Are you thinking of getting a new roof? You’re not alone in making this decision. According to Roofing Contractor, more than five million people get new roofs installed every year. However, before you hire a roofing company, there’s a process that you should go through. The first part is researching companies. Once you do, you should ask for estimates from the ones you’re interested in. Here’s why you should always get an estimate before choosing a roofing company to work on your property.
One benefit of receiving an estimate is that you’re going to know the expected cost in advance. This will help you know how much to budget. However, you should always also leave a bit of a buffer between the estimate and the final cost. That way, if there’s a cost overrun, you’re going to be prepared and not have to scramble to get the payment together after the final cost is calculated.
Another benefit of an estimate is that you’re going to know what your money is going to be spent on. When you get your estimate, it should have a line-by-line itemized breakdown of what each cost is going to be. That way, you’ll see where a certain amount of money is going towards the workers, an explanation of how many workers there will be, how many supervisors, and other helpful information. In other words, it will be a clear map of everything you’d be paying for if you hire them.
When you receive an estimate, you’ll find out what services are being provided by the roofers. Will they do other things, like take a look at your gutters or your chimney? Certain companies won’t do that, so you want to find out before you hire them. Just like hidden costs, you also want to make sure that they don’t leave out that they don’t do certain work. Otherwise, you could have to pay someone else to do the other job once the first company is finished.
Getting an expected timeline of the work is also helpful. Here’s where you need to be a bit careful. It may seem great that the roofer says that they will do the job very quickly, but they may not be realistic. They might not factor in things like bad weather days. If that’s the case, then they will likely run over the time they told you it would take. It’s better to have someone who takes a more cautious approach when coming up with a timeline. They may add a few days to allow for the unexpected. Then, they might finish early and leave you feeling more satisfied with their work.
The estimate will tell you if you need to have other work done before or after the job. You might need to have another company handle your eaves and soffits, for example. You’ll also find out whether the company will clean up any debris or if you will need to plan for that. Also, you should ask if you need to handle the dumpster rental or if they do. All of this will ensure that the job will go smoothly.
You’ll see what kind of protection you’d get in the event of any damage happening while the roofing work is done. The roofer should have everything regarding that listed on the estimate. That way, you’ll feel comfortable hiring them and secure in the knowledge that you’ll be covered if something unfortunate happens over the days that they are there.
Another good thing about asking for estimates is that they can also provide red flags that can make you think twice about hiring a particular roofing company. One red flag is that they hide things in fine print, or even hide the fine print itself. That can mean that they are going to do something sneaky like try to absolve themselves of any blame for damage to parts of your home like your gutters or your windows. Always be on the lookout for fine print. Doing that can save you from problems later.
The second red flag is that the estimate only has a price on it. There’s no breakdown of what kind of services are being provided. It won’t tell you what materials are being used, and what the cost of labor is. When that happens, you should just toss the estimate, since it’s also typically the lowest out of all of them. Otherwise, you’re running the risk of having shoddy work done and not being able to point to something to get them to fix it.
The third red flag is regarding the warranty. When you get an estimate from the roofing company, it should have the warranty information right there. When you’re reading it, you should make sure that the warranty includes both the roofing parts and the labor. If it doesn’t include it, then you should look elsewhere, since the roofer is likely trying to avoid responsibility for any poor workmanship or resulting leaks.
If the roofer doesn’t go over the estimate with you and has a “the price is the price” attitude, then you might want to look elsewhere. They should be trying to gain your trust. You’re going to be letting them work on the most important part of your home, after all. So, they should offer to sit down and go over each part of the estimate with you. This will also speak to their communication skills or the lack thereof. It will also help set your mind at ease.
You may see that the estimates vary by company. Don’t be surprised by this. Each company has various costs that they need to recoup, like overhead costs, labor costs, and roofing material. Some of them believe in using very high-end roofing material since they trust in the results.
Another thing about any estimate is that there’s going to be a deadline. The roofer will tell you how long it’s going to be good for. Usually, you can expect it to last for 90 days before it expires, and a new estimate needs to be drawn up. That’s because certain factors can change over that period. The marketplace might shift. The company is going to have to shift along with it to be able to make a profit.
It’s always good to shop around for roofers. You want to strike a balance between getting the best price that falls within your budget and getting the best results. Look online and read reviews of what people are saying. Visit each company’s website and see if they have photo galleries of their most recent work. Doing all of this will help you make your best decision.
Are you looking for a roofing company in your area? We do everything from residential and commercial roofing to gutters to roof repair to chimneys. Contact All Star Roofing Contractor LLC today to see how we can help you. We look forward to hearing from you soon and discussing that free estimate!
