Before hiring a roofing company, there are certain questions you should ask. Confidence in your roofing contractor is important when hiring professionals to work on your roof in Columbus Ohio. To make sure you’re dealing with the right company we’ve listed five questions you should ask contractors before starting a home improvement project with them.
- Are you licensed and insured?
Making sure your roofing contractor is properly licensed and insured will provide peace of mind for the homeowner. This insurance will cover any potential damage to your home that may occur during the new roof installation.
- Can you give me a written estimate for the work performed?
Your roofing contractor should provide you with a written estimate detailing the scope of work that needs to be done. Your estimate should include the price to repair or replace the roof including labor and material costs. Also, any incidentals, deposit and method of payment should be outlined on the estimate. There are many elements to a roof replacement so sometimes the estimate could have some variance. Generally speaking, your initial estimate may vary up to 5-10% from the final charges. Anything more than that is a red flag issue.
- Who will be responsible for cleaning the site and the necessary permits?
It is the roofing contractor’s responsibility to secure all the appropriate permits to perform the work on your roof. Also, if dealing with a professional roofing company, it is there responsibility to make sure the work site is clean up and restored to normal condition. Most licensed roofing contractors in Columbus Ohio will have a post work checklist that will be reviewed with homeowner after the work is completed.
- What are the warranties on the services and products?
Different warranties are given depending on the material used on your roof. If you are planning to have three-tab shingles, then the warranty is roughly 15-20 years. If it is architectural shingles, then the warranty lasts 30 years. Professional roofing contractors will also have an installation warranty on the roof as well. It usually varies from 3-5 years and covers issues that have resulted from the installation of the roof, not weather conditions.
- Do you have a reference we can call/better business rating?
Most reputable roofing contractors will be able to give you plenty of references to contact who can give you a review of the company. With the recommendation from previous customers it will ensure you are hiring the right roofing contractor that will get the job done and provide quality services. It is also wise to check to see if your roofer has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and how they handle customer conflicts if any.
- Does your company work with insurance companies?
If you need to make a claim for roof damage, make sure the residential roofing contractor you are going to hire knows how to deal with insurance companies. There are many advantages in working with a contractor who has this experience, including assisting you in getting a fair estimate, working through a denied claim, identifying a low settlement and pointing out discrepancies on the roof damage.