It is vital that you come into a major project like replacing your roof with questions for the contractor of the company you are using to complete the project. The following is a list of specific questions to help you through the process:
Here are 13 general questions that need to be asked of a roofing contractor:
- How long have you been in business?
- How local is your business?
- Who owns your business, and for how long have they owned it?
- What jobs do you have that I can go see?
- Who, exactly, will be installing my roof? Are they employees or sub-contractors? Can I visit a project they are working on right now and see them in action?
- What training and experience does the crew have? Has it been trained by the manufacturer of my roofing?
- What past customers can I talk to?
- When would you be able to schedule my job?
- How long will my project take?
- Do you have proper licensing and certification? Insurance? Workers’ compensation? Please show me proof of these things.
- Is a building permit required for my project, and if so, will you be pulling one?
- What steps do you take to ensure worker safety?
- What steps do you take to guarantee the safety of my home and my family?
After this first set of questions, the rubber needs to meet the road. Assuming you received acceptable answers to your original questions, you now need to ask very specific questions about how they will handle your project.
20 more questions to ask about your specific roofing project:
- How will you access my roof?
- How will you remove any materials that are torn off of my roof? Will you have a dumpster on the site? Will you have a porta-potty on the site?
- How will you protect my home’s gutters?
- How quickly can you react, and what will you do in the event of inclement weather?
- Will you provide me written warranties, both for your workmanship and the product you will be installing? When?
- Will you be using fasteners approved by the manufacturer of my roofing material? Can you provide evidence of that? How do you ensure that the proper number of fasteners are used, and that they are located correctly?
- How will you protect my driveway and the rest of my property from damage?
- What is the cost of plywood replacement if you find any that needs to be replaced?
- Who will be my contact during the project, and how readily accessible will they be?
- Please provide me with specifications and instructions for the proper installation of my roof.
- Who, besides the installers, will be overseeing my roof installation for quality?
- Will you install all-new flashings, or are there any old ones that you will re-use?
- Are there any areas of the roof that you plan to just seal rather than flash?
- Please explain how pipe penetrations will be handled.
- How is payment handled?
- What things might cause a deviation from the contracted price?
- How will you be checking the condition of the decking on my roof? Will you perform fastener pull-out resistance tests?
- Why do you think my old roof needs to be replaced? Is there evidence of things like inadequate ventilation which I should address?
- Please inspect my attic and help me evaluate whether now is the time to increase the ventilation in my attic. Please also help me understand if there is any evidence of leaks in my attic or high moisture levels and how to address those.
- Be sure to ask whether any tax credits or utility rebates will be available on your new roof.
Final Questions After Your Evaluation of the Roof
To put together your final set of questions, you need to spend some time understanding and evaluating your roof. Walk around your home a few times, and use binoculars if necessary, to get a good look at your roof. Use online satellite imagery to look for unusual areas on your roof. If you have any upper-story windows that look out over lower roof sections, use those to your advantage.
Keep a keen eye out for areas on your roof where debris collects, where extreme wear has occurred, and where a lot of mildew or other biological growth is present. Those things can indicate areas where perhaps something different should be done when your home is re-roofed.
Look for any “dead valley” areas, where water will collect and not easily drain from your roof. Know whether your chimney has a cricket behind it, and if your home has skylights, know how old they are.
If you are considering an investment in your home as important as a roof replacement, Armoured Exteriors in Rockford, Illinois, would be happy to help. We pride ourselves on our exceptional customer service and are here to answer all your questions, so you are completely satisfied with the installation process. Contact Armoured Exteriors today to learn more about our high-quality and long-lasting roofs made with the best materials at the most affordable prices.
