When you realize that you need a new roof or that you are having some problems with the one you have and need to have it repaired, even though it’s not yet ready for replacement, you have three choices: you can do it yourself, you can hire a handyman, or you can get a roofing contractor. For minor repairs doing it yourself or getting a handyman usually works just fine, but for larger repairs you really want someone who specifically works with roofing, and this is even more true for roofs that are unique – tile, slate, or commercial building roofs, for example. When you’re choosing a roofing contractor you need to ensure that the one that you pick is right for you, and there are several ways to do that.
First, ask around. If there are friends, co-workers or family members who have recently had work done on their roofs, find out what their experience was like. Did the workers get there on time? Did they do a good job? Was the price the same as the estimate? Getting the overall impression of what these people thought of their roofing contractors can go a long way toward selecting one for yourself. You don’t have to use the same contractor as someone you know if you don’t want to, but getting the impressions of people that you know can help you narrow down your search so that you can start getting estimates.
You should get estimates from several of these contractors and don’t just automatically pick the first one you talk to or the one that your friend recommended. Having a house re-roofed is a big job, and even a large repair can be time-consuming and costly, so it’s very important to make sure that you get someone who you feel you can trust. When you’ve narrowed down your list, check with the better business bureau to make sure that the company you’re thinking of giving your hard-earned money to is legitimate and really knows what it’s doing.
At that point there should be very few contractors left on your list. Pick the one that you feel best about. Intuition is often ignored but it is a very powerful tool, so you should use it to the best of your ability in choosing a roofing contractor. When you’ve done the research and gone with your gut as well it becomes very difficult to get a roofing contractor that won’t do the job correctly for the price that was originally quoted.