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Choosing a roofing contractor can be a daunting task and purchasing a new roof is a big investment.
With so many roofing contractors to choose from, how do you know who is going to give you the best bang for your buck?
Here are a few tips: Ask family and friends if there is a roofing contractor that they used and what they experienced; good or bad.
Read online reviews. Once you have narrowed it down, make sure whoever you contact for your roofing project is licensed and insured. A contractors license can be checked at www.cslb.ca.gov and quick search on this website will tell you if a license is active and in good standing. It will also give you information such as the company owner or officers and workers compensation insurance carrier.
The workers compensation insurance is a must have, a roofing contractor cannot legally operate without this insurance if they have even one employee. Without this insurance, if someone is injured on your property, they can sue you and win. Another insurance that is important but not required is liability insurance. This insurance covers any damage to your property caused by the contractor. When doing a project, the goal is to never cause any damage, but sometimes unexpected things do happen, and you want to make sure your contractor has the proper insurance to cover these things.
It is always good to get 2-3 estimates on your roof, this allows you to compare not only price but what will be included in your project. The lowest price may be your best option but not always, do your research. Talk to your estimator, ask questions and make sure you know what is included in the price. Are they taking care of the required permits? Are they replacing all your flashings? Are they using a quality underlayment? Are these things upgrades or extras? Its not unusual for dry rot to be an extra charge since you can’t see most of it until the old roof is torn off but visible dry rot such as fascia can typically be included. Your contract should spell out what is included and what is not. This will help avoid most costly change orders during the project.
A new roof is a big investment that should last you 30+ years and believe it or not, it can be a pleasant experience if you do your research.
