Protect Yourself when Hiring a Roofing Contractor

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Like any industry, there are roofers who will do shoddy work and leave you stranded with an empty pocket and possibly a leaky roof. Across the country, one out of three consumers has reported issues with roofing contractors. In some cases, they had problems with their roofers from the start. In other cases, problems started to develop later on down the line as a result of poor work. Many Annapolis homeowners have reported experiences with contractors who overcharged them, did poor work, or took their money without doing any work at all.

Your first step in selecting a reputable roofer who will do the job as agreed to and not leave you high and dry is to get referrals. Ideally, these referrals should be from friends, family, or coworkers who have hired roofers recently and were satisfied with the results. These people not only will be truthful with you, but they will have firsthand knowledge of the process you are about to undertake.

Before you call a roofer in Annapolis, write down all questions you may have about the project. Keep track of how much money you are willing to spend, the colors of materials you want, and what you want your roof to look like. You should also make sure that the roofing project will not interfere with your schedule. For instance, don’t hire a roofer during a week when you will be out of town.

Begin making phone calls and seeking estimates. Be sure that you ask about previous jobs, licenses, and insurance. Find out how workman’s compensation is handled in the event of an accident on the job site. Be certain that the roofers stand by their work and support it with warranties on the building materials and on the labor. If there is no warranty, chances are that any damage that occurs or mistakes that are made during roof installation will come out of your pocket.

After you select your roofers, be certain that you get all details of your contract in writing. You should receive information detailing labor and listing all materials that will be used. Never submit to an oral agreement of the work that is to be performed. Insist that any insurance paperwork be mailed to you directly from the insurance company instead of being faxed or photocopied. Furthermore, your contract should include provisions for any changes that may occur or extra materials. Don’t ever pay the full amount on the contract until every detail is accounted for in writing. This includes lien releases for all materials and all labor, including subcontractors.