Now a few roofers have come and gone, inspected your roof and now you must decide to hire a roofer. What do you do before you decide on a roofer, what questions should you ask?
Who will remove my old roof? This should be understood in advance and the same safeguards should be in place with that company as above. It is possible that the bid will be based on not removing earlier shingles, in that case, make sure you understand why this decision is being made.
When the job begins, who will be my on-site contact? Usually the person providing the bid is not going to be there when the work is done. You should find out who is the foreman for the job. Additionally, find out who in the company will handle the financial arrangements.
Will I be sent a written estimate? If the estimator provides you the estimate there on your front lawn, right after his inspection and attempts to close you, right then and there, we suggest you look for a different choice. The only way he can estimate on site is with a “canned” estimate which will be either too high or missing essential details.
What will you charge me for the replacement of plywood if you find rotten or soft roof decking? They should give you a dollar amount per sheet of plywood. If you don’t know this in advance, you might get overcharged once that they have already started the job.
Where would you suggest we put the container for waste material? All the refuse from the job including shingle, old wood, packaging, etc. will need to be properly disposed of. Make sure to have this setup in advance or you might not realize that you will lose your driveway or favorite parking spot while they are there. Generally, the roofing contractor will include the cost of this in the bid.
If the weight of the waste container cracks the driveway, how will this be repaired? It is possible that the trash will be so heavy that the container cracks the asphalt. Make sure this is included as a possibility and a solution is resolved in advance.
What happens if it rains or it’s very windy during the work? How will my property be protected? Do you ever postpone the work?
It is important for your home’s interior to be protected by tarps or plastic covers on the roof, in case of rain. If it rains a few days in a row, someone should come out to ensure the covering is still in place. In the case of wind, similar precautions should be taken. Make sure to find out the company’s policy during a rain.
What if I am not ready to get the work done? The answer you should get is “not a problem”. Any local, long standing roofing company is happy to get your work done in the coming months and will not hard-sell you to purchase right away.
How will you protect the landscaping and rest of my property during the project? This is a discussion you should have by walking around the property and pointing out any area of concern. They will be using a variety of equipment and several workers will be coming and going. Think this over and point out areas of concern.
These are great questions to ask when you must decide to hire a roofer. For a Free Estimate – contact us at 323 913 4190 or on our website.
