Are you in the market for a new roof, or roof repair, and don’t know who to turn to? You may have heard a couple of nasty things about some roofers. Sometimes, especially in times of need, some untrustworthy roofers attempt to take advantage of vulnerable clients.
That being said, by taking the right precautions, staying local, and properly vetting the contractors you’re considering, you can find a company that will do great work, and won’t burn you in the process.
After reading this article, you’ll know five easy ways to ensure you choose a local, dependable, and trustworthy roofer. Let’s jump in!
Asking those around you should be one of the first steps to take before starting any new project, but especially one as important (and potentially costly) as a roof repair or replacement.
Local roofers are well-known for their personalized and friendly approach. If the company you’re considering is local, you can easily check them out. It’s likely they’ve worked on the roof of your family, friends, neighbors, or coworkers, so consult with them to verify a roofer’s reputation.
Your mother-in-law might have a story about a time when a contractor went above and beyond to repair a leak in her skylight, and then used the same company years later to do an entire replacement. Or, a colleague could tell a tragedy about a particularly pushy salesman, and a company that hired subpar subcontractors to complete the work, leading to a shoddy roof and unfulfilled promises.
Customer testimonies are some of the best ways to verify someone’s work, so if you know people who have gone through projects similar to the one you are facing, be sure to ask them before making a decision of your own.
After gathering some recommendations from your close-contacts, go online to see what other customer’s opinions are.
Online reviews can do a great job of raising any potential red flags on a business, such as how they dealt with a complaint. It’s a good idea to look at reviews from the last 3-4 months, so you can get an idea of how customers have been treated in recent memory.
Pro tip: Check to see if the business responds to the reviews, and how they do it. A company that thanks its customers for good ratings, and addresses negative reviews with a positive attitude, is likely one you’ll want to work with.
You should, however, take online reviews with a grain of salt – as with anything on the internet, they can sometimes be over-exaggerated or slightly untrue.
One important, but surprisingly overlooked step of hiring a local roofer is making sure they are actually local.
Larger, regional companies can have massive service areas, and a huge number of jobs going at any given moment. Though they might have the infrastructure in place to dedicate the proper time and resources to your project, they likely won’t be as easy to get in touch with after the job is done.
Additionally, some “Storm Chasers” – companies that travel across the country looking for damaged roofs after natural disasters – may move into an area following a big storm, attempting to take advantage of people in need.
In order to thwart these bad actors, or ensure that you’re working with someone within reach: check the company’s phone number for the right area code, and verify that they have a physical office location in your area.
You can use this tip in two separate, but equally helpful ways
Viewing a contractor’s work in person will give you a much better idea of how it would translate to your home, and a company’s social work will demonstrate how dedicated they are to benefitting your shared community, and not just making a profit.
If you’re still between a few roofing companies at this point, one great way to validate their quality is by seeing how long they’ve been in business.
Not only does a longer standing business show its experience and quality, it also shows that the company isn’t a scam. Some less reputable companies will go out of business under one name, leaving projects incomplete and customers out of luck, and then reopen under a new alias.
Experience matters when choosing a roofing contractor. New faces entering the market may know the basics of repair and installation, but seasoned professionals benefit from their many years in the industry.
Not all projects go smoothly. Once the old roof is removed, it’s common for contractors to find additional issues. If this happens, a certified and tested roofer will be better prepared to handle the situation. Because of their experience, you can trust them to understand the cause of your problem, along with the best materials, approaches, and practices to address it.
Now that you know how to find a local roofer, you can comfortably make the best decision for you, your home, and your roof.
If you still need some suggestions, read our blog on The 5 Best Roof Replacement Companies in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Here at On Tops Roofing, we have repaired and replaced roofs in the Triangle for over 30 years, so if you have any questions about us or our industry, we’re here to help!