Questions You Should Ask a Roofer Before You Hire

It’s important to hire the right contractor to handle any of your roofing needs. There could be a lot of roofers near where you live and if you want the best job for the best price, you may need to shop around. Asking the right questions, however, can help you to narrow down your search and hire the right contractor the first time.

Do You Have a License?

In most states, a license is required to operate as a roofing contractor. Florida is one of these states, which means that any contractor you talk to should have a license. The license should also be up-to-date. Anyone without a current roofing license to operate in your area should be crossed off your list.

What Insurance Do You Have?

If something goes wrong during the roofing work, it’s important to know who is liable. If the roofing contractor doesn’t have liability insurance that covers worker injuries, the homeowner could be on the hook. Your contract should have both general liability insurance as well as workers’ comp insurance.

What Is the Warranty on the Roof?

It’s also important to know how long the warranty will be for your roof. The minimum warranty you should look for is 25 years, depending on the material used on the roof. Longer-lasting materials should come with a longer warranty. Too short a warranty may indicate that the contractor knows that the roof won’t last very long and doesn’t want to pay for a replacement.

Do You Provide Written Estimates?

It’s a good idea to get everything in writing before you consider signing. Having a written estimate of what the work on your roof will cost so that you can compare it to other roofers’ estimates can help you to decide between different roofers.

How Long Have You Been in Business?

The longer a contractor has been in business, the more possible reviews you can check out. Additionally, they’ll also be more experienced. That isn’t to say that newer roofers won’t do a good job and that every long-term contractor is excellent, but you can see more examples of other work that contractor has done if they’ve been in business for a while.

How Will You Protect My Lawn?

During your roofing project, there could be a lot of people walking on your lawn to get to the roof. Additionally, there are roofing materials that have to be transported onto and off of the roof. Your roofer should have a plan for how to protect your lawn and any landscaping and plants from traffic and materials.

What Will You Do to Make Sure the Project Is Completed on Time?

While unexpected delays could occur, you’ll want to make sure that your contractor has a plan to complete your project on time. You don’t want to have your roof half-finished when hurricane season rolls around because a contractor was overbooked and kept pushing your project back. Some delays may be unavoidable, but there are problems that a contractor can plan for, such as needing additional materials, weather, and more.