Choosing the right person for the job isn’t easy at all. In fact, to succeed you probably need to have an HR degree. To pick the adequate professional roofing company or contractor, you need to do a thorough interview.
Some amateur companies will know how to get around your questions, but with following this short and important guide, you will definitely hire the right person:
- License
The roofer must have a license and a proper one as well. If he/she presents a business license, run away since those are made solely for tax purposes. Roofers that have “real” licenses have been tested and certified as professional workers in their field.
There are contractors that aren’t licensed, but are still good at their jobs. To make sure this applies to your roofer, you need to ask other questions as well. Read reviews online, ask for warranties and insurance. If everything is ok besides the license, don’t be afraid to hire that person.
- Insurance
One of the most important things a contractor must have is insurance. Without it, you might end up responsible for every accident or professional mistake that happens on the job. Don’t ever hire someone that hasn’t got insurance coverage.
There have been thousands of cases where homeowners paid for accidents and injuries. This is why it is also important to ask your roofer if he/she will use subcontractors since they need to be insured as well.
Besides being financially responsible for injuries, without insurance policies, you will also be held responsible for the quality of your new roof.
- Reviews & Referrals
Hiring a contractor is much easier than before. With sites like HomeStars, LinkedIn and Angie’s List, you get to know everything about your contractor before even doing an interview. Reviews are extremely important. The more positive ones, the better outlook on your renovation projects.
Beware of crazy clients! If the roofer has hundreds of positive comments and 1-2 negative ones, chances are somebody is deliberately shaming them. Don’t be afraid to dig around. In most cases, it’s an overly demanding client or just an evil person that likes to shame professionals.
However, if most of the reviews are negative, be precautious. Ask for contact information of previous clients and for the reasons behind those unpleasant reviews.
- Warranty
Warranty is equally important as insurance. A roofer might offer two types of warranties: those considering manual work and those that guarantee for the product’s quality. The warranties vary in length, depending on the roofing material.
Those that cover manual work typically last 1-3 years. The other type can last from 15 to 35 years. Don’t restrain yourself from asking questions. Some certified companies offer extensive warranties which last much longer than regular ones.