Has your commercial roof seen better days? Ready to make a change? If so, you would be best served by utilizing the services of a reputable roofing contractor.
Need help finding such a contractor? Then keep on reading. Here are 10 steps to hiring a roofing contractor in Orange County.
1. Create a Candidate Pool
The first thing you’ll want to do is create a pool of potential candidates. This includes scoping out contractors in your area through various means.
The easiest way to find potential candidates is to use the internet. By typing “roofing contractor near me” into Google or another search engine, you should be able to find dozens of potential candidates.
Another way to find candidates is by asking around. Perhaps your brother utilized the services of a contractor and was happy with the work that was done? Maybe your friend has some leads?
Regardless, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding viable contractors. This is the easiest part of the process.
2. Assess Reputation
Next, you’ll want to assess the reputation of the contractors in your pool. This is most easily done by utilizing a review platform such as Google, Yelp, or Facebook. The more positive a contractor’s reviews on these sites, the more viable an option the contractor is.
At a minimum, potential contractors should have 4-star overall ratings. If their ratings are below 4 stars, you should remove them from your candidate pool.
3. Look Up Licensure
Though not all states require roofing contractors to have licenses, the state of California does. In particular, roofing contractors need to have a C-39 roofing license.
If you’re looking for further certification, you could look for membership in the Roofing Contractors Association of California. Though roofing contractors don’t need to be members of this association, it does lend a bit of extra credibility.
Want to verify that your prospective contractor is, indeed, licensed with the state? Utilize the California license lookup tool.
4. Make Sure They’re Insured
In addition to certification, roofing contractors should have insurance as well. Not only is insurance required in order for contractors to obtain state licenses, but it’s also vital in the event of damages or mishaps (ie. damage to your property or injury to one of your contractor’s employees).
Should damages occur at the hands of an uninsured company, you could be held legally liable. So, you must make sure that your prospective roofer has both general liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance.
5. Ensure That They Provide the Service Needed
Not all roofing contractors provide the same services. For example, whereas some contractors will provide both residential and commercial services, other contractors will provide only residential services or only commercial services. You might also find that some contractors aren’t capable of installing specific materials.
The key for you is to find the contractors who cater to your specific needs. If a contractor doesn’t complete commercial roofing projects on a regular basis, that contractor isn’t going to have the experience, skill, or knowledge necessary to complete your commercial project either.
6. Scope Out Their Physical Locations
The vast majority of roofing contractors you come across will be legitimate. However, there’s a chance that you could come across a scam company, the type of company that provides quick but low-quality work, and then cuts and runs after the project has been completed.
To ensure that you’re not hiring a company such as this, you need to scope out your prospective roofers’ physical locations. If the company has a dedicated physical location, it is more than likely legit.
7. Ask About Warranties
Next, you’ll want to inquire about warranties. Simply put, if one of your prospective roofers doesn’t provide a warranty, you should drop it from your candidate pool.
Warranties are necessary to ensure that you’re getting what you pay for. If a warranty doesn’t exist, and a roofer performs sub-par work, you could get stuck with the repair costs. This is obviously something you want to avoid.
8. Inquire About Working Style
Not all roofing contractors work in the same ways. Whereas some contractors will utilize the same team for every project, other contractors will bring in different sub-contractors depending on their availability.
Neither one of these styles is necessarily wrong. However, you might feel more comfortable with one than with the other. In the end, you need to decide which type of working style you prefer and drop all of the contractors who don’t utilize this style.
9. Give Them a Call
Once you’ve narrowed your candidate pool down, you need to give each remaining candidate a call. This will help you to get a feel for their customer service, thus helping you determine whether they’re viable options.
A bad experience on the phone could easily turn you off of a prospective roofer. On the other hand, a good experience could solidify your desire to hire a prospective roofer.
10. Get Estimates
The final step is to get estimates from all of your remaining candidates. While roofers charge similar rates, their rates are bound to vary slightly.
Generally speaking, it’s wise to go with the lowest rate. However, if the rate is exceedingly lower than the others, you should approach with caution. Companies that offer exceedingly low rates might very well be making up for other ineptitudes.
In Need of a Roofing Contractor in Orange County?
If you’re reading this blog post, it’s probably because you’re on the search for a roofing contractor. If so, and if you live in Orange County, you needn’t look any further. Orange County Roofing is the top commercial roofing contractor in the area.
Whether you’re in need of installation, repair, or maintenance, our team can accommodate you. We work with everything from warehouse roofing to flat roofing and more.
Contact us now to discuss your roofing needs!
