Choosing the Right Roofer When choosing a roofing contractor it is important to know that not all roofing contractors are the same! Over the years, roofing contractors have gotten a bad reputation due to both crooked and inexperienced contractors, which is why it is important for you to do your due diligence when choosing your roofer! There are a few very important things to consider when choosing the company that will be installing or repairing one of the most important and costly maintenance items on your home. Here are the five most important things to consider: INSURANCE – As obvious as it may seem, it is very important that a roofing contractor has legitimate and sufficient general liability insurance. Unlike electrical, plumbing and HVAC trades, there is no regulation for the roofing trade in the state of Texas. Texas roofers aren’t required to carry insurance which can leave homeowners unprotected. To confirm a contractor has valid insurance, ask the contractor for a copy of their Certificate of Insurance and call the listed provider on the certificate to verify. REFERENCES – Ask for customer and trade references! Have your contractor provide you with the contact information of 3 to 5 customer references who have had projects similar to yours. Ask the references if the project was completed in a timely manner. Did the project have any issues that arose and how did the contractor handle them? What could the contractor have done better? Would you recommend them to your family and friends, and why? Also, request the contact information of the material supplier that the contractor does business with. Call the material supplier’s location and ask to speak with the branch manager. Find out if your con-
tractor is in good standings with the supplier and how long they have been doing business with them. KNOWLEDGE – How knowledgeable is the roofing contractor’s representative? A contractor needs to be thoroughly knowledgeable in not only the products that they are proposing to install, but also in the application of those products. It is important to know who is going to be responsible for overseeing your project from start to finish and ensure that you are receiving a roofing system that meets and/or exceeds the industry standards. WARRANTY SERVICE – In the event that there is an issue down the road with your new roof, it is important to ask how, in detail, the contractor will handle the issue. Ask how long of a response time you should expect to have your issue addressed and does the contractor have dedicated staff that handles these types of issues. Anyone can install a roof but knowing that a contractor can provide continued service to you after the roof is installed is extremely important! STABILITY – How long has the company been in business and are they locally based? We recommend that you consider doing business with a company that has been in business for at least five years and has a physical location that you can visit. Nothing can make you feel more confident in doing business with someone when you know where to find them and you know they are not going anywhere anytime soon!!! These simple guidelines are a good starting point to give you confidence in finding and choosing a reputable roofer. Call 1st Choice Roofing & Construction at 281-378-2431 for all your roofing needs.h
