10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Roofer
The roof of your house is as important a part of your house or building as any other part. Your house is a huge investment and a lifetime venture for many. Therefore, you should make sure not to cause any delays in the repair or replacement process, as the roof is the shelter of your house that saves the whole building.
Things to Know Before Hiring a Contractor
If you notice any warning signs of roof damage, then you should delay no further. If you see broken shingles, granules in the gutter, or any other warning signs, this means that the time has come to find the right roofing contractor to do your job.
Installation of a new roof or repair of an existing one are no simple tasks. They need the services of a professional roofer in Norwich to ensure quality work with durability and consistency to provide you with long-term benefits.
Some of the important things to consider before hiring a roofer are listed below.
How many years of relevant experience do they have?
The first question you should ask the roofer is about their experience in the related field. Roof work is a very important task; therefore, asking the contractor about the experience is very critical. This means the more years of experience the company has in the market, the better it is. In this way, you will also be able to find out about the company’s reputation in the market. Moreover, an experienced roofer will not pose any risk to your house.
Are they Local or Remote?
It is important to know the exact location or office of the company. Ask the roofer if they are locally located or work remotely. Ask them directly for a complete address and phone number. You should always hire local roofers so you can easily resolve any problems with work quality. However, if you choose a roofer from a company that is not located locally, then you can face a lot of issues.
Do they have a license?
Rules and regulations may vary in different countries around the world, but In many countries, the local government requires roofing companies to get licenses. A licensed company is always better to hire than one without a license. This will also be helpful for you in case of any legal issues or if something goes wrong between you and the contractor.
Are the Workers Insured?
After getting information about a company, it is also very important to know if the company provides insurance to its workers or not. This is the insurance that protects the worker if they get injured while doing their job. If you choose a company that does not provide worker’s insurance and the worker gets injured at your property, then there is a great chance that you can be held liable to pay the medical bills of the injured worker.
Who will Exactly Perform the Job?
It happens sometimes that roofing contractors hire subcontractors for some of their contracts. This can lead to many legal issues, and you can get yourself stuck in a mess. Therefore, if this is your case, you should ask the parent company to provide all legal documents of agreement between them and the subcontractors. You should also make sure that the subcontractors have been provided with insurance, etc. Also, ask the main contractor to make all things clear and tell in advance what will happen if the subcontractors will not be able to perform the tasks as expected.
What Will be the Project’s Deadline?
The project deadline is also very important information that you should be aware of in advance. Sometimes, you give a timeline to roofers that you need your project to be completed within a specific period, and they agree. However, they do not come up to your expected time frame and lose customer’s faith in their professional commitment. Therefore, you should know the expected time frame for completing your project. Clearly, the given period allows for a relaxation of a few weeks.
Suggest the Best Roofing Materials
Roofing contractors are the experts who truly understand which materials are best for different types of roofs. Therefore, consult your contractor about the various roofing materials and their suitability for your specific roof. Additionally, certain materials offer natural roof cleaning properties or require less roof cleaner, ensuring your roof stays clean for extended periods.
Will the contract be in Written Form?
It is very important to ask your roofer about this matter. You should make sure that the agreement should be in proper documented form so that legal actions can be taken in case of any issues.
What can cause the price to change?
Though everything is in written form in the agreement, there could be changes during the work that can cause changes in the final price to be paid. Therefore, it is important to ask this question beforehand so that you can have an estimate of the extra prices to be paid in mind.
What is the warranty of your work?
Roof Replacement and roof repair are both huge investments. Therefore, you should ask the roofer about the warranty. For example, dimensional shingle roofs come with a warranty of 25 years or more, while synthetic shingles can last up to 50 years.
Concluding Comments
The roof is a very valuable asset, and you cannot trust just anyone with its replacement or repair work. Therefore, you should make sure about the roofing contractor and that the company is good enough to perform the job by asking questions as listed above.
