Building or repairing your home is always a wise investment, considering you’ll be spending much of your time there. Your roof is likely to be the first part of your home to get damaged. When looking to install a new roof or repair the damaged one, you’ll be faced with two choices: Do it yourself or hire a roofing company to do it for you. While doing it yourself can save you a ton of money, it will take up a big chunk of your time, and if you’ve never done it before, you may end up with poor quality work. Plus, roof installation and repair is a risky task. That’s why hiring an experienced and trusted roofing company to do it is the best option. However, choosing a trusted roofing company can be a challenge, considering that there are many experienced roofing companies out there. If you live in Kalamazoo, here are some tips on how to find trusted roofers in the area.
Get Referrals From Local Friends and Family
The painful part of choosing a roofing contractor is that you could end up with an unfit contractor or a scammer who could do mediocre work. That’s why it’s a good idea to hire one from your local area. There are many benefits to hiring a local roofing company.
First, you can talk to them face-to-face. That means you can visit their physical offices and talk with them about your roofing project. This eliminates the possibility of ending up with a scammer or hiring an inexperienced contractor who could run out on you when problems manifest.
Second, they are conversant with local building codes. When undertaking any roof installation or repair project, you have to comply with both international and local building codes. Local roofing companies are conversant with both local and international building codes. Out-of-town roofing contractors might overlook these local building codes and this can create conflict with the local authorities.
Third, you get personalized attention. Local roofing contractors guarantee personalized attention to your roofing project. They also guarantee attention to quality, detail, as well as personalized customer service and support.
When looking to hire a roofer in Kalamazoo, get referrals from the local area. First, ask local friends and family. They might know a great local roofing contractor. They might also have hired a local roofing contractor to carry out their roofing project before. Your local hardware store can be a great resource as well, local contractors probably source materials from them.
Make Sure They are Licensed
Roofing is a very important project for your home. A license is a guarantee that the roofing contractor has undergone the necessary training and has extensive experience doing roofing installation and repair work. That’s because most states only offer licenses to contractors who have continuously operated in the area for more than three years.
Also, before any state offers a roofing license, the contractor must know and adhere to the local safety standards, as well as other regulations affecting the roofing industry. A license also guarantees high standards. That means the contractor will use top quality materials, as well as the right installation methods to carry out the roofing project.
A license is also a guarantee of integrity. Licensed roofing contractors are responsible and reliable. They hire expert and experienced contractors who produce quality work. They also inspect the project from the beginning to the end to ensure the set standards are adhered to throughout the project.
Before hiring a roofing contractor, ask to see their license and make sure it’s valid. Also, make sure it’s authentic, as there are fake licenses out there.
Ensure They Are Insured
Roof installation and repair is a dangerous pursuit. Roofers face many risks when undertaking a roofing project. A worker might fall off the roof and break several bones. They may break their neck or die as a result of the fall. They are also exposed to other hazards, such as volatile tars, burns, chemicals, injuries emanating from roofing debris, and electrocution from exposed power cables. If a worker becomes a victim of one of these accidents and the roofing contractor doesn’t have insurance, you’ll have to take care of the medical expenses of that injured worker. And if the worker dies as a result of the fall or the injuries, you face an even bigger problem because the family can file a lawsuit.
That’s why it’s important to hire an insured roofing contractor to carry out your roofing project. The insurance company will cover the cost of medical in case a worker is injured during the roofing project. They will also take care of all the costs in case a worker dies as a result of a fall. Ask to see the insurance and ensure it valid.
Get Multiple Bids For The Roofing Project
Contacting only one roofing company is one of the gravest mistakes you can make when choosing a roofing contractor, as you’re more likely to end up with an unqualified contractor. Contact multiple roofing companies and ask them to send their quotes and project timelines. Then, shortlist 2 or 3 that meet your project requirements. Organize a face-to-face meeting with them to talk about your project. Shortlisting local roofing companies will help here because it would be easier to visit their brick-and-motor offices and talk to them face-to-face. Also, ask the contractors to visit your home to see the nature of the project in order to get an accurate project cost estimate. These estimates will guide you in choosing the right contractor for your roofing project.
