When your property is in need of a roof replacement or repair, it can be tempting to pick the first commercial roofing contractor you meet just to get the work started as soon as possible. But, when choosing a contractor to work on your building, it is so important to choose the right contractor. You want to entrust your property to a commercial roofing contractor with experience, expertise, and an outstanding reputation. To help you pick the best contractor for the job, the Farha Roofing team is sharing 5 questions you must ask when evaluating commercial roofing contractors.
Keep reading below to learn more.
1) Are you licensed, bonded, and insured and are you certified by shingle manufacturers?
Before even entertaining the idea of further conversation, the first thing you must ask a potential commercial roofing contractor is whether or not they are licensed, bonded, and insured and if they are certified by shingle manufacturers.
If the commercial roofing contractor tells you that no, they are not licensed, bonded, and/or insured, take your business and run for the hills! If they say yes, you must ask for proof of all three. And if you are wondering what these three things mean, we will tell you:
- Licensed – In order to operate their business and conduct projects legally, a commercial roofing contractor must register with the state’s board of licensing contractors.
- Bonded – When a contractor is bonded, you can rest easy knowing that they are doing things ethically. A bond ensures that if your contractor’s business was to go under or there is a problem with the workmanship that they do not fix, the bonding company will protect you and ensure the project is completed or fixed.
- Insured – All commercial roofing contractors must be fully insured for general liability and workman’s comp to protect you and their employees.
As for certification from shingles manufacturers, it may not be legally binding, but it is an honor and something you should seek out. The top shingle manufacturers select a handful of the best contractors in a region or metro area to undergo their certification process. Once a contractor is certified, they can offer better and more enhanced warranties on the materials used. This certification also tells you that the commercial roofing contractor is trusted by industry leaders, well-regarded in your community, and has likely been in business for a while.
2) How long have you been in business and is your business local?
Of course, we always want to support industry newcomers, but when we do so we need to proceed with caution. Unfortunately, not all commercial roofing contractors are reputable and our industry has a problem with what are known as “fly-by-night” roofers.
Fly-by-night roofers are opportunists who travel to an area after a big storm and set up temporary shop. They are never insured, bonded, or licensed. They typically go door-to-door preying on unsuspecting property managers, offering to complete the work for a fraction of the cost of reputable commercial roofing contractors.
Usually, these “business owners” are not licensed, bonded, or insured and they almost never disclose that they are not local. This is why you always must ask whether or not a commercial roofing contractor is well-established and local.
Recommendation: What to Look for In Your Roof Warranty
3) Can you provide three references from similar jobs completed recently?
The roof of a building is what protects your employees, tenants, or customers from the weather and a stable roof is a key component of a structurally sound building. You wouldn’t let just anyone work on something so important, would you?
Of course not! That is why you absolutely must check with each commercial roofing contractor that you are considering for the job. And ask for a minimum of three references that you can speak to directly. Make sure to specify that you would like to speak to other commercial property owners or managers who required similar work to you.
4) What kind of workmanship warranty do you offer?
Not even the very best commercial roofing contractor in the country is perfect and unfortunately. Even they are prone to errors and mistakes from time to time. While most mistakes are mitigated by choosing professionals who know what they’re doing, things still happen!
Always ask your commercial roofing contractor about the workmanship warranties that they offer. The workmanship warranty is different than a materials warranty from the manufacturer and will protect you from human error or faulty labor.
5) What steps will you take to protect my property?
When you have work done on your roof there is always the risk of property damage to your landscaping, your walls, light fixtures, and more. When choosing a commercial roofing contractor it is important to ask them what steps they take to protect your property.
A reputable commercial roofing contractor will have a number of practices in place that they utilize to mitigate the potential for any damage. Of course, nothing in life is completely void of any risk! That being the case, it is important to ask your commercial what clauses are in the contract to protect yourself and your property damage occur.
If you are in need of commercial roof repair in the Kansas or Colorado areas, the Farha Roofing team is here for you! Give our team a call today to learn more about our services and we would be more than happy to answer the five questions above and more