Common Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring A Roofer

Hiring a wrong roofer could cost you more than you can imagine. It’s normal; every homeowner wants to cut cost when carrying out roof replacement or repairs. But never compromise quality. Otherwise, you may spend more in the long run. 

In this article, you will learn the common mistakes to avoid when hiring a roofer. Trust me, hiring a wrong roofer is a nightmare you wouldn’t want to experience.

Avoid The Storm Chasers

Oh! The storm chasers are shady roofers you shouldn’t think of hiring. Whenever there's a storm, wind, or hail affecting an area, these roofers will start searching for roofing related jobs. 

The storm-chasing roofers don’t have liability insurance or worker’s compensation program. Regrettably, they don’t care about the quality of the repairs or replacement they will do for you. 

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Do you know what they are interested in? Your hard-earned money. After all, they never have to see you again after the project. 

Sometimes, these roofers may even collect your money and never do the job. So, if you don’t want to be disappointed in real-time or get your hopes shattered, try as much as possible to stay away from storm chasers. 

Don’t Hire A Fixer Who’s Doing Another Roofing Job In Your Neighborhood.

I have met many homeowners who are victims of this kind of roofer. Most often than none, he knocks at your door and offers to repair or fix your roof since he’s working in the neighborhood.  

Most times, these roofers won’t give you any warranty on the roof replacement, and you may never see them again. Most of these fixers who claimed to be doing a roofing job in your neighborhood are from other States. 

They may not even have a physical office or online presence. And if you fall for their discount pricing approach, you may be a victim of another roofer’s scam. How do I know? It’s because few of my clients told me about their experience. 

Avoid The Weekend Warrior

A weekend warrior could be your friend or a regular contractor who offers to repair your roof at a lower price. Now get this clear, weekend warriors aren’t fraud, but they don’t have liability insurance or workers compensation program.

So, they will expose you to legal issues should hazard happens while working on your roof. You are positive that nothing will happen right? But what if someone got injured while working on your roof? You could be spending far more than you can imagine. 

Furthermore, a weekend contractor usually spends more time than necessary on projects. And when you work with a weekend warrior, bear in mind that you don’t have any form of liability insurance cover. It could cost you more if your home is affected by flood due to improper installations. 

Don’t Hire A Regular Roofer To Install Specialty Roof like PVC or a Metal roof.

This is another mistake homeowners make when hiring a roofer. If your home uses a specialty roof like PVC or a metal roof, you need to hire a roofer who specializes in that area. Trust me, hiring a regular roofer will only make things worse for you. 

For instance, it will be thoughtless to hire a roofer who specializes in shingles to handle a standing seam metal roof. Do you know why? It’s because “shingles only roofers” don’t have the expertise to handle seam metal roof or cedar shakes etc. 

While there are several asphalt shingles roofer out there, only a few specialize in other systems. So, as a roofer with over three decades of experience, I would advise you to hire a specialist. Otherwise, disaster is inevitable on your roof. 

Always Research and Vet Contractors Before Hiring Them

I don’t know if I mentioned this earlier, your roof is an essential part of your home. And roof replacement or repairs require serious attention. Do you know why? When things go wrong, it will affect other aspects of your home. For this reason, you must check the contractor's track record and experience before hiring them. 

So, don’t hire any contractor who has spent less than five years in the roofing business. Such contractor may not be around to honor his warranty when you have faulty installations with your roof. 

It’s good to give contractors with little experience a chance. You could provide a simple repair task to roofers with little work history. But it won’t be wise to hire them for a full roof replacement project. I’m sure you aren’t ready to toy with your hard-earned dollars. 

Furthermore, ensure you check a contractor’s reputation before hiring them. It would be better to hire a small local contractor with excellent track records and commendations than a large company without proper records. 

Never Hire a Roofing Company That Uses Subcontractors

The easiest way to get a substandard job is when you hire a company that uses subcontractors. If you can check the subcontractors’ track records, it could work out. But it’s better to hire a roofing company that will be working directly on your roof rather than sending someone to handle it. 

Try To Meet Your Project Manager Before Signing The Contractor

Ordinarily, you should meet your project manager before you sign the contract. Try to have a conversation with him and know how he’ll be handling things.

If you don’t have confidence in him or his crew, you can look for another contractor. It’s essential to trust your instinct when hiring a roofing contractor. Trust me; it never disappoints you. 

Ensure You Discuss The Clean-up and Landscaping Protection Requirements

Always discuss your expectations with the contractor in terms of clean -up and landscaping protection. So, discuss how you want debris clean-up to be as well as landscaping protection. Once you are on the same page with the contractor on this, you can now sign the contract. 

Try To Read The Terms and Conditions Of A Contract Before Signing It

This is another place most homeowners goof when hiring a contractor. They are often in haste to get their roofing project done. As a result of this, they forget to read the terms and conditions of the contract. And they often end up accepting terms that they aren’t comfortable with. 

As a rule, ask questions before signing the contract. If there are confusing terms in the agreement, seek a proper explanation. Otherwise, you may be on the losing end. 

Verify the Contractor’s Liability And Worker’s Compensation Coverage

You can never be too careful when hiring a contractor. Even though the process takes a longer time, ensure you are hiring the right person for the job. 

Many contractors may claim to have liability insurance and worker’s comp coverage. But in reality, they don’t have it. I had seen a situation when a contractor’s crew were working on a roof, and one of them fell down and seriously injured. 

Trust me; the contractor was sued and paid damages heavily. However, if the contractor had workers’ compensation coverage, it would have taken care of sure incidence. There are so many other instances when contractors have to spend more on hiring a contractor with a liability or worker’s compensation. 

Hiring a roofing contractor is easier than ever. With several review websites like Yelp and Angie’s List, you can always know what other people are saying about a contractor. 

Are you a homeowner in Connecticut and its environment? Are you planning to carry out a roof repair or replacement project? Do you need an experienced and reliable contractor with over 30 years of professional experience?

If the answer to the questions mentioned above is Yes, then you should hire Suburban Roofing LLC. We understand that roof damage or repairs is every homeowner’s nightmare; this is why we give our client the best roofing installation. 

Before you hire us, we will send a detailed proposal explaining how we will handle your project. For every roofing installation we manage for you, we will give you a 25 years workmanship guarantee in writing. 

Sounds interesting, right? Contact us on 860-982-4345! Always remember, your satisfaction is our priority. 

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