Replacing the roof on your house is a serious matter. If you own your home, you’ll have to do it at least once in your lifetime. Since it isn’t something most people talk or know anything about, you may be confused about what to ask when searching for a roofer to perform the task.
This is completely normal. We don’t expect you to know the difference between soffit vs fascia or the best material to use for your specific house. So, before you decide to hire a roofing contractor, make sure to learn some of the lingo and ask these six essential questions.
1. Are you licensed?
If the roofing company you’re interviewing is not licensed, do not hire them. You should always go with a roofer who has their state license and abides by any and all regulations. This ensures they provide safe and quality work and meet all of the state’s expectations.
2. Do you have liability insurance?
The absolute last thing you want is for a roofer to get injured while working on your house and then being held responsible for the incident. Remember, they’re on the roof of your house – that’s not the safest place to be!
So, make sure the company has liability insurance and that employees are covered if any injuries do take place while working on replacing your roof.
3. Will you provide a dumpster or reuse old material?
You probably didn’t think about where the material from your old roof and scraps from the new one will go. Some companies will require the homeowner to rent a separate dumpster for them to use, while others will provide one.
If you’re focused on being environmentally friendly, you can also ask if they plan to reuse old material, either for your new roof or for another project.
4. How long will it take to replace the roof?
If your roofer doesn’t give you an exact date but a general timeline, this is a good sign. Anything can happen, such as bad weather, and delay the process of replacing your roof. So, while it’s important to stay lenient on the official end date, the roofer should give you a general timeline of when you can expect the project to be finished.
5. Is my roof under warranty?
You will definitely want your new roof to be under warranty. With such a large home investment, you don’t want to have to make it again sooner than you have to due to malfunctioning parts or handiwork.
Most roof warranties last for about 25 years.
6. Will you protect my gutters with ladder stabilizers?
Gutters are an important part of your home. They keep out water and moisture from your home, which causes leaks and mold growth. So, ask the roofer if they will protect the gutters while climbing up and down from the roof with ladder stabilizers. If not, investigate how they plan to protect the gutters from any damage during their work.
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