6 Important Questions to Ask Your Roofing Contractor

If you do a quick Google search for “roofing contractor”, it is easy to be quickly overwhelmed at the options! Roofing contractors are always competing for your business, and sadly not all of them place high value on trust and integrity.

Because price is such a key component in this market, some roofing contractors will attempt to cut corners so that they can give you a cheaper price. While this may appear great at first, it can mean long-term damage to your roof, house, and other valuable assets.

Below are 6 important questions, and their solutions, that you should ask your local roofing contractor before they climb onto your roof.

1. Do you carry insurance?

Some roofing contractors will attempt to get out of the necessary insurances because of their high price tag. They think that since insurance is expensive, if they don’t have it, then they can give you a cheaper quote.

But if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is…

A contractor’s insurance is what covers them if an employee gets hurt, if they do significant damage to your property, or if they are taken to court. It’s not worth risking huge bills if something goes wrong just to save the quick buck on your remodeling project.

Solution: Ask to see a copy of their current insurance!

2. How will you protect my gutters?

To access your roof, the roofing contractor will need ladders or lifts to access your roof and get materials on and off your roof. If they are not careful, contractors can quickly damage your gutters. Thankfully there is a variety of tools and equipment that roofers can utilize to protect your gutters.

Solution: Make sure the contractor has the necessary tools and will use them!

3. Will you remove my old roof and discard it properly?

Some roofers will ask if they can simply install the new shingles on top of the old one; claiming it will save time, waste, and money.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

An extra layer of shingles will add weight, cause potential warranty problems down the road, and might not fix leaks or current issues that you already have.

Solution: Make sure they will remove the old roof and correctly discard your old shingles.

4. Are you a local company?

While not true 100% of the time, choosing a local roofing contractor over a national contractor will often provide you with better customer service and warranty work. Local contractors rely on good reviews and word-of-mouth referrals, so if they don’t take care of their customers, they can quickly gain a bad reputation in their area. National contractors don’t have to worry as much about customer service or reviews, and depending on their location, they might take awhile to address warranty issues.

Solution: Make sure your roofing contractor is either local or has a local office that you can easily contact if warranty issues arise.

5. What is the warranty on the new roof?

Replacing your roof is not cheap, and you don’t want to be doing it every 1 or 2 decades. The majority of shingles come with 25 to 30 year warranties, and don't let your roofing contractor talk you into smaller warranties to save a little cash.

Solution: Make sure your shingles have a 25-year minimum warranty.

6. Will you provide a written estimate or proposal?

Some contractors will want to look at your roof, give you a verbal estimate, and then do the work. The problem is that their invoice or payment terms may be different than what you discussed when they did their site visit. If you don’t have anything in writing, it can quickly become your word against theirs and cause issues.

Solution: Have the price and payment terms in writing before they start!

If you are in the PA, MD, or DE areas and looking for a reputable roofing contractor, contact us at JMK Roofing today!