Do Your Own Due Diligence
You can find the best roofer in Kalamazoo who meets all your project requirements, but still, get poor quality work. That’s why it’s important to do your own due diligence before hiring one. A legit contractor must have a business website that spells out the kinds of roofing work they do. The business website should display their physical address, and contact details, such a phone number, and email address. Make sure to check all this information online to ensure that you hire a trusted roofer in Kalamazoo.
Look At Their Track Record
A roof is a very important part of any home. It protects you from all kinds of weather conditions. It also determines the aesthetic and resale value of your home. Therefore, it should be properly installed. It should also be repaired regularly to ensure it stays in good condition. To have your roof properly installed and maintained, you need to hire a roofing contractor with extensive experience and expertise in doing roofing installation and maintenance work. An expert and experienced roofer can carry out different types of roofing repair and maintenance projects comfortably. You have to be careful because some contractors fake their experience in the roofing industry. Check the contractor’s website to see when they started operations. Also, check out the roofing company’s reviews online to see what customers who have used their services are saying about them. Websites like Glass Door, Google My Business and Better Business Bureau (BBB) can help you get reviews of any legit roofing company. If the reviews are great, that’s an indication that the company is experienced enough to undertake your roofing project. If the reviews are not good, do not take any chances.
Ask For References
A reference is a surefire way to determine the capability of a contractor to successfully carry out your roofing project. Roofers in Kalamazoo have successfully completed many projects over the years. And they have records, including contact details of clients they’ve worked for. Ask to see the references. Also, make sure to call the references to ensure that the contractor actually worked for them.
Don’t Focus On Price
Price shouldn’t be the main factor when looking to hire an experienced and trusted roofer in Kalamazoo. Many contractors offer low prices for roofing installation and repair work but produce poor quality work. On the same token, an expensive roofing contractor is not always going to produce quality work. While you have to operate on a budget, pricing should not be the main factor when evaluating contractors for your roofing project. This underlines the importance of contacting multiple contractors and shortlisting 3. The price factor should come in when choosing the best among the three contractors.
Financial Agreements Should be in Writing
Some contractors don’t divulge all the costs of roofing installation and surprise you with additional costs in the course of the project. That’s why you must ensure that the roofing contractor puts every financial agreement of the roofing project in writing. And you should understand the financial terms before you sign the agreement. A trusted roofing contractor will assign an expert to explain the contract and answer any questions you might have about the project and payment before the project commences. Ensure that every part of the financial agreement is ironed out and that nothing is confusing.
Warranties – do they offer them?
It’s a painful experience to pay a contractor to carry out your roofing installation project only for the damage to manifest within a few months. And the most painful part is that insurance won’t pay for the damage. To prevent this from happening, ensure to hire a roofing company that offers an extensive warranty. A warranty covers the roofing company’s workmanship. In other words, it guarantees the longevity of your roof. That means, if the roof gets damaged within the warranty period, the roofing company will repair it without any cost on your side.
They Should Have Good Better Business Bureau Ratings
If you advertise any roofing installation or repair project in Kalamazoo, you’ll be overwhelmed with the number of contractors who apply to it. However, chances of ending up with a mediocre contractor are great if you don’t research them. One of the best ways to determine whether a contractor is fit to undertake your roofing installation or repair work is to check their Better Business Bureau ratings. Ignore those contractors who are not available on the Better Business Bureau website. A contractor who has retained their certification with Better Business Bureau means they have maintained satisfactory ratings and this means they produce quality work, consistently.
Excellent Communication
Communication is essential to the success of any roofing project. You should find a roofing contractor with excellent communicating skills. The roofing contractor should be able to communicate with you from the beginning to the end of the project to ensure the project reflects your desired outcome. They should communicate the timelines of the project, the activities that will happen every day, the number of workers who will be involved in the project and any other project details.
These tips will go a long way towards helping you find the right contractor for your roofing project. If you live in Kalamazoo, we have researched on your behalf. Roofing projects are expensive and the possibilities of things going wrong are high, especially if the project is undertaken by an unfit contractor.