As a homeowner you will no doubt watch for any problems that may appear with your home; if the paint begins to peel no doubt you will have this taken care of, if you start to see evidence that your roof is beginning to deteriorate then you can be sure that it is time to either undertake repairs or perhaps it will be necessary to replace the roof all-together. There is a significant difference between painting the house and dealing with a deteriorated roof, hiring a roofing contractor to do the correctly job requires that you ask the right questions and hear the right answers. To ensure that the company you finally hire is reputable and capable of doing the work properly, here are a few important questions that you should ask.
- Written estimate: Entering into a contract for anything without a detailed estimate is something that can return to haunt you. You must be provided with a written estimate that details all the work that will be done including the removal of the old roof and the installation of the replacement along with a definition of things such as landscape protection, plans for inclement weather, etc.
- Licensed: The contractor should be licensed otherwise your recourse in the event something goes wrong will be limited. Ask to see the license, make sure it is current.
- Insurance: The roofing contractor that you hire must have both workers compensation and liability insurance. Roofing is a potentially dangerous business, if a worker is injured while working on your roof and the company does not carry workers comp insurance you can end up paying for all the medical bills. Liability insurance on the other hand covers your property. If, in the process of repairing or replacing your roof the contractor damages your home, his liability insurance will cover the repair or replacement expenses.
- Remove the old roof: Some contractors will attempt to save time and money by simply shingling over the existing surface. This is not acceptable, until the old shingles have been removed it is impossible to determine if the sub-structure is water damaged or rotted; if these problems are not fixed then you can expect to have continued problems.
- Warranties: Your roofing contractor must provide a manufacturers 20 year limited warranty as the minimum with optional extended warranties available, all at no additional cost.
These few points, when answered correctly can give you the confidence that you need that you are hiring a responsible and professional roofing contractor with the best trained professional team.