Finding the Contractor for You
Finding a roofing contractor is easy, but how do you know that they are the right one for the job? After all, they are responsible for your roof- the one thing protecting your building from the outside elements. Currently we have access to unlimited resources at the click of a few buttons on our phones or laptops. Online research is essential to finding the right roofing contractor. Initially, there are three factors that you should be looking for when researching a company: A physical address listing their place of business, a phone number they can be reached at, and a website that showcases their services. If all three of these factors are listed, it is safe to say that continued research will not be wasted. Pay attention to the wording on their website page. A commercial roofing contractor will advertise products like TPO, EPDM/Rubber, PVC, Metal/Specialty, and Modified Bitumen Roofing. A residential roofing contractor will advertise products like asphalt, cedar shake, metal, slate, tiles, and synthetic roofing. To prevent being overwhelmed when using general searches, narrow down your results by specifying your search query. For example, instead of simply typing “roofing companies”, type “roofing companies near me” or “local roofing company”. This will help Google’s index display results that are organically displayed in the search, not just the companies that are paying for ads that might not be the right fit for your needs. To be even more specific towards the type of service you are looking for, you could type something like: “TPO roof replacement”, “shingle roof replacement”, or “commercial roofing contractor”. This will ensure that relevant and useful results pulled from Google’s search index are displayed.
Once you have found a company that you like, research the business’s accreditation with the Better Business Bureau. A top letter grade rating from the BBB is a great reflection of their confidence in the business and how they are likely to interact with customers. Also check through websites like Google Business, Yelp, and Facebook to see what services are offered and what the company’s reviews are like. In terms of bad reviews, look at how the company responds to the issues and concerns that were brought up. If they are empathetic and offer solutions to the problem, they not only care about their reputation, but they also care about their customer’s satisfaction. After you get a good sense of who the company is and what kind of business they conduct, it is time to give the contractor a call. Make an appointment for them to come out and look at the area you need work on. They should give you an estimated cost on the work to be performed and the estimate should always be free. Be wary of contractors that ask for a large down payment before they have started the job. Sadly, it happens too often, but less reputable contractors will take the money and never come back. A legitimate roofing company may ask you for a moderate down payment to cover the cost of materials, but they will not expect you to pay in full until the job is completed. Once the job is complete and you are satisfied with the work that has been performed, make sure to keep the contractor in mind. Refer them to your friends, leave good reviews on their social media, and hold onto their business cards- you never know when you might need to reach out to them again.
