What are the key questions I should have answered before I start looking for a contractor to refoof my home? How long would a typical reroofing take? How much should I expect to pay with a standard 1-family home? Is there anything I have to be careful about?
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Well to start you need to make sure they are licensed, certified, and insured.
Do they have a local business license? Do they have a contractors license?
Are they insured with workmans comp and general liability?
Are they certified with they products they are installing on your home? That makes a big difference. Our company is certainteed certified and so are all of our installers. It makes the difference with a warranty too.
Are they willing to provide you with a list of references, and pictures of jobs?
Regarding the roof itself. Ask them are they replacing the flashing? A lot of times contractors leave things like this out to get a lower bid. Are they tearing out the felt paper, so you can see any damaged wood that needs to be replaced? Are they replacing vents, pipe collars, and reflashing the chimney?
This is just to name a few. Make sure you tell them to give you an estimate on everything they can physically see. Alot of times this is also not done, which results in a change order and more money you as the homeowner has to spend. Once you are in a contract the work has to be done.
Hello, I have been roofing for many years and let me tell you there is a lot to do before hiring a roofer to come to your home! First thing, look local, it will be extremely hard to get someone back if there is a problem if they are far away or out of town. Second, get a referral from someone close to you or use a trusted website- like buildzoom.com they do a lot of the leg work for you. Get estimates. Don’t always go with the lowest number but go with the person you feel you trust and feel comfortable with. Always do your home work. check licenses, check and ask for a copy of there insurance, call your township building inspector. If they are a PRO contractors or Roofers the building inspector should know them and will give you his or her honest opinion. Never, never, never hirer a guy that just does jobs on the weekend/fly by niter. You will be jumping over dollars to get pennies. 9 times out of 10 you will be replacing the work they did a lot sooner then you think, there is a reason they are too inexpensive for a full time contractor or roofer to compete! Hope This helps and if you are on this reading this-good for you! you are doing the right thing and starting your homework. Good luck with your new roof on your home!
When looking for the right contractor, referrals are usually the way to go. Even if the contractor does not hold a special certification due to not paying for it, he might still be an AMAZING roofer. The best is to ask around and look at his work. As long as he has his licence and insurance in order, those are the main things you want. The timeline will depend on how big your roof is, if there is any rotted wood, how many men on the crew you have hired, what type of shingles they are using, etc… But lets say its an avg 15 sq walkable. It should take no more than 1-2 days. With a quick hispanic crew I’ve seen it done in as little as 8 hours. The price will also depend on size, crew, material, etc. Is your contractor doing it himself or does he have an 8 person crew. Did you purchase designer shingles or 3-tab? Do you need wood replaced? $400 a sq is avg, if that helps. Do your do diligence. Referalls, referrals, referrals. If your best freind tells you they met the nicest most kind contractor with a heart of gold and quality craftsmanship, I dont think they would want to do you wrong. Dont settle for the lowest price. You will get what you pay for and I will promise you that much. Certain companies charge more for a reason. They buy the best and hire the best and thats why they need to charge more. Angieslist is also a good way to go. If all else fails, go with your gut. It will always steer you right.
Is the roofer or company from your area? There are many “fly by night roofers” or “storm chasers” who come from other states to towns where hailstorms have been. They may do good work, but can you get in touch with them if you have a problem? Do they need money up front? Some smaller businesses may not have enough money to buy materials for your job. If a roofer ask for money up front for materials, ask if you may accompany them to pick up the materials. If you dont have time, ask if you may write a check to the material supplier.
How long does a roof take? No average house should take longer than a week. Certain factors could make a job take longer. Weather is a major factor. Also, having all the materials on the job. This also varies, depending on how many workers are on the job. Another factor is if the roofers use airtools or “handnail” there shingles. I have worked on crews with eight workers who could “tearoff” and “handnail” a thirty square house in a day. Can the roofer get his dump truck around the house? Having to carry old shingles to a dumpster, or dump truck in the driveway will take longer. This usually costs more money. The season of the year is also a factor. Spring and Fall are usually the best time of year to install a shingle roof. The temperatures are not to hot or cold.
How much does a roof cost? Price varies, depending on pitch of roof, is your roof a recover or tearoff, are you using a special order shingle, do you have any bad wood, are you using synthetic felt, are you adding ridge vents or solar vents, is there any extra metal work? Some companies charge more for longer warranties. Quality depends on the roofer not the price.
Is there anything I have to be careful about? Watch out for “scammers.” You can buy materials yourself. Dont pay for labor until job is completed. If exceptions come up, only pay for work that is completed. Insurance, Many smaller roofers cant afford general liability and workmans comp, have them sign a waiver if they cant provide insurance. Get estimates from many companies, most should be around the same price range.
All good points, but I’d be very careful about insurances. Make sure the company has Workers’ Comp and General Liability Insurance. Particularly on Comp, verify the company has a policy in it’s name and not an employee leasing company. If it’s a leasing company, demand to see the roster of named employees from the leasing company and VERIFY everyone on your site is who they should be - easiest and biggest scam out there. Last, ask for a certificate for both insurances with you named as certificate holder. That way you know they didn’t make 1 payment to get a certificate and then never made another payment. Cheating insurance and putting property owners at risk is the biggest scam out there. Comp varies from State to State, but on an average residential roof, it can easily be over $1000.00 saved by the crooked contractor. When someone gets hurt…
I have heard many stories of roofing horrors. One thing that always comes to mind when hearing these stories are the contracts. Make sure you get everything in writting. Chances are that if you dont see it in writing then you probably wont get it. Make sure you get multiple offers and always trust your gut. If something doesnt feel right dont do it.