There are lots of roofing companies out there. It is likely there are dozens in your area alone, especially if you live in a large city. And when you need a roofing job done, it’s not something that can afford to wait. Whether it’s a small leak or something more serious, you want to get that repaired as soon as possible.
Sometimes when disaster strikes like that, it’s easy to make a quick decision. Unfortunately, many people have been burned by choosing a contractor without doing their research. In this article, we’re going to tell you 10 ways to know if you’re working with a company you can trust.
1: The Roofing Company Has Insurance
The first thing you can check to know the trustworthiness of a contractor is whether or not they have insurance. Trustworthy roofing companies should be able to provide you with proof of insurance. They should have both workman’s compensation and liability insurance.
Although you don’t want any accidents to happen, you never know what could go wrong on a job site. Knowing that your contractor holds insurance can give you peace of mind that you wouldn’t have otherwise. It protects you and your family, as well as the workers on the site.
2: The Roofing Company is Accredited
In addition to holding insurance, you also want to know that the roofing company is accredited. There are a few different kinds of accreditations and certifications. You can check the Better Business Bureau’s website to see if a given company is accredited with them.
If your job requires a specific type of expertise, you may want to ask for other certifications as well. These could include being factory-certified through GAF or a state-specific certification.
3: The Roofing Company Has Experience
Paperwork is important. You want to be able to see, written down, that the company is trustworthy. But, that doesn’t necessarily translate to quality work. Ask the contractor how long his company has been in business.
New companies can still do a great job, and they often have. However, if you can find a company that has been doing business for decades, you can know that they haven’t built that much success by doing a shoddy job.
4: The Roofing Company Can Show You Examples of Their Work
Along with that, see if the company can show you some of the work they’ve completed. They likely have taken before-and-after photos of job sites they worked on. Ask them if they can share that with you. This can give you an idea of what kind of work to expect.
Lots of companies will have this kind of information on their website. If it’s there, you can take a look at it. Some smaller contractors may not be at that stage yet, but they can likely send you photos of their work.
5: The Roofing Company Was Referred To You
When you’re looking for any kind of contractor in your area, asking friends is a great place to start. If you know someone who has worked with a given contractor in the past, that can really help you make a decision. They can tell you what kind of work they did, what they charged, and whether they would recommend them.
If your friend recommends a company to you, then you know you can count on that contractor.
6: The Roofing Company Has Lots of Positive Reviews
This is not always a guaranteed indicator of trustworthiness, but it does carry some weight. Take some time to look online. Check google reviews and sites like HomeAdvisor or Angie’s List.
If lots of people in your community have had positive experiences with a company, then that’s a great sign that you will too. In the same vein, if there are a lot of negative reviews, take that as a red flag. Just know that online reviews can often come from either an overly positive or overly negative experience. You often won’t read about the more average experience of these contractors’ clients.
7: The Roofing Company is Currently Working on a Job
If the company is currently working on a roofing job, that means two things for you. One, you know that someone else thought it was worth hiring them recently — which is a good sign.
Two, you can ask the contractor if you can stop by the site. This can help you see how the roofers work. Are they working quickly or slowly? What kind of safety equipment are they using? How long has it taken them to do this job? You can get answers to all of these questions this way.
8: The Roofing Company Has Lots of Employees
Now, this is another area that may be misleading, but it can be helpful. If you’re interested in working with a roofing company, and they only have 5 employees, that doesn’t mean they are untrustworthy. But, if you find a company with, say, 1,000 employees, that is a sign they have taken the time to grow and build their business.
That level of success tells you something about the company’s trustworthiness. You can take note of that. Again, a low number of employees does not necessarily mean there’s a problem. However, lots of employees is typically a good sign.
9: The Roofing Company Charges a Reasonable Amount
See what the company wants to charge you. You may reach out to some roofing companies and get an unbelievably low quote. While it might sound great, if it sounds too good to be true, it often is.
If the contractor isn’t charging you enough for the job, then that should raise red flags. There is likely a reason he or she isn’t charging you as much, and that can mean low-quality work.
10: The Roofing Company Has Been Pre-Screened
There are networks online of pre-screened, vetted roofing companies that you can trust. Websites like GetYourQuote.com have extensive lists of contractors in lots of cities across the country. They take the time to pre-screen these companies to ensure that they will do a good job at a fair price.
In addition, GYQ will help you get a quote from roofing companies in your area for free. This can be a great help when you’re looking for a trustworthy roofing company. It takes most of the hard work out of it. They can help match you with a contractor in no time. You just have to contact them with the details of your project, your location, and your expected timeline.
From there, they will get you in contact with trustworthy roofing companies near you.
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