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What to Look for When Hiring a Roofer
September 16th, 2015
Looking for a Roofer in Vancouver Area?
Are you trying to find a qualified, experienced roofer? A quick look at the Better Business Bureau listing of roofers in any medium-sized city is likely to produce up to 100 potential contractors. That’s a pretty big number to wade through if you want to find quality, affordable services. Nevertheless, not all roofers are created equally, and as a homeowner you should never leave your roof in the hands of just anyone. Indeed, your roof is arguably the most important structure of your home, and you want to ensure it’s in top condition. So, what should you look for when hiring a roofer?
Don’t worry; there are a few factors to look for when you are hiring a roofer. First, ask friends, family, and colleagues for referrals. In all likelihood, you’ll notice that some roofing contractors are more commonly cited by the people you know than others – and this is a good sign that they’re at least competent roofers. Even if you can’t get a few referrals to the same roofer, you should certainly ask for some references so that you can get first-hand reports from homeowners about the quality of their roofing work.
You should also ensure that your roofing contractor has a fixed address and make a visit to their location. If you can verify that a roofer has occupied the same business address in your community for an extended period of time, it will be easier to verify their reputation. Shoddy tradesmen are more likely to change business names or addresses so they can more easily escape their negative reputation. On the other hand, imagine a roofer that has been working under the same business name at the same address for 30 years. Now imagine that roofer can provide dozens of local references. You can see, you’re probably working with a quality roofer.
Still, even if you can identify a roofer with established roots in the community and great reputations with past clients, you want to make sure they have experience with your type of project. Have they worked with the type of materials or application materials required for your roof? The most reputable roofers are likely going to tell you whether or not they have the necessary experience, but make sure to ask for examples.
Finally, you want to ensure your roofer is properly licensed and insured in your area. By its nature, roofing is a somewhat dangerous trade, and as a homeowner you do not want to be liable for injury to roofers or even passersby. Your roofing contractor should have an exceptional health and safety record and should also be able to provide evidence that they are properly insured.
While finding a good roofer can be a time consuming process that requires some research on your part, it’s worth the effort. Quality roofing at an affordable price can be difficult to come by, so make sure to take the time to find the right person for the job.
