Hiring a Bay Area Roofing Contractor to fix or replace your roof can be a challenging task. There are many questions you should ask a prospective Bay Area Roofing Contractor or you can be taken advantage of by roofers who don’t have a license, or left to pay thousands of dollars by roofers who don’t have liability insurance.
One of the first questions you should ask your prospective Bay Area Roofing Contractor is if he or she is licensed. Many states require a roofer to be licensed, however codes vary from state to state. Do your research to find out the code requirements in your area, if Bay Area Roofing Contractors are required to be licensed in your state only work with those who meet the requirements. Also, be sure that their license is up to date.
When asked, if he or she has workman’s comp insurance, a Bay Area Roofing Contractor, should absolutely answer with a yes. Some time ago, employers with three or fewer employees didn’t have to offer workman’s compensation insurance; now they absolutely do – it’s the law. There are still some contractors that would rather opt out of insurance because of how expensive it is. Most would rather take their chances but unfortunately, if someone get’s hurt on site and the employer doesn’t have worker’s compensation insurance you may end up paying for thousands of dollars worth of medical bills.
Ask your Bay Area Roofing Contractor if he or she will provide you with a written estimate. The only answer you want to hear when you ask this is yes. Settling into a contract without a detailed estimate can be dangerous. Be sure to understand the job before signing the contract. Your estimate should include costs for everything that will be done during the roofing remodeling process.
The surroundings of your home are also important during your roof remodeling. Ask your Bay Area Roofing Contractor how he or she plans on protecting your landscaping during the project. Not doing so can cost you a lot of money. Where will the ladders go? Where will the old shingles be dropped or tossed? If an accident occurs and one of the workers damages anything on your lawn, will the company be held responsible? If so, how will they fix the damage?
A reputable roofing company will have someone on site throughout the project available to answer any questions you may have. Most of the time, home renovation projects don’t run smoothly, this is why it is important to know that the project manager is on site at all times just in case there is a roofing related emergency.
Roofing today, should come with a warranty of 25 years. If your Bay Area Roofing Contractor is not offering you a minimum of 25-year warranty, it might be a good idea to look somewhere else. Today’s dimensional style shingles cost the same price as the older style shingles and also last longer.
It seems slightly unbelievable but a lot of homeowners forget to ask their perspective Bay Area Roofing Contractors if he or she has a local phone number and address. Why is it important to ask for this information? What happens when the job gets done and there is a problem? Who do you call then?
Weather can be unpredictable. That’s why it’s important to ask your Bay Area Roofing Contractor what his or her plans are if bad weather occurs during the middle of your project. Make sure your roofer has a plan for this; your roof should be covered in some type of plastic sheeting or tarpaulin to ensure it along with everything beneath.
Drip edge or edge metal is a small piece of aluminum placed under the shingle where it comes off of the roof. This piece of metal extends past the roof and allows runoff to flow into, rather than behind, the gutters, protecting the fascia and wood of your roof. Is your Bay Area Roofing Contractor planning on installing a drop edge or edge metal when they install the new roof? The answer should be yes. If this is not installed, there could be problems with water damage, so don’t skip over this part of the process.
Lastly, remember to ask your Bay Area Roofing Contractor if he or she will be removing the old roof. Even though it is easy to save time and money by having your roofer inspect your roof with only his or her eyes, you might never know if you have soft spots or rotten wood under the shingles unless you pull them up. Don’t let the roofer install a new roof, until the old roof has been inspected.