What to Look for in a Roofing Contractor

The Time Will Come When You Need a Roofing Contractor

There’s no getting around the fact that sooner or later you’ll need a roofing company for your Indianapolis home. You can lose a roof to high winds, hail, or other storm damage, and even if you’re lucky enough to avoid that sort of sudden mishap, weather and time destroy ever roof eventually. (The average roof needs to be replaced every 15 to 25 years.)

Your roof keeps your house livable and pleasant, protects the structure underneath and the possessions inside, and keeps your heating and cooling bills within bounds. So you’ll want a roofing contractor you can trust to do your roof replacement job properly, especially considering that roof replacement is a not inconsiderable expense.

Your common sense will tell you to look for a roofing company that provides affordable roofing and does good work. But everybody’s common sense tells them that, and yet the Wall Street Journal reports that “Over 1.1 million complaints and lawsuits were filed against contractors last year alone…up 62%.”

So perhaps embracing a couple common-sense principles isn’t enough. That being the case, we here at Stay Dry Roofing would like to offer some specific guidelines for choosing a roofing contractor.

Ten Things to Expect from a Roofing Contractor

A reputable roofing contractor doesn’t ask for full payment up front. Generally speaking, the contractor shouldn’t ask for anymoney up front unless the job requires ordering special non-refundable materials or insurance isn’t covering the job and you have poor credit. Be especially careful of contractors who ask for money up front when the roof is made of standard wood, composition, or tile shingles. This is a common way for dishonest contractors to commit fraud.
A reputable contractor uses only certified installers. Sometimes the roofing company itself has a certification, but that’s not true of every individual employee. Everybody working to install your new roof should have his or her own certification.
There should be a Quality Inspection Checklist and Walk Through. There should be no difficulty about you reviewing the list yourself, and at the completion of the job but before payment, a Certified Inspector should inspect the work.
Your roofing contractor should have a preprinted list of current references. This will include customers from the previous month as well as customers from 1-5 years ago. Additionally, when you ask, the roofing company should be able to supply a list of all customers from the past five years (or longer). The roofer should also be able to give you business references and the names of suppliers.
A reputable roofer has a General Liability Insurance Certificate. The roofer should carry at least $500,000 ($1,000,000 is more standard) for both residential and commercial properties. Never go with a roofing contractor that claims to be “Self-Insured.” If there’s a problem, the contractor is personally liable, and you may well find that your chances of collecting the money for repairs in that situation are slim to nonexistent.
A reputable roofer has a Bank Financial Stability & Character Letter. This signed document vouches for the roofing company’s solvency and integrity.
A trustworthy roofing company has a Supplier Lien Waiver letter. Make sure you demand to see this before the job begins.
A reputable roofing company has a Certification of Technical Competency. Your roofer needs the particular certification stating that the roofer has passed all the technical requirements to install the product that going on yourhouse as per all manufacturer installation guidelines.
A trustworthy roofer has Trade Association Certificates of Standing. Honest, competent roofers typically belong to one or another trade association. Often it’s the National Roofing Contractor Association.
A good roofing contractor should have an Art Certified Contractor Status Letter. Though there’s no actual national governing board for roofers, roofers should be able to show you a letter attesting to the fact that they meet certain standards. They should also be able to show you the list of what those standards are.