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How to Find a Good Roofer | The Old Farmer's Almanac

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How to Find a Good Roofer

Tom Dvorak
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This is a common time of year to reassess the roof, especially if you are thinking of selling your house. If you need a roofer, follow these 10 steps to make sure you find a good one! 

Finding a Good Roofer

  1. Ask at least three different companies to submit proposals. Learn what you can from each person who looks at your roof, and ask questions. Take time to make an informed decision. Pay careful attention to what each roofer recommends.
  2. Don’t jump at the lowest bidder. If all bids for your roof are within 20 percent of each other, the low bid might be okay. Compare what each roofer is offering, and watch out for hidden costs or extras.
  3. Make certain the company is properly registered and insured. Ask the roofer for his contractor’s registration number, which means he has legal credentials to operate in your state.
  4. Do not consider anything but a proposal in writing. Ask the roofer if he has given you an estimate or a bid. An estimate is the roofer’s best guess on what a job will cost. It is given when much of the work that needs to be done is unable to be seen or measured. A bid is a fixed amount of money to do the job, an agreement that the job will be done for an agreed-upon price.
  5. Ask when payment is due. Some roofers want a percentage up front, before they begin the job. Others request the full amount to be paid within ten to 30 days after completion.
  6. Find out when the job will begin and end. Ask what you can do to get ready. Will the roofer clean up when he’s finished? How? (If clean-up is not included in the contract, ask to add it in, a contingency of payment.)
  7. If you’re replacing a roof, ask the roofer how many layers are already up there. (He can usually tell easily by making a small cut.) Will he remove the existing old material? After three layers the roofer should strip the roof, check for rot in the wood below, insulate and then reroof. A good roofer isn’t afraid to do this.
  8. Most roofing materials are covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. Some roofing materials are designed for special applications, such as high wind, heavy snowfall, or salt-water exposure. Ask your roofer how each of these apply in your situation and what warranty will come with the material you chose.
  9. The most frequent causes of roof deterioration are inadequate venting and poor flashing. Find out how the roofer plans to deal with these areas. If you don’t see it in his proposal, ask about it.
  10. The best time to have a chimney repaired is just before the installation of a new roof. Ask the roofer about your chimney. If it needs repair, he should be able to recommend a mason and coordinate the work.

Planning to sell your house? See our tips for a speedy house sale!

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Home Improvement
About The Author

Tom Dvorak

Tom Dvorak, a civil engineer, also writes for Family Handyman about DIY home improvement. Read More from Tom Dvorak

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Comments

Jesse Ford (not verified)

4 years 1 month ago

Thanks for mentioning that a roofer who has the credentials to work in your state will have a contractor's registration number. My wife and I are thinking of looking for a roof repair contractor because we noticed that some of the shingles on the top of our home fell off during a bad rainstorm last week. It seems like a good idea to consider hiring a reputable professional that's licensed and insured to repair our roof so that we can be protected if another storm hits our house.

Dan (not verified)

5 years 7 months ago

Quality roofing isn’t cheap, and cheap roofing isn’t quality.

Krista Park (not verified)

5 years 10 months ago

Hiring a roofer nowadays is a tough task. One must need to be careful and thorough in choosing. There are lots of scammers out there waiting for their next target. Thank you for sharing this helpful tips to know if the roofing contractor is reliable and professional.

jack (not verified)

5 years 10 months ago

I would recommend to neglect price when it comes to hiring a roofing contractor, despite of the fact that it might be tempting to go with the lowest bidder. It is more intelligent to opt for a more experienced and qualified contractor, because the higher the rates the better the quality of construction they offer. Furthermore, paying a little higher price for roofing project in short-term can guarantee premium long-term quality, therefore, I would recommend to opt for Contractors like YOR Construction that are not only licensed but has years of experienced with master certifications.

My house's roof needs to be fixed and so I'm trying to find a roofing contractor. Thanks for the advice about getting opinions from different companies and seeing what they say needs to be done to the roof. I'll have to do that and then choose a good roofer that is certified and has insurance.

Carlos vega (not verified)

8 years ago

Need new roofing

Keith Wilkoson (not verified)

9 years ago

As a roofer myself (I work for www.westparkroofing.co.uk) I am often amazed at how untrustworthy many people find us.

I can say for sure that my company would move heaven and earth to provide you with the exact specifications you require and then some.

We really need to work to improve the image of our profession!

AllyJO (not verified)

9 years 5 months ago

I agree. It is difficult to find a reputable contractor nowadays, with most going out of business left and right. When my husband and I were looking for a good roofing contractor, we decided to call family and friends and neighbors for referrals and asked each of those contractors for estimates and their info on past customers (with their approval, of course). This was tedious work, but all worth it at the end. Additionally, we asked for insurance, we checked the bbb, etc and downpayment/full payment was a major factor in deciding which one to choose. We even checked reviews and their websites - but we didn't base our decision purely on these. We live in a western suburb of Chicago, so there is a lot of competition in big cities. With review of all of these, we decided to go with a local contractor - ProHome1 and we are happy we did. They guaranteed their work and based in the next city, so if there are any unforeseen problems, we won't have to wait long to get it repaired.

OvenMaster (not verified)

11 years 8 months ago

I wish this described how to actually *find* a roofer that will work on your house. I have yet to find a roofer who will return my phone calls, never mind show up to actually look at my roof.