Hiring the right roofing contractor to fix or replace your roof is a big obstacle for homeowners. After a damaging storm or roof leak, you need things quickly repaired and restored, however, this doesn’t always mean you should hire the first contractor you meet. Finding a contractor who is experienced, professional, reliable and honest is very important. Here are a few important tips to assist homeowners when choosing the right roofing cotractor.
- Hire Local: Their is a less chance of potential issues or scams when you choose a contractor from your community. This means that they are not just operating locally but they also have an established business and reputation in the community. Try to hire a contractor that has an office nearby. The liklihood of better sevice and quicker response time is greater if the company is based near your home. Lastly, local and established contractors will stand behind their warranties.
- Insurance is a Must: Make sure the contractor has workers compensation and general liability insurance. Asking to see certificates and calling the insurance company to confirm is helpful. If a roofing contractor does not have adequate insurance, homeowners could get themselves in some rough waters should serious damages occur on their property. Aside from general liability, you should also verify the contractor has workmans compensation. Roofing contractors who do not carry this insurance will most likely be cheaper to hire as they do not have the large insurance premiums to pay. There are a variety of reasons why full insurance may not be carried by a contractor, such as: Not a full time contractor, Operates as a partnership or self-employed without employees, new in the business, can’t afford insurance premiums or doesnt stand behind their work.
- Check for Proper Licensing: Not all cities require a permit and licensed contractor to install your roof. Olathe, Overland Park, and Kansas City are a few cities in Kansas that do NOT require permits. In cities like these, it is up to the homeowner to ensure they are hiring a reputable contractor. The Johnson County contractor licensing website is a good reference to check potential contractors for their licensing in Johnson County. https://www.jocogov.org/dept/planning-and-codes/cls/search-licensed-contractor The state of Kansas also require that roofing contractors are registered with the state of Kansas before they can work for the public. You can check the Kansas Government website to see if potential contractors are registered. https://ag.ks.gov/in-your-corner-kansas/resources/roofer-search
- Hire Experienced Contractors: How long has the company been in business? Needless to say, longer is usually better. Under three years of business, may signal an unstable business or one low on the learning curve, which could result in your roof warranty dissolving with the company. References will be helpful to double check any business but especially important when dealing with new businesses. Also, utilize websites where you can perform a business entity search. In Kansas, www.kansas.gov/bess, is a great place where you can research your contractor, check to see how long they have been in business and to make sure they are in good standing with the state. Last, research the Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings. Its important to look up potential roofing contractors on the BBB website, http://www.bbb.org and make sure they have a good score. Stay away from contractors who do not exist on the BBB.
- Choose Reputability over Price: Although it may be tempting, never choose a company based on price. Price is not the most important factor to consider. Cheap bids tend to drive down the market, solid roofing companies have higher overhead costs due to insurance and other certifications. Contractors who are just working on the side or working by themselves can do the work cheap, however, cheap work comes at a cost to the homeowner! You always get what you pay for and it may be difficult to fix the problem down the road. Cheap work can result in faulty work, causing more problems and money. Many of these problems are covered by a workmanship guarantee that you get from reputabile roofing contractors.
Hopefully these tips will help to assist you if and when you are needing a roof replacement or repair. Cordray Roofing prides itself in “Quality over Quantity.”We are not looking to be the biggest company who replaces the most roofs, instead to be the roofing contractor you can count on to perform the best quality of work. Cordray Roofing has been in business since 2005, we are a proud member of the BBB with an A+ rating, we carry both general liability and workmans compensation (certificates available upon request), we are lifetime residents of the Kansas City area and have both our Class A General Contractors license, and our Roofing registration license with the State. If you are needing a roof repair or replacement we would love the opportunity for your business!