Let’s face it, replacing your roof can be expensive. To make matters even more complicated, there is often a HUGE difference in price quotes from roofing contractor to roofing contractor and you may wonder why. As a homeowner your first concern should be the quality and safety of your new roof or roof repair, even before cost. When you receive a quote that is thousands less than a competitors you should immediately ask yourself why. The answer many times lies in whether you are speaking to a credentialed roofing contractor or not.
When starting the process of getting your work done, you should ALWAYS start your questioning with “What are your credentials?” It may seem like a simple question but in the long run it can result in significant savings and far fewer headaches. Here a few reasons why the old adage “You get what you pay for.” should always be in your mind when comparing roofing quotes.
State License
Simply put, a state business license ensure that you are dealing with a legitimate company. They have taken the time to register with the state and understand the statewide and local regulations (specifically state and local building code). In North Carolina there is no specific license for roofing contractors unless the job is over $30,000, which require a general contractors license.
Insurance
I your roofer fully and properly insured? Again it may seem like a simple question but you need to ask it prior to having a crew on your roof. At the very least a contractor needs to have general liability insurance. A liability insurance policy protects you in the event of property damage or injury to people outside of the contractors crew (that means you and your family) from negligence or accidents from their actions.
Factory / Vendor Certification or Credentialing
This is a big one for YOU, the homeowner. Roofing contractors that take the time to get certified by the manufacturer are benefiting not only themselves but are helping you to get the most for your investment. Companies such as Owens Corning, Certainteed, GAF and more have specialized training courses and standards that allow you as the homeowner to get the most benefit out of their products. When we as roofers have demonstrated to the manufacturers that we understand their products and proper installation procedures. It gives them the confidence to offer extended warranties and product guarantees that you will not receive from an uncredentialled installer. Your friend “Chuck” may offer to put your roof on for less money, but what happens when something goes wrong? What happens when the warranty you thought you had was invalidated because he installed the shingles “his way” and not by the strict guidelines required by the manufacturer?
Manufacturers offer warranties because they know that their products will live up to them when used correctly. All of the top manufacturers will stand by those warranties if they were installed correctly and by the standards that they put in place.
Insurance companies will back their warranties when your roof was installed correctly. Even a mediocre insurance adjuster can spot a faulty installation issue almost immediately during an inspection. The last thing you want to hear after a storm or a roof leak is that the homeowners insurance you’ve been paying for years has declined you for improper installation. This is probably not the time you want to also be asking yourself, ” Did I save enough on my roof installation to replace everything that I own?”
Whether you buy your new roof from Dominion Contracting or another Washington area roofing contractor, remember, credentials matter. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.