Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Florence are the most recent hurricanes which have left policyholders facing one of the most important decisions they can make—who will fix my roof? How do you go about choosing a roofer to fix a hurricane damaged roof? Are there common mistakes policyholders make when choosing a roofing contractor?
There are 7 mistakes you should avoid to protect yourself and help you pick a quality roofer following a hurricane.
This is information the National Roofing Contractors Association has about selecting a roofer following a natural disaster:
Often following a natural disaster, unprofessional contractors will try to take advantage of unsuspecting homeowners. If it is necessary to hire a roofing contractor, you should keep a healthy skepticism about the lowest bid. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Price is only one criterion for selecting a professional roofing contractor; professionalism and quality workmanship also must be considered. Take some time to evaluate potential contractors before any reroofing work begins.
The Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association has the following warning:
Here are Chip Merlin’s Seven Mistakes To Avoid Picking The Wrong Roofer Following a Hurricane:
1. Pick only a Licensed Contractor. (While in North Carolina only requires $30k roof jobs for a license, still require the roofer to show a license because the best roofers have that license.)
2. Accept only a contract based on a written proposal with a full detailed written explanations of the materials, costs of permits, and detailed description of the work to be done with a price.
3. Only accept a roofer with evidence that they show you, not just say, of industry professionalism, manufacturer certifications, association memberships and training of workers.
4. Only accept work from those with a permanent business address and being in the business long enough to show financial stability.
5. Only accept a contract with warranties backed up by a manufacturer.
6. Only accept a contract from a roofer that can show you in-state references, call the references and do a google search about the company. Never get pressed to sign a contract right away.
7. Do not sign with those that demand money up front before the materials are on site, say permits are not needed, cannot show proof of insurance and who fail to pass all 7 of these points when you show it to them.
Roofing construction is a tough business. It is easy to make money by doing shoddy work for unsuspecting customers who have no idea how demanding it is to build or repair a roof properly. Quality roofers are in high demand. Do not settle for less and do not let your insurance company off the hook for paying the cost of a quality roof repair or replacement.
Thought For The Day
Price is forgotten long after quality is still being appreciated.
