Every roof slowly deteriorates over the course of time as it is buffeted by the weather.  Eventually, you’ll find yourself in need of a new roof or roof repair.  It is often tempting to make a choice of roofing specialists and contractors based entirely on financial criteria. What looks like good value at first glance can often turn into a money pit of hidden charges and extra costs further down the line. In order to help you in this process, we’ve compiled a list of things to look out for and a checklist for how to acquire a professional contractor.
Unprofessional work can have a multitude of related problems which include, but are not limited to:
- If if the roof does not provide an adequate waterproof barrier, damage will likely be caused to the structure directly below the roof, the home and its contents.
- Inflated costs and charges are a common ploy used by some who will try to charge the client as much as possible. Playing on the fact that new problems can be uncovered during a regular roof installation, as well as the knowledge that many people will not want to find a new contractor mid-job, problems and their solutions can be exaggerated to the point of exploitation.
- Work may be left unfinished for a length of time, or in some cases, abandoned altogether before completion, which leaves the home exposed to the weather and the damage that this could bring, as well as the increased inconvenience and disruption to your normal lifestyle.
These problems can be avoided by using the following 6 point checklist below to help acquire reputable and fully-qualified tradesmen:
- Obtain several quotes from various companies and local skilled workers as this will give you a good idea as to what a competitive price and timeline is for the work you have.
- Ensure that the company is legitimate by checking tax numbers, business address, and contact details as well as their website, and a search into any associations or regulatory bodies that they advertise on their site.
- Perform a web search against their company name to find any online reviews from other customers.  Read both positive and negative reviews to get a good idea of what is normal conduct for the company.
- Ask the contractor for a list of references made up of clients of recently completed work.
- Check which official guilds or associations have authority in your area both locally and nationally and then make inquiries to them with regards to your chosen contractor.
- Read through the detailed contract and warranty carefully and look for specific materials which are to be used, the daily working hours and number of workers and clean-up specifications as well as the price quoted for the job.
There is always a small chance you will come across a contractor who will try to provide either an unprofessional service or an ineffective product, but acting with due diligence and spending time researching your available options will greatly help to inform you in making the correct decision and could actually go a long way to saving you money in the long term.