If you’re hiring a contractor to work on your home, it goes without saying that you want to work with a company that’s reliable. This is especially true of roofing contractors — you don’t want to be stuck with a half-finished roof, nor do you want someone to take your money and run.

Here are some indicators of reliability that you can look for when you’re interviewing roofing companies:

• Longevity. How long have they been in business? Are they rated by the Better Business Bureau, and are they a member of any local business or trade organizations?
• Professionalism. If you have a roofing company come to your house for an estimate, is the employee dressed professionally and does he or she treat you with respect?
• Punctuality. Did they show up on time? A roofer who isn’t prompt when they want your money will probably not be prompt if they already have it!
• Flexibility. Some roofers will ask for a partial payment up front, but if the roofer demands a substantial (or full) payment in advance, this will certainly cause concern for many homeowners.
• Clarity. Does the roofer answer your questions, tell you what to expect, and address your concerns without being dismissive or evasive?
• Honesty. Does the roofing contractor make an effort to act as a resource by giving you honest recommendations, even if that means they won’t make a whole lot of money? Trustworthy roofers will tell you if you don’t need a new roof, and are willing to sacrifice short-term profit in order to build a relationship with their customers.
• Low risk. Is the roofer fully insured, and do they offer a warranty on labor? If they do offer a warranty, make sure to ask about the details, and specifically whether any restrictions apply. You can also ask them for examples of times when they’ve had to honor a warranty. How does the process work, and are they willing to come back to your house to talk about a concern you have after the project is done?
• Supervision. Is there a foreman or manager who will either remain on site or inspect the work when it’s done?

To summarize, the best roofing contractors are the ones who leave little to chance. They have a track record of successful roof installations, a process for completing projects, and a willingness to communicate with homeowners along the way, even after the work has been done.

When a homeowner wants to find a reliable roofing contractor, they often call one or two of the bigger roofing companies in town, based on name recognition or an ad they saw on TV or a billboard.  But as with many other industries, the best roofers are not always the most reliable roofers.

Here are five ways to find a reliable roofer:

• Recommendations from friends.  You probably know many people who have had work done on their roof in the recent past.  Recommendations from people you trust are one of the best ways to find a reliable roofing company, because you know the opinion is authentic.
• Rating services.  Your local Better Business Bureau, as well as contractor rating and review services such as Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor, can be great resources when researching roofing contractors.
• People who work with roofers.  Certain organizations and professionals interact with roofing companies on a regular basis.  These include real estate agents, home builders and remodelers, and apartment rental and property management companies.  You might even get some recommendations by calling a local or national contractors association or a shingle manufacturer.
• Yard signs.  Many roofing companies will leave a yard sign in front of houses they’ve worked on.  This can give you an idea of which companies your neighbors trust, although it’s always helpful to talk to people and not go on reputation alone.
• Social media.  You can find and read reviews of roofing contractors on Facebook, Google+, and Yelp.  In addition, look for contractors who interact regularly and in a positive way with their customers and the community, on those sites as well as Twitter and LinkedIn.

Once you’ve gathered the names of a few recommended roofing contractors in your area, the next step is to call around.  Don’t hesitate to talk to several companies, rather than going with the first one that picks up the phone.

Even if you go with a roofer that comes highly recommended, it’s still a good idea to make sure they’re a good fit for you.  In our next article, we’ll review some things you can look for and ask when talking to a roofer, to get a better sense of their reliability.

Sometimes, a roof can get in such a bad condition that a roof repair here and there just won’t do the job. Unfortunately, in these cases the entire roof must be replaced. Whether there is damage from nature or just age, you don’t want to wait long to replace your roof so you don’t damage the rest of your home.

Shingle Type

Most shingles are made from asphalt, but there are also other options such as wood, slate and tile shingles. Choosing the right shingles for your roof is an important decision that you’ll have to make depending on your budget as well as the style of your house.

Asphalt shingles are currently the most economical shingle choice. However, you also will need to determine how long you want this roof to last. Typical 3-tab asphalt shingles last around 20 years, but other dimensional asphalt shingles can last up to 40 years before needing replacement. Obviously, the longer the lifespan, the higher the initial cost, but this is a choice you’ll need to make before replacing your roof.

Square Footage

Certainly, the size of your roof will factor into the overall price of roof replacement. The cost per square foot usually ranges between $5 and $8, but this can vary depending on the unique circumstances of your roof. According to Angie’s List, “a standard 2200-to-2600 square foot roof will cost homeowners between $1,000 and $4,000 to fully replace; professionals will charge $,2000 to $8,500.”

While it may be simple to calculate the square footage cost according to your shingle choice, the cost of labor for roofing replacement can vary among professional roofer contractors depending on where you live in the United States and the quality of the contractor. It is good to compare several estimates to understand the different levels of service you will receive before making your decision.

The Number of Layers

While some roofs need to be totally stripped down and replaced, others can sometimes have new shingles mounted directly on top of the existing shingles. Most building codes allow for 2 layers of shingles, depending on how much weight the roof can bear. This has some cost-saving advantages because it saves on the immediate labor cost of removing the existing roof as well as installing new feltpaper, weather protection and even renting a dumpster. However, anyone making this choice should also understand that mounting shingles on top of an existing roof usually reduces the lifespan of the new roof by about 20%.

A reliable roofer should be able to do just as good of a job when installing new shingles over old shingles as they would for a full roof replacement. As long as the installment is done right and there are no existing infrastructure issues with the roof frame, shingling over an existing roof can offer some quick savings.

However, if you cannot install any more shingles on top of your current roof due to building codes or other reasons, you will have to get the old shingles removed first. Depending on the existing number of shingles installed on your roof, the cost will increase for each layer of shingles that need to be removed.

Pitch (Steepness)

The pitch, or steepness, of a roof will affect the overall cost of the roof for several reason. For one, if the roof is especially steep, it is not considered “walkable” by roofing standards and so extra staging and precautions must be put in place in order for roofing contractors to be able to replace the roof.

Besides safety, the pitch of the roof will determine how many layers are required in the underlayment system. Both steep and flat roofs will need different levels of underlayment to meet fire code and to protect the interior from moisture entering the house.

Height (In Some Cases)

Overall, the cost to replace your roof will be determined by the cost of labor of your chosen roofing contractor. The more difficult your roof is to access, the more equipment necessary and more effort taken to work on your roof. These factors do not always change the price of a roof replacement largely, but if you have an especially tall roof or one that is difficult to maneuver, you should expect higher overall costs for your roof replacement.