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Why Smith Roofing:
What To Look For In Your Roofing Company
There is much disparity in roofing companies, from core expertise and warranties to timelines and quality control. Large and small, roofing companies come in all types so evaluating a roofing contractor to determine the right company for your job is an important if not challenging task. Below you’ll find helpful information on what you should expect from a quality contractor, including the experience and certifications a contractor should have, as well as the warranties and guarantees that should be provided to roofing customers.
What You Should Expect From Your Roofing Contractor
- ESTIMATE TIMELINESS - The first opportunity to evaluate a roofing contractor is usually the estimating process. Although a good contractor will be busy, the timeliness of the estimate turnaround will be a good indication to how seriously they take customer service. It will take some time to make a proper roof evaluation, but a building owner should expect to have an estimate within 10 days of the initial request.
- PREPARING THE ESTIMATE - To prepare the estimate, the roofing contractor will come to your facility or home, measure your roof, and perform a thorough inspection. After the estimate is prepared, the contractor should take the time to present and explain the estimate in person. This will give you the opportunity to evaluate the knowledge of the salesperson and gain a better understanding of the project details. It is important to note that every roofing job is unique, so when roofing companies simply submit the price without taking the time to personally provide details, the customer cannot be sure the contractor completely understands your specific roofing situation.
- INSTALLATION - The presentation of the estimate also gives the customer the opportunity to find out how the contractor will handle the installation. Things to look for include on-site qualified supervision, limited interruptions during the installation and quick turnaround time.
What Certifications and Experience You Should Expect
- CERTIFICATION - All manufacturers of quality roofing materials offer or require certain certifications from the roofing companies installing their products, and there are often multiple layers of certification. In many cases the term and coverage offered by the manufacturer’s warranty depends on the certification. It is therefore very important to know a roofing company’s status to make the best judgment for your roofing needs and value. For example, Smith Roofing is a CertainTeed 5 Star certified contractor providing the highest level of warranty coverage for CertainTeed roofing systems. Certification such as this goes a long way in providing the best quality and value for your roofing investment.
- EXPERIENCE - In addition to being certified, the experience level of the roofing company should be examined. There are many different types roofing systems out there, so good roofing companies will have employees with knowledge in each of the roofing disciplines. Although good contractors typically specialize in the installation of a select group of high quality products, chances are they will encounter many different types of roofs in their work. Other factors that give insight to the experience of a contractor are the quantity of roofing installed and the years they have been in business.
For more information on certifications and experience, visit our About Us Page.
What Guarantees or Warranties a Roofing Contractor Should Provide
- WARRANTY LENGTH – With new roofing, building owners generally want a problem solved and peace of mind that the roof will last. This is provided through the warranty. Manufacturers offer warranties with many different variables, including warranty length, coverage, and pro-ration. A warranty’s length of time will vary based on the quality of the roofing product. Naturally, the higher the quality, the more time the manufacturer will stand behind its product. The roofing company may also provide exceptional guarantees and warranties on labor and service. Be sure to ask what the roofing company provides with, and in addition to, the manufacturer’s warranty. This includes details listed in workmanship guarantee below.
- COVERAGE - Another factor is the coverage of the warranty. Some warranties only cover the product itself, while others are “systems” warranties that also cover other items needed for the roof installation such as labor, tear off and workmanship.
A warranty may also be pro-rated or non pro-rated. A pro-rated warranty’s coverage will gradually decline as the years go by, where a non pro-rated warranty will provide the same coverage in the final year that it does in the first year of the warranty. - WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEE – A quality roofing company will stand behind their work and provide their own workmanship guarantee. After all, it is the commercial roofing contractor that is providing the new roof, and they should be there to either assist with a manufacturers’ warranty claim or to stand behind any workmanship problems that come up in later years. Details of any roofing company’s labor warranties and guarantees are unique and individual, so be sure to ask for details to assure your best roofing choice and value.
Ready for an Estimate?
Now that you’re armed with the information needed to properly evaluate a roofing contractor, you’re ready to get your estimates. Click below to get started with your free estimate from Smith Roofing.