How to Find a Roofing Contractor

In our previous post, we walked you through some of the questions you should be asking roofing companies before they work on your home or building. Now let’s take a step back for a moment. How do you even know where to start finding a roofing company?

Roofing is a competitive industry, and there are many different companies out there to choose from. Unfortunately, some disreputable people call themselves roofers without having the experience or skills necessary to successfully complete the job. So, how do you prevent wasting your time and money with deceptive roofing companies?

Finding a Reputable Roofing Contractor

Today, we’ll give you our top tips on how to conduct your search for a roofing company so that you end up working with quality and reliable roofers.

Step 1: Research Possible Roofing Companies

Your first step to finding a reputable roofing contractor is research. It might be tempting just to rifle through the leaflets and business cards that have landed in your mailbox over the years, and simply pick a roofing contractor from that pile. However, it is important to take the time to find someone knowledgeable and trustworthy. Your roof is an integral part of your home or business. You want to make sure the people working on it are reputable roofing contractors.

Online Research

A simple online search is a great place to start your research to find the right roofing contractor. Say you have a business card and you’re interested in following up with a particular vendor… Your first step should be to run their name through a search engine.

What should you be looking for when conducting an online search for the roofing company?

First things first: determine that you are looking at a legitimate business by checking for a physical address. Generally, reputable businesses will list their place of business and a phone number. Many businesses will also have a website where you can get a feel for the business and the different services they offer.

Don’t stop with only what a company tells you about itself. You can also see reviews to check out what customers have to say about their experience of working with a business. Check through Google Reviews, Yelp, and contractor review sites such as Angie’s List.

Check the Better Business Bureau

As you review potential roofing contractors, consider checking the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for your area. The BBB accredits businesses based on ethical behavior and meeting best practices for their industry. Businesses listed on the BBB website will give you some key information, such as length of time in business and how long they have been accredited. BBB also displays a letter grade based on reviews, complaints, and the business’ response to any complaints.

If you build a shortlist of contractors who all have a strong BBB rating, you can be very confident that you’re finding reputable roofing contractors.

Recommendations & Referrals

Perhaps the most popular form of research is the good, old-fashioned recommendation or referral. Maybe your best friend had great work done on their roof last year or a neighbor down the street has just recently had work done. Reaching out to your community for recommendations is a good place to start generating a list of possible roofing contractors.

However, make sure you ask for more than just a name. Ask your friends and family detailed questions about their experience. For example:

• Did any problems come up during the course of the job?
• If so, how did the roofing contractor resolve these issues?
• If it’s been a while since they had a roof installed, have they gone back to the same roofing company for any maintenance?
• How is the work holding up over time?

Say you’ve received a glowing recommendation from a family member. Should you just go right ahead and hire the roofing contractor?

We recommend still going through the steps we outlined above, even when you have a great referral. Why? Because things can change over time. Ownership can change hands, companies can run into difficulties, good workers move on. Doing a little bit of research can help you get a snapshot of whether the company is still as great as your friend or family member remembers.

Step 2: Build a Short List of Roofing Contractors

As you’re doing your research, you may begin to decide on a roofing contractor who you think can get the job done. Your frontrunner. However, it’s still worth considering building a shortlist of top roofing contractors you come across throughout your research. You should have a minimum of three reputable roofing contractors that you plan to reach out to and see in-person before making your final decision.

Think about how you would hire someone at your work. It would be rare for you to see just one candidate for a job and hire them on the spot, no matter how great their resume and their references. Why should it be any different when you’re hiring someone to work on your home?

If you’ve followed our tips to make sure your list includes only reputable roofing companies, you should have a number of viable options for your list. In-person discussions are the next step to figure out who is the right fit to work on your home or building. Having a list of possible candidates can help save you time further down the road. If your top pick isn’t available when you need the work done or they have to cancel your job, it can be handy to have extra choices readily available.

Now that you’ve found a short list of potential roofing contractors to work with and you have the questions to ask them, it’s time to make your decision. In our next post, we’ll talk through how to choose the right roofing contractor for your project.