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Qualities You Need to Look for When Hiring A Roofing Contractor

Written by:
Allen Brown
Photography:
Alan Tansey (cover image), Patrick Robert Doyle

When performing repairs on your house or building a new one, you need people who know what they are doing. For example, when you get to the roof, this is a delicate section of the house. It would help if you had someone that would advise you on what to do. 

A roofing contractor will know which roof is durable and which one isn’t. These are the kind of things that will distinguish between a good contractor and one that isn’t. Below, you will find some of the qualities you need to look for when hiring a roofing contractor

Experience

You need to make a list of the potential contractors you want to hire before settling on any. The first thing you need to do before you decide is look up their years of experience. You then need to make a list of the ones that have significant experience. 

The list should be different, and from there, you can break down what you need to find out. Experience should be a central selling point – years of work experience. There’s a misconception that roofing companies don’t last longer than five years. 

That shouldn’t cloud your judgment as you try to find a suitable contractor for your roofing. You can check out central Indiana roofing contractors to get a feel of what experience looks like. With years of experience comes finesse and the know-how.

You can then check out the reviews for the one with the most years of experience. At times you can find a contractor with over 20 years of experience but with poor reviews. Double-check with the previous client before you make a move on any of them. 

Licensing 

You need to see some documentation from any contractor that will eventually win the job. The contractor needs to have the necessary license that allows them to operate. They also need to have a business license, enabling them to deal with a registered company. 

They also need to have insurance, which will protect them from any liability if the property is damaged. It should also keep any financial liability off you in case of an injury. 

Before you settle, ensure that the contractor is insured, licensed, and bonded. That’s the only way you will know that the job will be done, finished and you will have no financial liability in case of anything. 

A Crew that’s up to Task

The contractor will be working with a team – you need to check them out. The team they work with is the one that will be handling most of the work. You need to have some assurance that the team has been adequately trained. 

When they are adequately trained, they will be able to install quality roofs. Look at some of the work the contractor and the team have done before; it should give you a clear image. The contractor may also hire subcontractors; they need to be well trained too.

Suppose they can prove that they invest in the training of their team and the subcontractors, the better. The team should be able to handle all roofing products and can install most types of roofs. 

Employee Testing Methods

You can now verify that all the employees under the subcontractor have gone through the necessary training. You can also ask to see the training that the employees have to go through to get a job there. 

Suppose there are some continuous tests, the better. For example, some companies ensure that all workers pass a GAF Pro Field Guide test to be fully inducted into the company. 

If the contractor can prove that all their people have the proper training, the better off you’ll be to hire them. 

shingle roof image © Patrick Robert Doyle

A Business Address

To even trust the contractor, licensing and other documents aren’t the only thing you need. Roofing is a huge undertaking, and this involves you committing a huge chunk of your finances. The contractor needs to have a physical business address. 

This should be somewhere that you can quickly drop by and find them. Remember the misconception of roofing contractors not being in business no longer than five years? An address is what sets the contractors apart.

When they have a physical address, they have some skin in the game and can be trusted to handle the roofing work you have. 

Conclusion

When you are on the hunt for a roofing contractor, you need to cover all the basics. When you finally settle, you’ll know that you have settled for the right person. Here are some of the top qualities you need to look at when looking for a contractor for your roofing. 


By Naser Nader Ibrahim

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