Before you make a big expensive purchase, how often do you do research, browse the Internet, ask questions, get recommendations etc… Having work done on your house should be no different. If you are going to have roof work on your house, there are some very important questions that you should ask any roofer before they begin work.
- Are you licensed? If anyone ever answers NO, then close the door. Having work done on your house by anyone that is not licensed is just asking for trouble. If roofers are required to be licensed in your state, only work with those who are so you have some recourse in case things go wrong. You want to be able to have the work done by a qualified person, not just Joe Shmoe down the road.
- Do you have workman’s comp insurance? You only want to hear the answer YES to this question. Companies are required by law to carry workman’s comp insurance for all their employees. So make sure to check on that. You can even request a copy if you ask. If you hire a worker that is not covered by their employee and they get injured on the job on your property, you run the risk of being held responsible for their medical bills. To protect yourself, make sure the company you hire insures each worker that will be present on your property.
- Do you carry general liability insurance? This goes along with the workman’s comp insurance in how important it is to make sure they have this insurance. Here is an example of how this insurance benefits you: If a contractor accidentally burns your house down in the process of welding something on your roof, yes this has happened, and the company doesn’t carry liability insurance, you could be responsible for covering the debts incurred by this tragic accident. You should also ask for a copy of the insurance. It will list your name and property as an additional insured, and you have every right to have a copy.
- Will you remove my old roof? If a company wants to just patch over your old roof with a new roof, tell them no thank you. You run the risk of severe damage to the rest of your house by having an old rotten, damaged roof sitting under a new roof. If you are having your roof replaced, then they need to do exactly that. Replace your roof!
- Do you have a local phone number and address? The best company to do business in when it comes to your roof is a local business. Weather will take a toll on your roof at some time in the near future and you want to make sure that your roofer is local and able to get to you quickly. Look for a local company that has good reviews from surrounding neighbors. You could actually go around and see their work and somewhat see what your new roof could look like.
Just remember that when you are researching for a business to come and do work on your house, you can never ask too many questions!