A house protects its inhabitants from weather elements and provides security. However, this protection may be compromised when problems arise with the roof. Roofing problems like leaks, missing shingles, or extensive damage caused by roof rots or similar issues can be devastating. These problems can compromise your indoor air quality through mold and mildew growth or lead to water damage. Addressing these problems quickly can save costs, but you need a professional roofing contractor to pull the job off.
Hiring the best roofing contractor guarantees peace of mind and quality services. But how do you choose the best roofer for your needs? J&J Roofing Company in Vancouver, WA, walks you through the important tips to shape your hiring decision.
Do your research
Word-of-mouth recommendation has remained an important part of business growth for decades. Customers are more likely to recommend great products or services to their friends or loved ones. You can leverage word-of-mouth recommendation as a homeowner looking for the best roofer in your community.
Start by asking your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors about their roofers and the quality of their services. There is a huge chance you’ll get several suggestions and recommendations. You may also be lucky to get one or two names to stay away from due to past bad experiences or poor services.
While word-of-mouth recommendation is a great way to get the ball rolling, it shouldn’t be where it all ends. Remember that quality services can be subjective, so you must carefully vet each recommended option to pick the best of the best.
You can also increase the number of potential roofers’ pools by conducting a simple internet search. Look for Trusted Roofing experts in your community and read their online reviews from past customers. It is better to read reviews from independent review websites than the roofer’s website. The roofer may be biased by picking only the best reviews to display on its website, but independent review websites always have good, bad, and ugly reviews from customers.
Check for experience, licensing, and insurance
Armed with a long list of possible roofers to hire, you can proceed to the elimination stage. Always note that the goal is to thin your list down to about four options. Thinning your list should involve important considerations like years of experience, licensing, training and certification, and insurance coverage.
Research each potential roofer and consider how long they have been in business or how many projects they handle annually. The more projects the roofer has handled, the better their experience level.
Training, certification, and insurance coverage are also important considerations. You can get in touch with Lanes Contracting if you’re looking for a reliable contractor with all of these things mentioned above.
Evaluate past projects and initiate contact
Every roofer that is worth their salt would be proud to show off their past projects. Past projects give you an idea of what to expect from the roofer and the quality of services they deliver. You can further thin down your list by considering the roofers’ past projects and their quality.
With your list of potential hires trimmed considerably, proceed to initiate contact with each company to ask about their roofing services and pricing. Pricing is an important consideration, especially as you want the best services without breaking the bank.
Some roofers may request a physical inspection of your roof before providing an estimate for the service to be rendered. Ask whether such inspection services are free and if they offer free estimates. You can effectively screen out companies that do not offer free or written estimates.
With a couple of estimates in place, consider the pricing and quality of service promised by each roofer. You should also ask about the warranty on products and services rendered.
Ask questions
By now, you have about two to four solid leads you can hire from. However, you want the best roofer for the job so you should screen further. At this stage, you want to ask as many questions as possible to fine-tune your pick. Focus on asking questions like;
- What happens if I’m unsatisfied with the work done?
- Do you offer unplanned repairs?
- What is the warranty on products and services?
- Will you tear off my old roof? Do you offer cleanup services?
- How long will the project take from start to completion?
You can easily select the roofer that ticks all the boxes and offers the most satisfying answers to your questions. Once selected, ask the roofer when they can start and expect the best possible outcomes.