Choosing the right roofing company or contractor can be difficult. Here in Portland we have a ton of roofing companies and contractors that you can work with. Here are our tips to help you choose the right roofer for your project:
- Only work with roofing companies and roofers that are licensed, bonded, and insured. If they do not present this information to you, be sure to ask. Additionally, get their CCB license number and look them up with it. This will let you know if others have had difficulties with them in the past that you should be aware of.
- Ask friends, family, coworkers and others for recommendations.
- Check with the roofer if they have a reference list. Most reputable roofers and roofing companies will have a list of happy customers that you can contact. You can also look online to see if people have left reviews on Google, Angie’s List, Facebook and other places about the roofer or roofing company.
- Work with established, local companies. If you work with a company that has been around your area for a while, it is more likely to continue to be around when you need an item that is under warranty fixed.
- Don’t pick your roofing company purely on price. It’s better work with the company you trust than to work with someone cheap who seems sketchy. That said, sometimes the cheaper bid makes sense for the work needed. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable with the company and the roofers working there.
- Make sure the roofer communicates clearly and responds to your concerns. If you cannot communicate with your roofer or roofing company, you may not understand what you are paying for.
- Get the bid in writing. A verbal bid means as much as the air it’s spoken into… it’s an empty promise. Make sure you get a roofing bid or estimate in writing and you understand what factors could make the roofing work cost more. These might be that you decide upon different roofing material or it could be that the roofer encounters issues like dry rot. The written estimate should be explicit.
- Read the entire contract before signing. Most roofing contracts are not extremely complicated, but be sure you read them before signing. They will often give information on caveats, payment, and warranties that you really need to know.
- Find out how permanent the proposed repairs are. It only makes sense for you to spend money on temporary repairs if that’s all you can pay for right now and you need immediate work done. But if your roofer is only proposing a temporary solution to your roofing problem, get a second or third opinion before working with the roofer.
- Check the Better Business Bureau, Home Builders Association, and Construction Contractor’s Board to see if any complaints have been lodged against the roofer or roofing company. This information will help you decide if the roofer is someone you want to work with or not.
Roofing problems can may seem so severe that a homeowner must rush into repairs. However, it’s always better to make sure you trust your roofer or roofing company and feel comfortable with working with them before getting the work done and providing payment.