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When a house or office building needs re-roofing, it is a huge undertaking that can provide a lot of unnecessary stress on the home or office owner. Since a new roof is only required in most cases every twenty to fifty years, having the name of great roofing contractors on hand at all times is probably not the case for most individuals. There are different types of roofs on the market today, some of which were not an option when the original roof was put on the house or office, so the consumer now has more options to think about when re-roofing, whether to stick to the former roofing material or to change to a new one. If there is a change in material used, there is also the job of finding the appropriate contractor who is specialized in that type of roofing material, such as a metal roofing contractor, said a plumber.

There are several important questions to ask of a roofing contractor before even having the contractor come and do an estimate on the work to be completed. One of the first questions is whether the roofing contractor has a permanent place of business, which shows that it is an established company, rather than something that a contractor is trying to get off the ground or do as a side job. Another crucial question that goes along with this is whether the roofing contractor is state licensed and bonded by a surety company. This is very important and the information can usually be verified through the state.

Another important question to ask is whether the roofing contractor is affiliated with a roofing organization, which shows professionalism as well as the ability to stay informed about the latest roofing techniques and materials in the field. Since there are workers that work for the roofing contractor, it is also important to ask what type of safety training and education is done with the workers and how often. In addition, there should be clarity on what type of on-site supervision will be given over the workers and when there will be updates given to the individual on the status of the project.

In addition to these questions, the roofing contractor should also be able to give the individual proof of insurance, verifying that both he and his crew are insured for the duration of the job. The individual should ask to see copies of the plan to ensure that workers compensation is covered in the plan so that if there is an injury on the job, the individual does not get stuck paying the costs through his homeowner’s insurance plan.

One of the final questions before getting a written estimation of the work to be done is to ask what type of warrantee will be given for the new roof. There should always be a manufacturer’s warrantee for the materials and a contractor’s warrantee for the work that is done. That way the owner is covered for any type of problem with the roof.

Commercial roofing contractors have a lot of responsibilities that they have to take care of. Not only do they have to be aware of the roofing materials that are appropriate for different types of roofs, such as pitched and flat roofs, but they also have to know how to install these different materials and make sure that the roof gets finished according to the building codes that apply to that state, region and city. Finding the right commercial roofing contractor is extremely important and many questions should be asked and estimates obtained before deciding on one and beginning the project, said a roofer and plumber.

Commercial roofing contractors should all be state licensed and also bonded by a surety company. If a commercial roofing contractor does not have a license, the consumer should not ever consider that company for a commercial roofing project, since there is so much at stake in cost as well as the life of the roof. In addition, commercial roofing contractors should be part of a professional roofing organization that can help to vouch for the abilities of the company. Professional roofing organizations also help to keep the commercial roofing contractors up to date on the latest materials and techniques in commercial roofing, thus always continuing education.

Commercial roofing contractors should also have proof of roofing contractor insurance, of which an individual should be able to look at copies to verify that workers compensation is provided for all workers for the duration of the project so that the business or homeowners insurance is not used to pay for any accidents that might happen on the job. The individual must inspect the policy carefully to make sure that all workers are covered and not just the commercial roofing contractor.

Another question to ask a commercial roofing contractor is what type of safety training and education that is given to the workers under their supervision and how often. This is important because large projects have many workers on it and this training is imperative for the safety of all. The commercial roofing contractor should also be willing to provide a list of references that the individual can call to verify the experience that other people have had with that particular roofing company.

Finally, when the commercial roofing contractors are narrowed down to three or four, then the written estimates of the project should be obtained from all of the companies for comparison. These estimates should be very detailed, laying out all the materials needed, the length of time the project will take, who will be supervising and how many people will work on it, and the cost of the labor.