If you hire the wrong roofing company, the situation can go bad quickly. By properly screening roofing contractors, you can make sure you hire the right fit for the job. Learn about the questions you should ask contractors as you get their quotes. When you pick a contractor with the right answers, you improve your chances of getting a great outcome.
1. Do You Have Insurance?
When a roofing contractor has worker’s compensation, the company pays for any injuries that occur on the job-site. However, some companies don’t have insurance. If an accident happens, you may be the one responsible for paying for the consequences. You could be forced to pay for the medical bills and missed wages of an injured employee.
Liability insurance makes the company responsible for any damage caused by the repair job. Instead of paying the costs out of your own pocket, the contractor’s insurance company covers the damage.
To protect yourself, you should always ask a roofing expert about the insurance they carry. An uninsured company puts your financial future at risk.
2. Do You Do The Work Yourself?
There are roofing contractors who opt to subcontract some of the work out to other individuals or businesses. Before you agree to work with a company, be sure to ask them about their policies. Do they do all the work themselves? If they contract the work, who do they use?
It’s important to know who will be working on your roof. If they aren’t using a responsible company for the job, you could find yourself with a roof that doesn’t withstand the test of time. The quality might suffer.
After you find out who does the subcontract work, find out whether or not they are insured. If they aren’t, you could be liable for an accident. Learn as much as you can about everyone who will participate in your roof work.
3. Are You Licensed?
In certain states, roofing contractors must hold a special license. However, the state of Indiana has no such requirement. There are certain towns and cities in Indiana that have stricter requirements. As it so happens, roofing contractors in Indianapolis do not need a roofer’s license.
Despite the lack of state licensing, you should still ask a contractor about their qualifications. A company with a license shows that they are serious about providing high-quality work.
It’s important to realize that a roofer’s license or a contractor’s license is different from a business license. The business license is only for tax purposes. But a roofer’s license requires the license holder to have qualifications for doing the job.
4. Do You Have a Warranty?
A low quote does not always mean more savings. If the roof starts to show signs of wear and tear, you may spend thousands of dollars in repairs or replacement.
By asking if the company offers a warranty, you can protect yourself from repair issues. Most companies offer some type of warranty, but the specifics often vary. Usually, there are two warranties. One is from the manufacturer that made the materials. Meanwhile, the other is from the roofer themselves.
You should find out what is covered under the warranty. Additionally, you should find out the length of the warranty. Those details can vary greatly and could impact your decision to hire a contractor.
5. Where Do You Get Your Materials?
Although the quality of work done by a roofing contractor matters, so does the quality of the materials. Ask the company about the source of their materials. If they make their own or have a local source, you may get better products.
An average asphalt roof lasts about 20 years. But that timeline can be longer or shorter, depending on your roof installation. By asking the right questions and working with the right company, you can extend the life of your roof.
