What To Look for in A Roofer

 

Looking for a roofing contractor in Southern Illinois and surrounding areas? Whether you are looking for a replacement or a repair, choosing the right roofer is a very important decision. The only problem is, What do you look for? Most homeowners only replace their roof once for each home they live in, it is the biggest part of your home, and thus one of your biggest investments. Here are some of the main things you should be looking for when hiring a roofer.

 

How Long Have They Been in Business?

 

Much like when hiring other tradespeople, the amount of experience they have is very important. When looking for a roofing contractor in Southern Illinois make sure to ask or do research on how long they have been in business. Most trusted roofers will have a long record of satisfied customers in a region and be willing to display those customer’s comments and reviews openly. 

 

Unfortunately, many new homeowners go for the roofer that is offering them a bargain price, without any previous customer testimonials to back their work up. In roofing especially, you get what you pay for. It is not uncommon for these discount roofers to be very new to the industry and do a poor job that might cost you money down the road. It is always important to be cautious, there are many small, “fly-by-night” contractors that are notorious for disappearing to avoid paying their dues on a bad job. Many homeowners have been victims of damages after a poor roofing job only to find that the company they hired conveniently no longer exists. That is why it is important to pick a roofing contractor in Southern Illinois that has remained in business for many years. 

 

Roofing Contractor in Southern Illinois: Insurance and Licenses

 

Roofing is not an easy job, it can be a dangerous one too. That is why it is very important to hire a roofer that not only has the right tools and experience but the right safety protocol and legal protections for both themselves and the homeowner. A quality roofing contractor in Southern Illinois and the surrounding region will have all of the permits and licenses needed to operate in that area and will be willing to show them when asked. These types of roofers will also have insurance for each of their employees, in case of an injury. To protect yourself, never work with a roofer that has not properly insured themselves or their employees. 

 

Their past work history

 

For a roofing contractor in Southern Illinois especially, reputation is the most important way to stay in business. Before you spend money with any contractor, do your research. There are tons of great resources online that will give you access to reviews of a roofer and can even provide images of their previous work. You can ask the contractor if they have a  list of past customers that would be willing to talk with you but be wary of contractors who have 100% 5-star ratings despite thousands of reviews. Mistakes happen, so if a contractor does not have a single review less than five stars you might want to take that with a grain of salt and wonder if that is an accurate representation of the company. A lot of five-star reviews are great, but having a perfect track record is suspicious. 

 

Get it in Writing

 

There are a few things when looking for a roofing contractor in Southern Illinois that you should be certain of or get in writing. Any financial agreement you make with a roofing contractor should be in writing. Every aspect of a job from start to finish should be outlined in a document, including financing terms. Professional roofing contractors usually have a designated employee walk you through the contract. Make sure you ask a lot of questions, if the representative can answer your questions and get all of your concerns into the document, you know you are working with a reputable roofing company. 

 

Avoid Pitfalls 

 

The most common tactics unscrupulous roofers use are third-party installations, unhandled mistakes, and authorized installation. Third-party installation refers to a bait and switch tactic predatory companies use, where they accept payment for a job, then outsource all of the work to a smaller third-party contractor. The problem with this method of doing business is that it can completely void the warranties and legal protections outlined in the original agreement. Make sure to ask who is doing your installation, so you can be sure you don’t fall victim to this tactic. Unhandled mistakes refer to a contractor purposely leaving out information on what occurs if the homeowner is unsatisfied with the job done. No matter how experienced they are, problems do occur. Make sure you ask the company what the company will do in the case of an issue. Most companies will have guarantees, but if these are not openly stated and the company refuses to be clear on the processes they put into action when problems occur, chances are they will be impossible to get a hold of when things go wrong. Authorized installation refers to whether or not the roofer is authorized to install the material you are using on your home. Roofing materials can vary widely in the ways they are installed to make sure to ask the roofer if they are certified by the manufacturer to install the materials you need. 

A roofing Contractor in Southern Illinois who cares

 

Don’t leave your important roofing job to an untrustworthy fly-by-nighter. Trust the roofing experts at Integrity Roofing and Exteriors. We have been in business for decades and have a long list of satisfied customers behind our work. We are fully insured for your safety and would love to hear about your next project. Contact us today for a free roofing estimate or find us on Facebook!