Few home upgrades can boost property value, like the installation of a new roof. Sure, it might not be as sexy as a new bathroom or kitchen, but a new roof helps cut down energy consumption, improves the look of your home, and you’ll reap a sizable jump in what you can sell your house for. It’s also something that needs to be done, from time to time. While the exact period between new roofs is dependent on several factors, if you’re considering a new roof, you don’t want to go out and have any contractor install the roof simply. You need to shop around.Â
What To Look For In a Roofing Estimate
To help you find a roofing contractor best suited for your house, here is what to look for in a roofing estimate.
The Filtering Process
Don’t give the first roofing company you find on Google a call. Installing a roof is a sizable investment, so you need to put some time into the filtering process. The only thing worse than overpaying for a job is paying for a job that’s done wrong.
First, check the certifications of the contractor. At the very least, they should have a general contractor certification through the state of North Carolina (or South Carolina, if you live there). Ideally, you’ll find a contractor with a contractor license with a specialty in roofing. Here at Charlotte Roofing Specialists, that’s the kind of contractor license we have. It demonstrates the highest level of skill in the installation of a roof.
From there, you’ll also want to make sure the company is insured. If for whatever reason, your house is damaged during the installation of the roof, you should not be at fault or responsible for paying for the damage. However, if a company doesn’t have insurance, they may try to push the cost off onto you (and then you’ll be forced to either take them to court or pay it yourself, and either way, it’s not a great situation to be in). Avoid uninsured contractors.
Now that you’ve found contractors suitable to install a roof, check out the customer reviews. You can contact the contractor for referrals to obtain this information. They should have no problem giving you referrals to contact. If a contractor withholds this information, it is a sign they don’t want you to find out about their work, in which case it may mean they don’t want you to find something out, which is never a good sign. This should help elevate the best roofing companies and remove the rest.
Estimates and Quotes
So, what to look for in a roofing estimate? When receiving an estimate or quote for your roofing job, there are some specifics you want to determine. First, what is included in the quote? Does this include all the parts and all the labor? You don’t want any possible costs left out. It’s best to receive a maximum possible cost estimate and an expected cost estimate, so you know what to work with and what you might need to budget.
Now, find out what happens if the project goes over budget? You don’t want to be stuck in a situation where you constantly are throwing hundreds or thousands of dollars at the contractors to finish the job. You should also find out about scheduling. Is there an expected date for the job to be completed? The occasional situation can arise that may delay the completed installation of a roof, but it shouldn’t take weeks (or longer) to complete the installation, so you need to have a clear understanding of how long it will take for the new roof to go up. After all, you have a life, and you have activities you want to schedule, which may require the roof to be completed.
Warranties
Beyond the simple cost of the products and labor, find out what sort of warranties are included. You will want to look at two possible warranties. The first is a warranty on the material itself, and the second is for the labor. The material warranty will cover any kind of fault with the material. This might be because the product starts to dry, crack, and fall apart sooner than expected, or it might not have the kind of wind restraint it is supposed to. If there is a fault with the product, it needs to be covered by the warranty.
The second is the labor warranty. This means how the product was installed. Perhaps the problem isn’t with the material itself, but instead, it was installed incorrectly. A manufacturer would not cover the cost of repairs if it were due to a poor installation. That is why you need to look at these two kinds of warranties and how long the warranties are good for. Most of the time, even poorly installed roofs won’t begin to show signs of problems for years, so keep this in mind when looking over the roofing estimates. There need to be product and labor warranties included.
Receiving Your Roofing Estimate Today
It is always best to shop around, receive estimates from different contractors, and find out what each estimate entails. This will give you the best idea of which contractor will offer you the best service and value for what you’re paying. Here at Charlotte Roofing Specialists, we want to be that contractor. We’ll sit down and go over every detail with you about what to look for in a roofing estimate, showing you the estimate, what the estimate includes, and how the price came to be. We want to make sure you are fully aware of everything going on, so you can make the best-educated decision possible. We here at Charlotte Roofing Specialists are confident in our work, so we stand behind all the services we offer. So whether you want a traditional asphalt roof installed or you’re interested in another building material, give us a call today. We’ll start working with you on your estimate right then and there.