Choosing a Roofing Contractor

One of the most important decisions you will make for your home is who will put on your new roof. The quality and longevity of the finished product will depend by and large on the experience and integrity of the installer you select.

We present to you 22 Critical Questions which will assist you in evaluating the professionalism and performance of a roofing contractor. But before we begin, ask yourself these three preliminary questions?

One of the most important decisions you will make for your home is who will put on your new roof. The quality and longevity of the finished product will depend by and large on the experience and integrity of the installer you select.

We present to you 22 Critical Questions which will assist you in evaluating the professionalism and performance of a roofing contractor. But before we begin, ask yourself these three preliminary questions?

A)  Was it easy to contact them and schedule an appointment, either through their office staff or website?

B)  Was your estimator on time, was he knowledgeable and did he clearly explain what he was proposing?

C)  Is your estimator LBPR Licensed, which allows him or her to provide you with a roofing / renovation proposal?

If you answered “No” to any of these questions, select a new roofing candidate and begin the checklist again.

Now on to the list. 

1) How many years have they been in business?

Many roof problems don’t show up until years after the job is completed. Choose a company that is established and financially stable. Consider the fact that most roofing companies telephones are disconnected long before their warranties expire.

CASCADE ROOFING has been in business Since 1959.

2) If a worker is injured, how will the company protect my personal property from being held liable?

Because homeowners insurance normally excludes such accidents, the only way to be assured that your installer has the correct insurance is to verify their coverage for employees and subcontractors.

CASCADE ROOFING carries Workers Compensation Insurance through SAIF Corporation on all our employees. No roofing subcontractors are ever used

3) Ask to see a current copy of these four insurances?

  • Liability Insurance
  • Auto Insurance
  • Workmens Compensation Insurance
  • Performance Bond Insurance

There are a variety of reasons why adequate insurance may not be carried by a contractor; the inability to qualify for the insurance policy or the extremely high costs of roofing insurance – these are the most common.

CASCADE ROOFING provides you with a written copy of our $2,000,000 Liability Insurance, Auto Insurance, Workers Compensation Insurance and our $15,000 Performance Bond.

4) Ask the contractor if they use their own employees for the majority of the work?

If a roofing contractor uses subs, you will need to confirm that all four insurances listed above are carried by each and every subcontractor involved in your roofing project.

CASCADE ROOFING installations are completed by our very own highly skilled and professional employees.

5) How will they protect you against a Lien being placed against your property?

Your best protection is as follows:

  • Get a written wavier of lien from each supplier.
  • Deal only with an established roofing company.
  • The less subcontractors involved the better.

CASCADE ROOFING protects our customers from Liens by providing in writing a “Lien Wavier” from our material supplier.

6) Are they licensed with the State of Oregon?

Each contractor in Oregon is assigned a CCB# that can be verified with the state as to being current and incompliance with state regulatory requirements. Check for complaints filed with the Contractors Board against the contractor.

CASCADE ROOFING holds license number: #104430

7) Are they listed with…?

  • Check with the BBB.
  • Check for Reviews on Google, MSN, or Yahoo.
  • Check Angie’sList.com or Kadzu.com.
  • Call their Suppliers.
  • Read Recent Testimonials.
  • Drive by several recent jobs and examine their Workmanship – they should have jobs close to your home.

Contractor provided references are great, but unedited reviews found at places like Google or Angie’s List can be very enlightening. The more reviews the better, it tells you the company is actively installing new roofs and any future reviews from customers like you are important to them. Remember, every company can run into a discontented customer, so read the reviews carefully and compare notes.

CASCADE ROOFING is an A+ member of the BBB, has numerous outstanding reviews on Google, Yahoo. MSN, Kudzu and Angie’s List where we were awarded the 2010 Super Service Award. Please feel free to call our supplier, Woodfeathers Roofing Supply @ 503-641-7663 and ask about our us. Also, in your packet we have provided several written testimonials.

8) Does the contractor provide a comprehensive written bid?

