You’re in the process of designing your new home. You’re looking for contractors for its various components. Currently, you’re on the search for a new construction roofing contractor. 

That said, you’re having trouble finding the right one. So, you’re wondering: how exactly do you find the best roofing company for your project? 

By looking for the following characteristics. 

Use Google

A good way to start your search for roofing services is to utilize Google. Go to the site and enter “roofing companies near me”. This will provide you with a full list of the different roofing companies in your area. 

Next to each name on this list should also be a star rating as well as a link to past customer reviews. Use these to judge each company and create a list of the top companies near you. You’re going to need this list for the following steps. 

Ask Your Acquaintances

Google can help you get a feel for different roofing companies in your area. However, you probably won’t trust it as much as you would trust a close friend or acquaintance. 

This is why, when searching for a roofing company, you need to ask the people in your life for referrals. Maybe your brother-in-law knows a good roofing company? Perhaps your best friend’s friend knows somebody? 

This isn’t guaranteed to land you any leads, but could potentially direct you to the company you’re looking for. So, ask as many people as you can, and see what they can tell you. 

Consult the Better Business Bureau Website

If you’re interested in learning about complaints toward your roofing businesses, you should head to the Better Business Bureau website. This is typically the spot where you’ll find the most detailed complaints. These are often the ones that are most revealing, and could even potentially turn you away from a certain company. 

On the other hand, you could find that a company has no major complaints, in which case, you could pursue it even further. In any case, the BBB website is good for gaining a feel for a specific company’s upsides and drawbacks. It’s not perfect but it can make a difference in your search. 

Speak on the Phone

Once you have a list of potential candidates, you’re going to want to call each up on the phone. Use this phone call to ask questions and to get a feel for the type of service the company might provide. 

If the person on the phone has a positive attitude and is happy to talk to you, the company is probably a fairly safe bet. If, conversely, the person on the phone has a negative attitude and is hesitant to answer your questions, you should be a little cautious. 

You don’t want to feel like you’re a nuisance when you’re potentially giving someone thousands of dollars worth of work. You want to feel valued. 

Make Sure the Company Has Experience

First and foremost, you need to make sure that the company you choose has experience. Roofing a home is not just nailing down shingles. Sheathing must be applied underneath the shingles and flashing must be applied over it. 

These tasks require a good amount of precision and know-how. Inexperienced roofers are likely going to struggle at it for their first few jobs. 

Experienced roofers, on the other hand, know these processes like the backs of their hands. They’ve done hundreds of roofing jobs and rarely ever make mistakes. 

As such, you need to find a roofing company with a minimum of, say, 2 years of experience. This is typically enough time for a company to hone its skills and perfect its processes. For an example of what an experienced company looks like, check out Expert Roofing Contractors. 

Inquire About the Types of Work 

Another thing you’re going to want to do is to inquire about the types of work that the company performs. Some companies do only residential services; other companies do only commercial services; others provide both. 

There’s a world of difference between commercial roofing and residential roofing. Residential roofing generally involves the fastening of several different shingles. Commercial roofing typically involves the spreading or placement of a single entity (for example, check out built-up roofing). 

In other words, just because a roofer has done residential roofing doesn’t mean that they’re also capable of doing commercial roofing, and vice-versa. Make sure that the roofer has experience in the type of work you need to have done. 

Read Up on Material Options

There are all sorts of roofing materials out there, from asphalt shingles to wood shakes to clay tiles to slate and more. However, not all roofing companies are capable of installing all of these materials. 

For instance, whereas some might only install, say, asphalt shingles, others might install only cedar shakes. Others are capable of installing all of these materials, and even have the portfolios to prove it. 

The point? Before you hire a company, make sure that it can install the roofing material of your choice.

To see which materials a company can install, visit its website. Check under the services tab and see if there’s any indication of materials. If there isn’t, just give the company a call and ask yourself. 

Inquire About the Workers

Some roofing companies have established teams that work on every project together. Other roofing companies hire sub-contractors for every new project they complete. While both methods can be effective, the first method is generally the most reliable. 

Not only does it come with a team that knows how to communicate with one another, but it also ensures that each worker is covered under the company’s workers’ compensation insurance. Sub-contractors often aren’t and might be able to sue you, the property owner, in the event that they’re injured on your property. 

