The Best Roofing Replacement
Contractors Near Me

Do's and don'ts of hiring roofing contractors near you

Homeowners often take their roofs for granted, rarely following the required measures to ensure their proper condition. Lack of maintenance is one of the key reasons why roofs don't reach their maximum lifespan. If you're currently experiencing major roof issues like massive leakage, shrinkage, shingles deterioration, or damaged flashing, your go-to solution is to find the best roofing contractor operating nearby.

The importance of hiring a certified roofer cannot be downplayed. Hands-on expertise is something contractors gain through years of painstaking work. The best of them regularly undertake training courses to improve their qualification and gain certification, allowing them to work with multiple roofing materials. Entrusting your roof to a trusted contractor, you can expect a profoundly professional service and a smoothly installed roof that will serve you for years.

Below you will find the do's and don't you should consider before hiring a roofer for your project. They will help you decide on a professional who can cater to your requirements and needs.

Factors to consider when hiring floor installers

We highly recommend you cooperate with roofers operating in your region as it will give you peace of mind that your roof will be timely fixed in case of unexpected damage or installation mistake. Besides, if roofers are local, they've gained a certain level of reputation, and locals can give you feedback about their job.

Ask around your neighbors about good local roofers

With a vast amount of roofing offers seen on the web, selecting the best one might be a lot to take in. A great place to start is to ask people from your neighborhood for recommendations. This way, you will save yourself the trouble of testing the roofer's skills on your project.

Utilize contractor-matching services like HomeQuote

Whether you seek roof replacement or roof installation services, you can expect to book them through contractor-matching platforms like HomeQuote troubleless. The general principle of their work is to analyze your request (including the type and size of the roof, the preferred roofing material, budget, location, etc.) and find you the best roofing contractor who fits these criteria. To ensure you have an ample choice, the service offers you 3-5 price quotes from vetted roofers in your area.

Discover the traces of a roofing company on the web

To make sure you deal with a real company that did not come out of thin air, check its corporate website and accounts on social media. They should give you information about the roofers' track record, accreditation, and client feedback on their work. Don't skip this point to get the entire picture and make a well-thought-out decision on your local roofing contractor.

Request the roofer you select for references

Nowadays, it is pretty easy to fail when hiring a roofing contractor. Laypeople and scammers often pretend to be professionals, luring money from gullible homeowners. To protect yourself from dubious schemes, you better ask for references before hiring a contractor. A trusted roofing contractor will be glad to demonstrate samples of his work.

Ask a couple of clarifying questions before signing a contract

Many things might go wrong within a roof repair or replacement project, mainly if you do not invest enough time in scrutinizing a roofer's profile. We recommend you minimize the risks by asking your prospective contractor a range of questions about their skills, expertise, and guaranteed deliverables before signing a contract.

Here is the list of questions you might be interested in getting answers to:

• Do you have a license to do roofing jobs? Make sure to ask your prospective roofer if he has an appropriate license to perform roofing jobs in your state. Write out the specific information indicated in the roofer's license, like the number of the license and the name of its holder. After that, request the local licensing office for information about the roofer to ensure you were given relevant data.
• Do you and your subcontractors have insurance? When hiring a roof repair professional, you need to be sure he has both workers' compensation and liability insurance to be covered in case of an accident on the site. These insurances do not only work to protect a roofer but also save you the bother of paying compensation to him. Liability insurance protects you from damage caused by roofers during any kind of roofing job. Workers' compensation takes the burden of paying medical bills off of your shoulders.
• Do you provide a warranty for your services? There are two primary roofing job warranties - manufacturer and craftsmanship ones. The manufacturer's warranty covers possible material imperfections, performance issues, shrinkage, etc. It can last for 5 years or longer. Some manufacturers also offer a lifetime warranty. A roofer's warranty typically lasts for a year and covers possible installation issues. The more extended the craftsmanship warranty you're offered, the higher the overall cost of your estimate.
• Do you provide written estimates? When choosing the best roofing contractor operating nearby, point your attention to how they estimate your project. Everything should be clear and simple to avoid pitfalls and surprises down the road. Besides, a price quote should be given to you in verbal and written form to document all aspects of the job, timeframe, materials, and anything else that may come up during the job. You should have a detailed cost breakdown to refer to when necessary.

Request estimates and weighs up the offers

It is hardly possible to get the best roof replacement offer without comparing a few quotes side-by-side. Select 3-5 local roof repair contractors who seem trustworthy and skilled enough and request their quotes to see the detailed cost breakdown for your project. An estimate should cover the project timeframe, roofing materials to be used, costs, work guarantee, and more.

Weigh up the available offers before signing a deal. Never fall for the cheapest estimate, as it may not cover the whole list of services required for your project, and you will end up paying over the odds in the long run.

