Selecting a Qualified Roofing Contractor

Selecting / Choosing a Good Qualified Roofing Contractor can be a daunting task. And to find three, the recommended minimum number, to obtain proposals from is very difficult. There are many problems when using referral lists or any of the methods listed below that are commonly used to find Roofing Contractors much less a Good Qualified Roofing Contractor.

Yellow Pages? Basically a very poor source other than finding a phone number. It is like being blindfolded and trying to throw a dart to hit a balloon. Big ads or placement of the ads or how the ad looks or for that matter the content does not mean that Roofing Contractor is better than the one who has just a listing.
Online Yellow Pages? This is even worse than the printed version of the Yellow Pages. If you search for Roofing Contractors in your area you will only find the Roofing Contractors that have paid additional fees to be listed. So your field of possible Roofing Contractors is now limited.
Flyers left on your door? It is a good way for a roofing contractor to let Consumers know that they exist. But only call them after you have thoroughly checked them out.
Contractors knocking on your door? They are mining for jobs. Be careful of this type of sales technique. They might say things like “We have found that roofs in your area have received damage from hail. We can check your roof at no cost to you and then help you get a new roof from your insurance company.” If you did not call them, it is best to simply state to them: "Thanks for your interest and we'll keep you in mind when we decide on having someone out to check our roof." And then only call the them after you have thoroughly checked them out. It is always best for the consumer when you initiate the contact because there are unscrupulous contractors out there. Always get proposals from other Roofing Contractors in addition to their proposal. Then you will have something to compare to.
How about from an ad in the newspaper, radio, TV, Google, or Yahoo? Same as Flyers. It is a good way for a roofing contractor to let Consumers know that they exist. But, again only call them after you have thoroughly checked them out.
Referrals from a friend or an acquaintance? They are a little better especially if it's from someone you know but still leaves a lot to be desired. What can a referral really tell you? Other than: That they did a nice job. The roof looks good. They kept the grounds clean. They were on time. The salesmen was nice, the crews worked hard, etc. Who knows if they really did do a good job or not?
Referrals from companies or websites matching consumers with contractors? Don’t know why this would be any better than choosing a contractor from the Yellow Pages. There still is no way of knowing that the roof installation was done correctly or not.
What about contractors referred by material supply yards or distributors, or even manufacturer referrals? This might be a little better because you know at least they are paying some of their bills or the material suppliers and manufacturers would not be referring them. However, the major reason the contractors are on their list is because they do business with them. The contractors buy their materials from them and use products manufactured by them. So of course they’re going to refer them.
Endorsements from Radio and TV Personalities and their websites? The major problem here is the Roofing Contractor pays for the endorsements or to be on their referral lists. All you need is to pay some money to be on most any referral list whether it be on a TV or radio personality's referral list or on a website's referral list. Some might do some rudimentary checking, most don't, of the contractor's business and maybe their background, but that's about it. Again, there is no way of knowing if your roof is or will be installed correctly. The roof installations of their referred Roofing Contractors are never inspected by someone other than maybe a City/County Building Inspector for what that is worth. About the only time a TV / Radio personality will get involved is after a roofing problem has occurred. That could be way too late.

Don't fall for advertisements offering discounts like $500.00 off roof installations. How do you know they have not just raised their price that amount and have already figured it into their total price just to subtract it out again. This is one of the oldest scams because each roof has different costs. It is not like buying a certain make of a car or model of a refrigerator where you can compare prices. Always get at least three proposals on any job. And anyway saving $500.00 on a new roof if not installed properly with the correct roofing materials and accessories can cost you a lot more in time, money, and headaches.

Beware of Roofing Contractors who call themselves Hail Damage Specialists, Hail Repair Specialist, Insurance Claim Specialists, Insurance Claim Advocates, Hail Experts, Storm Experts, etc. Also, beware of companies who say they will handle your insurance claim and do the roof for whatever the insurance company pays them or the companies who ask you to sign an authorization for them to handle your claim. Most are simply "Storm Chasers" whether they are local Roofing Contractors or from out of town.

