Your roof is an immensely important part of your home. Without proper attention and care, several common roofing problems can arise and some of them can be real headaches. Follow our tips to avoid re-roofing nightmares and ensure a better roofing experience.
4 Tips to Avoid Re-Roofing Nightmares
What could go wrong when re-roofing? Worker and homeowner safety scares, legal complications from injuries, damage to your home or a neighbour’s property, generally disgruntled neighbours, invoices that are unreasonably higher than the original quote, or poor quality workmanship (also known as a bad roofing job). Here’s how to avoid those roofing nightmares.
1. Hire A Professional
For many people this goes without saying, but not everyone understands all that’s involved in re-roofing or replacing the roof on a home. First of all, it’s dangerous work. Our staff undergo specific safety training and use proper safety equipment for each job. It’s not worth risking your safety to do the work yourself, even if you do save money.
We can also discover other problems with the roof that need attention, but without the eye of a professional they can go unnoticed. Oftentimes, leaving these problems unaddressed will create new, larger problems down the road.
2. Choose a Licensed & Certified Company
Once you’ve decided to hire a professional, it’s important to realize that not all professionals are the same. Some roofing companies produce much higher quality of work than others, and some companies can get the homeowner in trouble.
You may come across some roofers that don’t have the proper certifications. They typically charge less, but that lower cost often means you’re missing out on insurance protection, safety training, and general workmanship. This can cause legal problems should anything serious happen, and without those protections it could come down to the homeowner to pay up.
You can also ask the company if they have a business license to operate in your area. We’re licensed to work in a number of areas including Lethbridge, Crowsnest Pass, Fernie, Cranbrook, Kimberley, and the surrounding Kootenay area.
Then, some companies will sub-contract work to other companies without telling the homeowner. Then, those questions you asked may not apply to the crew that arrives and their standards of workmanship may differ. When you hire our services, our team will show up in a company truck wearing company uniforms so you know it’s the same crew you hired.
Additionally, you may notice badges on company websites, like the Owens Corning Preferred Contractor badge.
Being a Preferred Contractor with Owens Corning means the contractor has shown such high quality workmanship that Owens Corning invited them to represent their product to their customers. It also means the roofing company stands behind the products they install. We’re experienced with Owens Corning products and will install them according to warranty standards.
3. Get a Detailed Quote
A common re-roofing problem that people run into is being given an invoice that’s far higher than what was quoted; this becomes a problem if the original quote was not documented. Just like in any trade or area of business, there are companies out there who will take advantage of their customers. We recommend getting a detailed, documented quote to avoid this.
A thorough quote process holds companies accountable for the work they do. Ideally, the roofing company should show up to see your roof in-person and follow up with a descriptive quote, complete with photos and pricing.
It should be in writing, either on paper or via email. For the majority of our recent clients, we’ve been sending quotes via email to respect social distancing. If requested, we can perform our work without meeting the homeowner in person.
Of course, there are times when the invoice is higher than the quote due to problems that the crew cannot see on an inspection, like rotten wood underneath a roof. When things like this happen, we make sure to be transparent with the homeowner. We would never unnecessarily upsell products or services, we simply want to make sure your home will stand up to the elements for as long as possible.
4. Read Reviews
Another way to ensure the company is being truthful and has reliable workmanship is to read their reviews.
Just search the company’s name on Google and look at the right-hand side of your search results to see their Google My Business listing. Their rating will show up as well as the number of reviews they have. The more reviews, the better. Read through them to see what kind of feedback their previous customers have said.
C&M Roofing has over one hundred reviews and our overall rating is 5-stars.
When you need a re-roof done, there are ways to avoid any roofing nightmares. Make sure you hire a professional—one that’s licensed and certified. Get a detailed, documented quote, and read reviews on the company. With these steps taken, you can feel more at ease when it’s time to get the work done. Give us a call if you’d like a re-roof without the nightmares!