As such, when hiring a roofing company, you need to ask about its workers. Learn toward companies whose workers are regulars. Try to stay away from sub-contractor situations. 

Ensure Insurance

When you hire someone to put a roof on your new house, you are inviting that “someone” onto your property. What this means is that, while working on your property, that “someone” might cause it damage. In addition, their workers could get injured on your property. 

These two things could come back to bite you if the company doesn’t have insurance. See, insurance covers both injuries to employees and damage to clients’ property. But if the company doesn’t have insurance, it will be reluctant to cover these things on its own, putting you in a position where you will be held responsible for the damages. 

This could even lead to lawsuits, especially if there’s a large amount of money involved. The last thing you want to do is go to court. 

As such, it’s imperative that, when hiring a company to install your roof for you, you make sure that it has insurance. Not only should it have general liability insurance, but workers’ compensation insurance as well. Make sure to see proof of both of these. 

Look Up Licensure

In the vast majority of states, roofing companies are required to have special roofing licenses from the state. These licenses indicate that the companies have the requisite skill and knowledge needed to adequately roof houses and/or commercial properties. If a company doesn’t have one of these licenses, it’s operating illegally and should be avoided at all costs (in most states, that is). 

So, how do you ensure that a roofing company does, indeed, have this license? In most cases, you can use your state’s license lookup tool. This is a tool that allows you to enter a company’s name, after which it will show you which licenses it has obtained. 

If you’re in the state of Florida, for example, you would use this tool. To find other such tools, go to Google and enter “[your state] license lookup tool”. It should be one of the first options listed. 

Note, you should never use the services of an unlicensed company. These companies are not regulated and therefore are a risk to rip you off in some way. Protect yourself by looking up the company’s licensure! 

Ask About Warranties

When you pay for roofing services, you pay for the job to be done right. Unfortunately, even the best roofing companies make mistakes on occasion. 

But that’s not what’s important. What’s important is that the company corrects any mistakes that it does make. This is where a warranty needs to be present. 

A warranty is essentially a guarantee of work. If a company offers a labor warranty along with its services, it means that it will fix your new roofing in the event of a mishap, provided that it was caused by shoddy workmanship. 

Your chosen company should have a warranty of at least a year on the work it does for your roof. This will prevent you from having to pay any additional costs in the near future. 

Obtain Information on the Payment Structure

Another big thing to find out about is how the payment structure will work throughout the project. This can directly affect whether you go with a specific company and might even be able to indicate whether a company is legitimate or not. 

Generally speaking, a reputable roofing company will not ask for all of the money at the beginning of the transaction. If a company does, it might be trying to take your money and run. 

Most companies ask for a small deposit at the beginning of the project and then have you pay in installments while the work is going on. This helps the customer ensure that the work is getting done while also ensuring the company that it is getting paid. 

Inquire About Cleanup

You might be under the impression that every roofing company is going to clean up the mess that it makes. However, this isn’t always the case. Some roofing companies will leave their messes behind for the homeowners to deal with. 

If you’re okay with this, then fine. However, we advise you to find a company that will, indeed, clean up its mess. Doing so will save you not only time but probably money as well. 

Ask not only whether the company will clean up its mess, but how it will clean it up. The more detailed the answer, the more likely it’s telling the truth. 

Get Estimates

Finally, you’re going to get cost estimates for the work that you need to have done. This will ensure that you can pay the company’s rates and will prevent you from receiving a surprise bill in the future. 

Call around to the different companies on your list and explain the scope of your project. This includes the size of your roof as well as the types of roofing materials that you’d like to use. The roofing companies should be able to make an assessment over the phone, after which they’ll give you an itemized estimate of the costs. 

When choosing between estimates, make sure to be a little skeptical of ones that are substantially lower than the others. If an estimate is much lower than the average in the area, it might indicate poor service. 

Finding a New Construction Roofing Company Is Simple!

In truth, finding a new construction roofing company is simple. Just mind the above-reviewed characteristics and ensure that your chosen roofing professional possesses them. 

If you’re on the hunt for other home improvement information, try out the rest of our blog. Check out our other articles now!