Choosing a contractor for work on your home is always important, but few things require more homework and careful decision-making than having your roof replaced. A poor roofing job can not only lead to issues with leaking and water damage down the road, but can also cause issues with your insurance company and claims in the future. How though, can you be sure you're hiring a quality contractor for your job?
There are a few telltale signs to watch for that let you know you are (or aren't) hiring the best person for the job:
A detailed estimate following your initial consultation. A quality contractor will come to your home, meet with you, inspect your roof, and then put together an itemized estimate. They will be willing to go over this itemized list with you, noting the brand and type of materials to be used, how the costs break down over materials and labor, and what portions are/are not optional. If a contractor shows up, is ready to jump on the roof that same day, and says you can "talk about numbers later," you need to send them on their way.
No mention of cleanup protocol. Quality roofing contractors use heavy-duty magnets to do thorough cleanup following a job. Occasionally (but not always) they will even return more than one time to ensure no nails are left behind to be stepped on or picked up by a tire, pet, etc. If your chosen team never mentions cleanup, and shows up with only a couple of shovels, a rake, and a pickup truck, you might need to stop them before they even climb that ladder.
Plan of action. Your roofer needs to provide a plan, from the arrival time on the day(s) work is to be done, to how their follow-up procedures work. Even if they don't provide all information up front, they should easily and comfortably be able to answer your questions about the plan and schedule, including how many team members to expect, how long the job should take, and so forth.
Communication is a key indicator of a quality roofer. You need to feel in the loop when you're paying such a large sum of money for a household project. A good contractor is easy to reach by phone, email, or text message, and is prompt in getting back to you in the event that you have to leave a message. If you're enduring ignored phone calls, un-returned messages, and general lack of communication from your contractor, you need to find a new one.
EZ Roofing Systems takes pride in offering the very highest quality of service to our clients, from choosing the best materials on the market, to staying in close communication with each individual homeowner throughout their roofing process. We make the process "EZ," so why would you suffer through with anyone else? Give us a call for your estimate!