Hiring a Roofer: Four Things You Want To Know

When hiring a roofer, you want to make sure you get good quality for your dollar. Much of this quality will be derived through choosing the right materials for your roof. Not a small percentage of it, however, will come from picking the right contractor for the job. You want a true professional, one who has the experience and knowledge that makes him worth paying for. While it always makes sense to shop around for a good deal, you can hamper your quest by always going for the bottom dollar bargain. If you're on the verge of making a hire, here are four things you will want to know.

#1. Paperwork
Without a doubt, you'll want to make sure that your roofer has all of his necessary paperwork in order. If your state requires a contractor to be appropriately licensed, make sure that they are. Furthermore, make sure they have the right liability and workman's insurance so that you won't be left holding the bag if someone gets injured on the job. Failure to check for these things could leave you open to a lawsuit or have the city shut down the job, possibly after you've already paid for much of it yourself.

#2. References
Don't hire a roofer who can't give you some professional references. If a contractor has provided good work in the past, they should be more than willing to let you talk to those people so they can brag about the work they received. If they are a very new contractor, they may not have a long list of such references. Then it is up to you to decide whether or not you want to take a chance on a new entry into the market. Sometimes it pays to take such a chance, but others don't like the idea of being a guinea pig.

#3. Cost
Before anything gets signed, you'll want to have an accurate idea of how much this job is going to cost you. Have it put in writing. If the job goes over budget, indicate that you want to be told before the work proceeds. Of course, what are you going to do if the job is only half finished and the contractor is holding you up for double the money? You're going to be in a tough place. This is another reason why it is so important to rely on reputation and references when making your choice.

#4. Duration
You don't want the job to last for six months. You want the roofer to come in, tear up the old shingles, and have the new roof up in a reasonable time frame. This kind of construction work is highly distracting and your neighbors won't appreciate it if it goes on for much more than a week. See to it that the job has a definable end date and get it in writing.