To protect their biggest investments, homeowners should ensure that their roofs are in good condition. This means working with reputable roofing contractors to regularly inspect, repair or replace aging or damaged materials as needed. But how do you choose a reputable, experienced contractor who can provide quality materials and service? Here’s what you should demand when hiring a Denver roofing company.
Referrals
You will have a much lower chance of encountering potential issues or scams if you choose a contractor with a brick-and-mortar presence in your community. They will be more familiar with local code regulations and have an established relationship with area crews and suppliers.
Liability Insurance
Make sure that your roofing contractor has liability insurance. Ask to see the certificates and follow through by calling the insurance carrier to confirm that they are, in fact, valid. This will protect you from having to pay for any damage to your property or a neighbor’s home that might occur as a result of the roofing contractor’s work.
Worker’s Comp Insurance
Homeowners need to protect themselves from liability by making sure the roofing contractor has workman’s comp insurance. While this is required by Colorado law, some less-reputable roofers are willing to risk going without. Even if the contractor has worker’s comp insurance, they may work with subcontractors who aren’t covered. If anyone on the job site gets seriously hurt, the homeowner can be held liable for medical expenses.
Choose a Local Roofer
Always make sure to choose a local roofing company with a local phone number, a Colorado license plate, and local street address (not a P.O. Box). This will help protect you from unscrupulous roofers who travel from state to state executing scams.
It’s not uncommon for customers to have problems within a standard five-year roofing warranty period because the company either closed, moved or simply vanished. It’s easy to provide a homeowner with a convincing piece of paper, but the warranty will only be valid as long as the roofing company stays in business.
Reasonable Prices
While we all want a great deal, it’s not wise to choose a roofing company based on price. Especially low prices often suggest that the roofers are less-reputable providers who may be working out of a pick-up truck part time. It also often means that they will use cheaper materials that won’t hold up to extreme weather.
In the long run, you can expect to get what you pay for. Customers that use pricing as their sole criteria usually end up spending more money to fix problems that would have been covered under a rock-solid workmanship guarantee provided by a reputable, established roofing company.
A Written Contract
It’s important to get important job details in writing. Be sure to ask how long a job will take and ask how the contractor will deal with refuse materials. Discuss the terms of payment before work begins, and make sure you are satisfied with the results before you issue final payment.
Good Communication
Poor communication isn’t just frustrating; it’s a sign of a less-reputable contractor. Does the roofer return your calls in a timely manner? Did they send you documentation you requested? If the answer is “no,” you should be very wary.
Avoiding Scams
Many people are surprised to learn that roofing scams are very common. There are a lot of unscrupulous people who travel from community to community, knocking on doors after violent hail storms. These scams usually begin with a free inspection. Once the scammer gets atop your roof, however, they will often fabricate damage or even pull up shingles to help make a sale.
In some instances, they may show you photos of a different damaged roof on their smartphones and claim that you are looking at photos of your roof. This is why it’s important to carefully research a contractor before you let them onto your roof. If they can’t provide local references or don’t have a local brick-and-mortar presence, look for another provider.
Sonners Contracting provides Denver, Castle Rock and the entire Front Range area with expert roof inspections, flawless repairs and new roof installations. Contact our skilled roofing professionals to make sure your roof is in great shape to protect your home and hold up to Colorado’s harsh weather.
