Before hiring a roofing contractor, you should ask yourself these three important questions. While everyone will know the first one, the others are also extremely important and often neglected. These tips aren’t just relevant for hiring roofing contractors either, so after reading this you’ll make a much wiser decision when hiring any contractor.
1. Are they licensed and insured? This is an obvious question you should always ask about any contractor. However, this is an even more important question for roofers than for other contractors, as a faulty roof can lead to massive problems to your home.
If they mess up and your roof leaks, it’s not just your roof that will need replacing. But all the problems caused by water damage throughout your home—mold, mildew, and replacing drywall and interior walls. The cost can be astronomical and guess who’s stuck with the bill?
You can find our credentials here.
2. What types of materials will they be using? A low quote doesn’t mean a good deal. Not every roofing contractor is going to quote for the same materials. For example, are they using 15-pound felt tarpaper or a synthetic underlayment? Using tarpaper may make for a lower quote, but the quality of the roof is significantly reduced.
You should also consider shingles. Architectural shingles should always be preferred. Three-tab shingles are a cheap way out, but should be avoided. They’re not very durable or long-lasting. While they’re cheaper initially, they’ll cost you more money in the long-run.
Rather than just selecting the lowest quote (which is usually a poor decision), you should consider exactly what types of materials they’re using and make your decision based on value and need. Not just the lowest price.
We list the products we use on our roofing page.
3. Are they manufacturer certified? Both CertainTeed® and GAF® provide certification programs for roofers. Not only do these programs guarantee that the contractor installs the products according to manufacturer guidelines, but these programs also offer benefits for roofing contractors.
For example, as CertainTeed® SELECT ShingleMasters™, NexGen is able to provide a 4-Star Warranty, which includes materials, labor, tear-off, and disposal. We take it even further by guaranteeing our workmanship—for a year.
There’s no excuse for not being certified.