This presents quite a problem

This presents quite a problem if all of the above are not very good ways to find a Good Qualified Roofing Contractor. We are often asked by property owners for the names of Roofing Contractors that we recommend, a referral list of the so called best Roofing Contractors. We simply do not refer any Roofing Contractors.

Besides, all Roofing Contractors make mistakes. It does not matter how small or large, or how long they have been around, or what their reputation is - they all make mistakes and more frequently than you would think.

The only way to greatly increase the chance of having a good quality roof installation is to use our Roof Inspection Service no matter who the selected Roofing Contractor is.

Most of the Roofing Contractors you find on all the referral web sites, including those on what is considered the most used major radio personality referral list, have had several to many roofs fail our roof inspections with many corrections. Some of the Roofing Contractors referred, even on his website, have also had to replace entire roofs because of making major mistakes or omissions that we found while performing roof inspections for several of the Denver Metro City/County Building Departments.

Here is the Solution

Using any of the methods listed above is okay to start with to at least get the names of some Roofing Contractors, but we recommend going a step or two further to weed out the not so good Roofing Contractors and the ones that might not be the best fit for your roofing job.

Start by checking the names of the Roofing Contractors that you have found to see if they are a member of one or more of the following Roofing Contractor Associations. See if they are involved and participate in the associations as a board or committee member. However don't use this as your only gauge. There also are Good Qualified Roofing Contractors that are not members of any association.

Colorado Roofing Association                                      www.coloradoroofing.org
Western States Roofing Contractors Association          www.wsrca.com
National Roofing Contractors Association                    www.nrca.net

Call Local Roofing Supply Companies and ask them questions about the Roofing Contractors you are interested in using.

There really is no point in asking roofing contractors for references. Obviously, they will only give you the good ones. Instead, ask each of them to provide at least one, two is better, jobs where they are currently doing roofing work. Then we recommend you go by and watch and ask questions if need be. You will find out a lot more than you would from references.

Ask several questions from each Roofing Contractor similar to the questions we ask as listed in our Roofing Contractor Requirements on our Roofing Contractor Agreement web page.

Then write a Request For Proposal (RFP). Properly writing the Request For Proposal (RFP) puts the Property Owner in control rather than the Roofing Contractor.

When a Property Owner or Homeowners Association hires us to write a Request For Proposal (RFP) we always include as part of the RFP our Qualifications/Requirements for Roofing Contractors. This Qualifications/Requirements for Roofing Contractors must be returned with the Roofing Contractor's proposal for their proposal to even be considered.

Roofing Contractors are considered local if they currently hold a License or if they have held Licenses in the past for roofing in one or more Cities/Counties near your residence. A Building License for roofing may not be renewed in each City/County unless the Roofing Contractor has current work there or there is a potential for work. Using a Local Roofing Contractor is helpful to avoid some Storm Chasers who may not have the Consumers best interest in mind.

For your convenience we have a list of Pre-Qualified Roofing Contractors that have answered the questions that should be asked as listed in our Roofing Contractor Requirements and have signed our Roofing Contractor Agreement. They do not pay any $$$ to us to be on this list.

Even after doing all of the above, the most important question remains unanswered.

How do you know the roof is going to be installed properly with the appropriate materials and accessories
to reduce the odds of future roof problems or leaks?

You don’t know. Not without having an independent, in depth roof inspection performed. This roof inspection should be performed by someone who has the reputation of being tough on roof inspections with the consumer's best interest in mind, and they must also have a great deal of knowledge about roofing materials and their proper installation. That company is us, RE/COR Inc.

Use any Roofing Contractor you wish, but be sure to use our
Roof Inspection Service for your Peace of Mind

Remember, about 70% of the roofs installed today will have problems, some minor and others major. Using our Roof Inspection Service may cost you a few dollars now but will save you hundreds maybe thousands of dollars, headaches, and possible litigation now and in the future.

We perform a Roof Inspection Service only. We do not sell or install roofing products
or represent any roofing materials or roofing contractors, so there is no conflict of interest.

Trust but Verify

For Your Peace of Mind