The roofing industry has changed quite a lot over the years. These days, homeowners are rarely opting for the standard, 3-tab shingles that were so popular a few decades ago. Instead, they are going with architectural shingles, and in some cases, with even more eco-friendly options like green roofing or slate. Whether you're shopping around for a new roof or are thinking of having repairs made to your current roof, it pays to be educated. Learn the basics on this blog, where we discuss roofing in the modern world. We explore various roofing materials, roofing techniques, and how to find the right roofer.
As a homeowner, you need to vet the people that you hire to work on your home carefully. You only want to entrust the repairs and upkeep of your home to the most qualified of workers.
You especially need to take care when you hire anyone to work on your roof. You need to know what qualifications to look for when you hire a residential roofing contractor to repair, maintain or replace your rooftop.
Licensing and Bonding
You need to make sure that any residential roofing contractor is licensed and bonded to work on your home. Most states require roofers to obtain licensing and bonding before they are allowed to bid on and take roofing jobs. Many states also require that these contractors register with the state attorney general's office.
When you want to ensure that the roofer that you are about to hire is licensed and bonded, you can call the attorney general's office for a referral. The office can tell you if the roofing service has these professional credentials and requires their roofers to maintain licensing and bonding for clients' safety.
Good Customer Reviews
You also need to know that the residential roofing contractor has good customer reviews. You expect previous clients of this contractor to be satisfied with the work that they received from him or her. You want to know that you are not about to hire someone who does excellent work that met their previous clients' expectations.
You can typically find customer reviews for any residential roofing contractor online. By reading the reviews, you can anticipate what kind of work the contractor can provide to you. You can then decide if he or she is worth the money that you will hate to pay in order to have your home repaired, replaced or maintained.
Finally, you want the assurance that your residential roofing contractor has experience working on homes like yours. You can ask for a portfolio showing what kind of work he or she has done in the past for clients. You can also view the gallery of his or her prior work on the roofing service's website.
These are a few qualifications to expect from any residential roofing contractor that you hire. You need him or her to be licensed and bonded for your protection. You also want to know that he or she has good customer reviews and has worked on similar homes.