Questions to Ask a Potential Residential Roofing Contractor

Spring is just around the corner, and that means it’s the perfect time to make some updates to your house. If you want to invest in the curb appeal, financial value, and practical function of your home, then the roof is an ideal place to start. In fact, choosing the right roofing material could result in as much as a 30% decrease in your home’s energy needs, all while improving the way your home looks from the outside.

Once you’ve decided to invest in new roofing, it’s time to start reaching out to residential roofing contractors to see what they can do for you. When choosing a residential roofing contractor, it’s important to find the perfect team for the job. To do this, there are a few questions you can ask when talking with potential residential roofing contractors.

Here’s what you should ask.

Do I Need to Pay Upfront to Pay for Materials?

The first thing to know when looking for residential roofing contractors is that you should be wary of any company offering a great deal on “leftover” roofing materials. Typically, homeowners only pay after work has been performed. Unfortunately, some contractors out there have taken their clients money and run with it without even completing the job. That’s not the case with all contractors out there, but in order to protect yourself, be careful of contractors who ask for too much money upfront.

Are You Licensed?

This one should be a given: Ask the potential contractor if they have a license and proof of insurance. The precise licensing requirements will vary from state to state, but no legitimate roofing company will hesitate to show you their credentials. Here in Virginia, virtually every home contractor requires a licence of some kind, which ensures that they are actually qualified to complete the work safely and competently. So if the contractor isn’t licensed, it’s probably a good idea to move on to the next person. Likewise, without proof of insurance, you could be opening yourself up to unnecessary liability.

Do You Have Workers Compensation Insurance or General Liability?

As stated in the above question, it’s important for roofers to know how to keep you and their team safe while doing their job. Unfortunately, some accidents are inevitable and can’t be controlled. Sometimes, the person doing the job might misplace their footing and end up slipping or getting hurt. Asking the potential contractor if they have workers compensation insurance or general liability coverage is very important. If they don’t have the appropriate insurance coverage and someone on their team gets injured, it’s all on you. If they were to get injured on your property without the proper insurance coverage, you could be out a lot of money and have to deal with a huge lawsuit. By simply asking the question above, you’re preventing some major problems for yourself.

Having a new roof placed on your house is a big deal. Not only will it look great, but it will last for many years to come. To make sure the job is done properly and to your liking, make sure you ask the questions listed above when speaking with a potential contractor.