Six Things To Look For When Hiring A Roofer

Putting a new roof on your house is one of the most expensive projects that you can take on. It is also one of the most important because you don't want your roof to start leaking. A leaking roof can lead to more expensive problems.

If your roof is past its prime and it is time to replace it you are going to want to spend a lot of time finding the right roofing contractor. You can't afford to make any mistakes when you are dealing with such an expensive repair. Read on to learn six things you need to look for when you are looking for a roofer.

Ask Your Friends

Looking for a roofer can seem like a difficult task, especially if it is the first time you are replacing the roof. You might not even know where to start and you could be scared that you are going to get ripped off by choosing the wrong roofer. When you need a new roof, one of the best places to look is to start by asking your friends.

Your friends are going to be a treasure trove of information and they can often point you in the right direction and match you with a roofer that is going to do a great job on your roof. A good roofer is going to offer you a fair price and they are going to do a great job of getting your new roof on. Make sure to ask a wide variety of people about their roofers.

Ask your friends and ask your neighbors. You should also ask the people you work with. You should end up with a list of potential roofing contractors. People you know is a great place to start your journey.

Go Local

Always work with a reliable residential roofing company. National companies can be problematic if you run into problems with the roofing job. It might be hard to track people down to talk to and you could even end up losing money. Local roofers are more invested in the community and they are less likely to try to rip you off since they have a reputation to maintain. Too many bad reviews or problems could cause them to go out of business.

National roofing companies often offer lower prices but they are basically just brokers and they will farm out your job to someone else and you don't really know anything about the roofers that they are going to send to your home. You are taking a big risk if you don't work with a local roofing company and this risk could end up costing you a lot of money.

Get At Least Three Estimates

You never want to accept the first quote that you get. You don't really know if the price is fair and it is hard to judge how good the roofer is going to be if you don't talk to multiple roofers. You can often get a better idea of the price and the quality of the roofer when you get multiple estimates.

Three is a good number to start with and you might want to get more. Getting the estimates are free and you can't really go wrong when you get multiple estimates. Each roofer is going to have something new to add about your roof and you can learn a lot just from getting the estimates. When you have all the estimates in front of you it is easier to decide who you want to work with.

Don't always go with the roofer that offers the lowest price. It is also important that you feel comfortable with the roofer and that you feel that the roofer is honest. The lowest price isn't always the best price.

Read The Reviews

Don't hire any roofer until you read the reviews of the roofer. You never know what you are going to learn from a simple online search and you might find that the roofer you think you like has lots of negative reviews online. A little online research can stop you from making a bad decision about the roofer and it can save you money. You don't want to end up getting ripped off and a bad roofer can cause lots of problems for you.

Make Sure The Roofer Is Insured

Never work with a roofer that doesn't have insurance. Get proof that the roofer has insurance before they even start the job. If a roofer doesn't have insurance and someone gets hurt on your property, you are going to responsible for paying their medical bills.

If the roofer gets seriously injured and needs a lot of medical care you could end up with severe financial problems and you could even lose your house. Working with an uninsured roofer is a chance that you just can't take. Never risk your financial future by working with an uninsured roofer.

Get The Estimate In Writing

When you are getting your estimates, make sure that they are all in writing. If you get an estimate that is verbal, it is very easy for the final amount to change and it isn't going to be in your favor. When you get the estimate in writing make sure that it is a firm estimate.

This means that you are going to pay the written price no matter what happens with the job. You protect yourself when you get a firm estimate and you don't have to worry so much about having to pay more money after the job is complete. Written estimates can be used in court if there is a problem.