A quick summary

Put these tips into practice to hire a roofing installation specialist who can provide you with unmatched service and top-notch results. Remember that rushing into hiring a roofing company ends up bad almost every time. Only a gradual approach to accomplishing your roofing project with thorough materials and contractors selection can bring tangible rewards.

Factors indicating your roofing contractors did a decent job on your roof

The budget needed to replace your roof (1.300 - 1.500 sq. ft. in size) starts at $6.800 and goes as high as $30.000. With such a decent initial investment, you expect the new roof to look nice and perform as it should. But, unfortunately, no one has canceled shoddy workmanship, and even paying high, you can end up with a poorly accomplished project.

We've recently explained what to look for when searching for a roofing contractor. However, you may also wonder how to verify if your roofer did a quality job. The good news is that you don't need to be an expert to detect visible roofing failures after the main part of the job is done. Below you will find several key signs that show whether the roof replacement crew did a good job or failed to live up to the cost.

• The roof has a smooth and uniform appearance. Once the roofing installation project has been completed, do a thorough visual inspection of your new roof. It should look uniform throughout, without bumps and hollows. If you notice a sagging roofline or uneven shingles appearance, the chances are you became the victim of a poor roofing job. Professional roof replacement contractors install roofing material from the bottom of the roof, go up over the starter shingle, and then continue upwards. This installation approach ensures a uniform appearance and proper protection of the roof underlayment from water and debris.
• Quality roof underlayment is mounted before shingling. Another roof element that protects your property from precipitation is underlayment. It is installed between the sheathing and the roofing coverage and serves as a barrier that prevents moisture buildup and mildew growth. On top of that, an underlayment keeps the roof's base dry during the installation process, protecting highly vulnerable wooden elements like beams and rafters.
  Pay attention if the underlayment is placed during the roof construction process. If you notice that your roofing crew isn't using underlayment, step in. Otherwise, you will deal with leaks, rot, mold, and other negative consequences of water penetration inside the roof. Qualified roofing contractors offering a warranty on their services never miss mounting a synthetic roof underlayment to ensure a long roof's service life and ultimate client satisfaction.
• A drip flashing is placed at each roof edge. Drip edge flashing is an essential element of the roof that should be installed at each edge. It's aimed to stop moisture from coming underneath the shingles, ensuring proper gutters work. Besides, a drip edge flashing can effectively guard against pests. Look at the eaves and gables to tell if the contractors mounted this element on your roof. Each of them should feature a drip edge. This element looks like a metal flashing mounted between the roof's underlayment and the first layer of shingles. If there is no drip edge flashing on your roof, you will most likely deal with leaks in less than a year after installation.
• Flashing is installed around the critical roof areas. Flashing directs water away from leak-prone roof areas, like chimneys, vents, and wherever the roof plane meets a vertical surface. A robust flashing is made from a thin, non-corrosive metal like galvanized steel and is placed under the shingles. A knowledgeable contractor will always use plenty of metal flashing around vulnerable roof areas like chimneys and dormers to ensure its ultimate water resistance and extended service life. Bad roofers, on the contrary, will rather cut corners, either skipping flashing installation or using cheaper metal substitutions like caulk and cement. They may also try to reuse old flashing materials that won't make your roof waterproof. Watch your roofer's job to avoid unpleasant surprises in the long run.
• Roofers clean the area after the job is done. The point about the construction site clean-up should be stated in the contract. Roofing installation crews whose services are rated low often exclude cleaning and material disposal from their offers. That is why picking the cheapest offer you stumble upon on the web is not the best idea.
  High-rated roof repair and replacement professionals never leave behind construction debris and old shingles, taking them away for further disposal. They leave the work site tidy and clean, saving you the trouble of gathering and disposing of roofing debris. Besides, any damage to the house or elements in the yard should be covered by the roofer's insurance

How to screen local roof repair contractors with HomeQuote?

Roofing jobs, no matter their complexity or volume, require a professional approach, as even a minor mistake can bring a lot of headaches in the long run. When your home's integrity is at stake, you're ready to pay as much as needed to ensure all roofing issues are fixed. Roofers know about that and rate their services extra high, especially when the situation is urgent. To avoid paying over the odds, you should be highly selective while searching for a local roofing professional. Market analysis and price quote matching are what you should be guided by making your decision about the right roofer for your project.

The assistance you can get from the HomeQuote service in hiring the best roofing contractor for your budget and needs is difficult to overestimate. We utilize a multi-stage system of contractor screening, partnering only with bonded and certified professionals with years of proven experience. With HomeQuote, you need less than a day to find and hire a roofer who has all it takes to accomplish your roofing project successfully. Thanks to the competitive conditions we created for our partner roofers, they keep their prices reasonable and always strive to go the extra mile to get the highest rate from clients.

To leverage our free contractor-matching services, you only need to answer a couple of questions that will help us narrow the search for roofing contractors to 3-5 professionals who fit the bill.