How To Choose The Right Roofing Contractor 

With over 7% of US homeowners deciding to replace their roof each year, it's no wonder why there are so many unscrupulous contractors and scams in the roofing industry. The BBB receives thousands of complaints per year about roofers who don't complete the work they agreed do, did shoddy work or even worse took off with customers deposits. 

To help you avoid the headache, here are 10 items to look for to make sure you choose the right roofer for your roof replacement project.
 

1. Check If They Are Licensed
2. Research & Read Reviews
3. Do Business With A Company That Has A History
4. Work With A Local Wisconsin Company
5. Avoid Companies That Sub-Contract
6. Chase Away "Storm Chasers"
7. Close The Door On "One Call Closers"
8. Choose A Roofer Who's Manufacturer Certified
9. Ask About Thier Clesn-Up Process
10. Work With Winning Roofers

1. Check If They're Licensed

Sounds simple enough but you'd be surprised by the amount of "chucks in a truck" out there that are not licensed by their local state and municipalities to do roofing work. State licensing boards exist to protect consumers from bad contractors, and while some bad actors do get licensed sometimes they find it difficult to stay licensed for an extended period of time. Searching out a license number before calling a roofing company is the easiest and first step in making sure you're about to work with a reputable roofer. Most state's including Wisconsin have easy to use databases where you can find if a contractor's license is valid and if they have any outstanding complaints or strikes against their license. 

2. Research & Read Reviews

Now more than ever, it's becoming increasingly easier to vet roofing contractors. Online platforms like Google Maps, Guild Quality, BBB, Nextdoor and others can give you a great insight on how others are rating their experiences. Online reviews aren't foolproof, you'll want to make sure the reviews your reading are from legitimate customers. Many unscrupulous companies will pay for fake reviews or pay customers who've had bad experiences to chance thier reviews. Spotting those takes a trained eye but companies with a perfect 5-star rating and a lot of reviews from customers with updates after they've spoken to a "manager" who made things right is a telltale sign.  

3. Do Business With A Company That Has A History

While every roofing company has to start somewhere, it's best to choose a roofing company that's been around for at least 10 years. That amount lets their work stand the test of time, and there's a good bet if they've been installing roofs for at least a decade then they are doing something right. Some companies will just open and close new roofing companies once they start to hit trouble. Many companies will come in go in waves, and once the bills pile up or the bad reviews come in they will close up shop and open a new operation. 

4. Work With A Local Wisconsin Company

Before calling a company try to find the companies local address, this should be easy to find through a quick search on Google Maps. Many out of state companies will advertise online and by direct mail all around the country, even though they may be based out of state. In fact, they might not even be licensed or have any physical presence in the state you live in. They are just looking to find customers and sell you to the highest or lowest bidding sub-contractor they can find.  

5. Avoid Companies That Subcontract

This unfortunately, is much too common in the roofing industry. You spend time researching and pick a company for your project only to find out a different company or a crew of workers that don't work for the company you agreed to do business with are there to install the roof. This can cause many problems, that range from poor communication, lack of accountability, voided warranties and in some cases much much worse. When calling a company for a roofing estimate always ask if their installers are W2 employees of the company or if they outsource their work, you'll be surprised. 

6. Chase Away "Storm Chasers"

Storm Chaser's as their called, chase storms all around the country. Their tactics are very evident, they spend huge amounts of money on advertising before, during and after large weather storms. While not all companies that travel to storm damaged areas are nefarious, many of them charge exorbitant amount of money to pay for their aggressive advertising and have little accountability when they leave town to chase the next storm. Who do you think will take care of a leak or warranty claim when they are traveling state to state? 

7. Close The Door On "One Call Closers"

Think of "One Call Closers" as the high-pressure car salesmen of the roofing industry. Their whole company is set up to pressure you into a purchase during the first visit to your home. How to identify a "One Call Close" company you make ask? It's easy, if you don't feel comfortable with the project estimator and you feel like you're being sold and not being listened to then odds are you're working with a high-pressure sales company. Sales people from "One Call Close" roofing companies will often get very high commissions if they sell you on the first trip and often will get punishment if they don't. While it's more than okay to make a decision during your first appointment, make sure you are getting the service you deserve and your project needs are getting 

8. Choose A Roofer Who's Manufacturer Certified

Top shingle manufactures like Owens Corning go to great lengths to vet roofers so you don't have to. Manufacturers want first and foremost to make sure their products are installed right and have the longest life possible to ensure happy customers. For companies like Owens Corning, there is a tiered program ranging from Preferred Contractor to Platinum Preferred Contractor. Platinum preferred obviously being the best, they have the greater confidence in those companies that achieve that status. 

9. Ask About Their Clean-Up Process

A full roof replacement can get messy. At WeatherPro Exteriors we do everything in our power to protect your home from falling shingles, nails and other debris. Our first line of defense is our Equipter Roofing Trailer. This machine raises up the dumpster to roof level. This reduces the distance our crews have to move shingles from your roof to the dumpster. The Equipter Roofing Trailer is also great for minimal impact to your beautiful lawn or garden beds. In addition to the Equipter Roofing Trailer, we use tarps on the ground to catch shingles, debris and nails. These fews tools catch about ninety-nine percent of your roof removal but our clean up process would not be complete without a thorough sweep from our Magnetic Nail Sweeper. This tools pulls up and metal objects that can be hard to see with the eye.

10. Work With Winning Roofers

Roofers that do good work, get awarded. It's not always the case but if a company has been around awhile and has been constantly doing great work then there's a good chance they've been award accolades at one point or another. There are lot's of awards that are awarded annually with organizations like the Better Business Bureau, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Nextdoor and other local outlets.  

And while this is a good guide to hiring the right roofer for your roof replacement, it always helps to talk to a professional. Give us a call at 414-543-0929 or click here to inquire about a free consultation and estimate.