’s why he’s required to have it.
There are a thousand other scenarios involving ladders falling, broken windows, chimneys collapsing, employee theft from the home, even employees sliding off the roof and getting hurt. The roofing contractor is liable for all these mishaps and more. However, when the homeowner chooses to re-roof his own home, he won’t be covered and neither will his buddies that come over to help. If one of them falls off of the roof, the homeowner could be sued for negligence and lose in court.
The insurance, license, and bonding are all the ways that keep the contractor from causing harm to their customers and it’s why those regulations are in place. You’ll always want to know if the contractor you’re dealing with is properly covered before they start work. As you search for roofing contractors you should find that their credentials are prominently displayed on their websites. If not, ask to see them before you sign any contracts.
You Should Get A List Of Roofing Contractors From Friends And Neighbors
Once you have a long list of recommended contractors then you should go online and read some of their reviews. Most will have good or excellent customer reviews, those that don’t you should eliminate from your list. Any that aren’t on the Internet or don’t have reviews should also be passed by. This is to prevent poor contractors with bad reviews from changing their name to run from their bad service records.
You should also insist on a written estimate when the representative arrives to look at your roof. On the estimate should be their warranty and what is covered so read it carefully and don’t rely just on what the salesman says. After you accept the price and terms, you should be given a written contract signed by both you and the company representative to make it legal. This is binding, so if they try to charge more, don’t finish the job, or have some other problems, this is your proof of what was ordered, for how much, and by what time.
If you’re replacing a roof, it may be the last one you ever have to do if you choose the materials wisely. For that reason, it’s important to have it installed correctly and with care so that you never have to re-roof your house again for the rest of your life.
