subject: How to pick a roofing contractor on the Treasure Coast! [print this page] How to pick a roofing contractor on the Treasure Coast!
How to pick a roofing contractor on the Treasure Coast!
Stuart, and Port St Lucie, Palm City, Fort Pierce, Florida
It is often said that a home is the largest investment that many of us are likely to ever make. Of course, the roof is a key part of the house, and keeping it in good shape is imperative for maintaining the value of your home, in Stuart, Port St Lucie, or any city in south Florida. Serious contemplation must be given to finding the best roofing contractor obtainable when work is to be completed.
The first step is finding somebody locally that is competent to do the work. There are a few ways to do this, but your best bet is to go with word of mouth referrals. If you know somebody who had some roofing work done, let's say in Stuart, Fl, and has had a satisfactory experience with the contractor, it is a good idea to consider the possibility of hiring that contractor yourself. The past experience that your friend had with the contractor can greatly inform the path that the job will take, and they will be able to give you an reliable assessment of the contractor's strengths and weaknesses. Hindsight is, as they say, 20/20, so try to benefit from the hindsight of others. Also, when going with a word-of-mouth referral, try to find somebody local. For example; if you live in Port St Lucie or Stuart, FL, ask about contractors from the general vicinity of about a 50 mile radius. The contractor will see it as another chance to strengthen their standing in the local community if you live near each other; if he's far from home he may not care as much.
If you can't find someone via word-of-mouth referral, check in with your local and state licensing authorities, the Stuart or Port St Lucie, Better Business Bureau, or the Chamber of Commerce. These organizations are committed to the oversight of professional service delivery, and it's their profession to help consumers like you. Also, the Better Business Bureau is an important stop on the path to hiring a roofing contractor, so you can determine whether or not there are any outstanding complaints against the company.
Once you've found a few roofing contractors that look promising, narrow your selection down to two or three stable candidates. When you speak to them, let them know that you are in the market for a roofing contractor, and you want to find someone who can do the best work for the best price. Arrange for a face-to-face meeting, and prepare yourself by knowing which questions to ask.
Ask for references when you're speaking on the phone, and follow up on them. It bears repeating that word-of-mouth is the single greatest advertising; it's also outstanding information for the assessment process.
At your meeting, be straightforward about asking for a quote, but understand also that some contractors prefer to pad their initial quote in case something unexpected comes to light during the job. Oftentimes a leaky roof will result in mold, rot, corrosion, or other problems that are not discovered until the job starts. Clearly, this changes the nature of the job, and your roofer will need to do more than was originally agreed upon. If this inflates the cost of the job far beyond the initial quote, it may make for a more negative experience on everyone's part. Negotiate for a competitive price, but don't drive too hard a bargain.
Identify what questions to ask. You don't need to be an expert on home and roof repair. You do need to educate yourself as to the nature of the difficulty, a few potential solutions, the materials required, and the techniques likely to be employed. More importantly, you need to know some specifics about the business itself in order to maintain a strong, professional relationship with them. Require them to provide reliable contact information, and information about any licensing, bonding, and insurance that the state requires them to have available.
Finally, if you do decide to hire a contractor, require that they provide you with a written estimation for the project. Make sure that they show up with the materials that you agreed upon initially, require that they check with you before deviating from the original project.
It's your roof, and it's shielding your biggest investment. Take the time to make sure that it's in good, qualified hands. This information was offered by http://www.DanHeatonRoofing.com
