Does this contractor have an office? Is it an answering machine that answers your calls? While we do not feel that these questions are the most important, it does show the contractors professionalism and commitment to his business. If a roofing contractor is willing to invest in an office environment, he is committing extra dollars to his business.

Licensed or Credentialed
 

In New York State there is no state licensing for roofing contractors. However; in many cases roofing manufacturers certify their roofing contractors. These certifications are issued after training and testing and are based on the reputation of the roofing contractor in his trade.  The manufacturers look at the contractors work, employees, vehicles, and knowledge of roofing before issuing certifications. So ask for the certifications of each roofing contractor to help guide you in your selection.

This can cause a problem if there is ever a claim on a roofing accident. In addition, auto insurance is necessary if the contractor has their vehicles on your property. What about the contractors equipment? Are they insured for that? If any of the equipment should come up missing, would they pursue your insurance company for payment? How can you be sure they have insurance? Ask each Roofing Contractor to provide you with all insurance certificates before they work. Verify that this insurance covers roofing if "roofing" is not in their company title.
 

What is the company's workmanship warranty?
 

Typically, contractor workmanship warranties are for one year or more. Longer warranties are not necessarily more valuable than shorter warranties. The length of the warranty is less important than the intent and ability of the roofer to stand behind his warranty. Some of the ways to evaluate this would be 1. Did he perform his work in a timely manner? 2. Does he answer any questions or concerns you may have? 3. Did he act as if he cared about your thoughts on the project? The roofer will warranty his labor; all materials will carry a manufacturer's warranty. If there is a problem with the labor or installation of the roofing, this will show up rather quickly so it is not necessary for the roofer to warranty this roof for a long period of time. Make sure you have a copy of the products used and a copy of the contract so if you ever have a material problem you will know where to go to solve this. Also you may want to consider an extended warranty on your roofing materials. This is sold at a very low cost but will extend the original warranty for a longer period of time. You may want to have your roofer explain extended warranty and the product you have chosen.

What to expect in the roofing contractor
 

When you get to the point of signing a roofing proposal you should expect to find the following items:   Part of the home that the proposal covers and the amount of roofing to be done. Example: The roof on the main house that is approximately 15 square. What exactly is going to be done? Example: Strip of all old roof products. What products are going to be used to roof. Example: Type of felt, ice and water and where they will be putting it. Drip edge type, metal type, shingle manufacturer, year, color, venting type, boots to be replaced and any other special conditions. The warranty on the roof. What happens to all the debris that comes off the roof? Is it included in the price? Ground clean-up daily. What will be done if they run into rotten lumber or decking. Is there a building permit required? Who is to obtain that if necessary? A price and how you will be expected to pay for this roof.