Expect to see in the Written Proposal:

  • Material being proposed: Product?  Brand?  Style?
  • Warranties and brochures. Also a range of options and several different price points.
  • Roofing Details: This section should be fairly inclusive, including:

Number of layers of old roofing that are to be removed (it should be all of them). Are trucks used to haul away the debris (preferable, since they can be moved each night) or are dumpsters used? Are all the dumping fees included in the proposal? What is the cost for rot repair – per sheet / per foot / per hour?

If new roof decking is needed, what type and thickness is specified? (Stay away from OSB board.)

Flashings – replace or reuse? Where are they being installed? Gauge of metal, size and finish?

Type of underlayment being bid? Quality of felt? Ice & Water Shield being used where?

How is the house going to be vented to meet the manufactures and local requirements?

Type and number of fasteners, wind rating?

We can’t cover all the details here, many are job specific, but a good roofing proposal will have a detailed specification sheet. Make sure you go over the specification sheet item by item with the contractor and ask lots of questions. A good estimator will gladly go over the specifics point by point with you.

CASCADE ROOFING provides a 6 page bid along with a complete proposal and packet that details all of the above roofing specifications. We are also happy to spend the time with you to answer all of your questions.

Choosing A Pro:

If you choose the right materials, you have about a 1 in 4 chance of getting a long lasting roof installed. The question is, why do less than 25 percent of completed roof installations meet the manufactures specifications when the same material is used? Answer – Its all about the men on your roof.

9) Are their installers employees or subs?

CASCADE ROOFING uses only our very own trained and experienced employees on all of our roofing projects.

10) How long have most of the employees been with their company?

CASCADE ROOFING’S professional installers have been with us for 10, 15 and even 20 years. Treated right and well trained means you get a real Pro on your roofing project.

11) Are they trained and how?

CASCADE ROOFING requires our installers to complete and pass an extensive training course before ever being allowed to enter our apprenticeship program. Once an installer has several years of supervised experience under his belt he can than take the Master Shingler test and move up to advanced training in PVC and Torchdown materials. Safety training never ends.

12) What certifications do they hold? How about the company?

CASCADE ROOFING’S installers are Certified Master Roofing Applicators. The Company recently earned the Master Roofing Company distinction after participating and passing an extensive industry course.

13) How is the supervising of my project handled?

No supervisor? / A supervisor comes by once or twice a day? / The supervisor is on the job through-out the installation?

CASCADE ROOFING supervisiors are assigned to one job at a time – until your roof is completed, they will be on your jobsite and available to you for questions and answers.

14) What about Safety? Harnesses? Scaffolding?

CASCADE ROOFING is certified by the National Roofers Association as NTI safety certified. We are also one of the only roofing companies in the Northwest with its own scaffolding system and safety trailer. We provide OSHA approved retractable and standard lanyards for the safety of all our roof top employees.

15) What about bathroom facilities?

CASCADE ROOFING provides a porta potty on each jobsite.

16) How will you protect my yard? Plants? Pond? Play structure?

CASCADE ROOFING has scaffolding that can be erected to protect sensitive areas, tarps are used to protect ground cover, and plywood is used to protect such areas as ponds, siding, HVAC units and windows.

17) What about the clean-up?

CASCADE ROOFING will clean your gutters, blow your walkways clean and run a magnetic broom over your lawn and drive-way to keep you property neat and clean.

18) What about a smoking policy? Music policy?

CASCADE ROOFING is Smoke and Music free on the roof site.

19) Who will I communicate with during the job?

CASCADE ROOFING assigns a fulltime Foreman/Supervisor to your roofing project. Once the job is completed, he will inspect all aspects of the new roof system and turn in his inspection report to the office.

20) What are the details of the warranty – Labor & Material – are these in writing?

CASCADE ROOFING includes in your proposal packet a copy of our warranty. Because of our manufacture certifications, their warranties can often be extended at no additional charge to you.

21) How much downpayment is needed? How is the final payment handled?

CASCADE ROOFING requires a downpayment of $200. The final bill is mailed out and due back within 5-10 days. Personal checks are fine along with Visa / M/C or Discover card.

22) Last Question, do you recycle the old roofing material?

CASCADE ROOFING recylces the bulk of your old roofing material at Environmentally Conscious Recycling (ECR).

Congratulations:

By following this guide along with your own common sense, you just made one of your most expensive purchases, from one of the least trusted industries, into a thoughtful and educated decision.