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 How to Select a Contractor

The following is a list of questions you should ask your roofing contractor before signing a contract.

How long have you been in business and what is your company address?

Wisconsin does not have a licensing program for contractors. Anyone with a pickup truck can claim to be in the roofing business. Look for those companies with a long history in your area. Older companies are old for a reason. If the contractor will not give you an address other then a Post Office Box number, you may want to eliminate them from your project. Deal with reputable companies with an established place of business.

Are you sufficiently insured and will you provide a certificate of insurance with my contract?

Many people claiming to be insured in fact are not, some are underinsured. We live in a litigious society. You must protect yourself from poor workmanship and also from potential lawsuits as a result of injury to a workman on your property. There are three types of insurance you have a right to expect from any contractor you hire.

  1. Liability Insurance – Ask for $1,000,000.00 of coverage and a $1,000,000.00 umbrella minimum
  2. Property Damage - the insurance here should be at least as high as the total value of your property and contents.
  3. Workman's Compensation - This is required by law! Always ask for a current certificate of insurance showing that the contractor you wish to hire is adequately insured.

Will you provide a Waiver of Lien upon payment?

When anyone works on your house, they may hold certain lien rights against your property until they are paid. Insist on receiving a Waiver of Lien upon payment. This verifies the contractor is releasing his lien rights and the rights of his employees and suppliers. Nothing can sour a job more then to find out after the fact that the contractor you hired never paid his supplier for the materials he used on your home; and now the supplier has filed a lien against your property to insure payment.

Have you been approved or certified by any major manufacturers?

Many manufacturers have certification programs and approve only certain applicators to install their products. This is a good sign and communicates a solid working relationship between the contractor and materials manufacturer. Contractors with a good relationship can usually expedite warranty complaints faster then those without them.

Do you provide written manufacturers' warranties?

Insist on written manufacturers' warranties! Do not accept contractors' warranties as the only protection. If there is a problem and your contractor no longer exists, the manufacturer will stand behind the product.

Are you a member of the National Roofing Contractors Association or the National Association of Home Builders?

Memberships in these organizations are expensive and generally reflect an active level of involvement in the industry. The members receive current information about new products and technology.

How experienced are your applicators?

Good companies will find experienced applicators, train them, and most importantly, pay them well so they can keep them. Find out how long the applicator has worked for the company. This may mean higher prices. Remember, a common law of economics limits what you receive to the amount you are willing to pay.

What are the terms for payment?

Never give more than an initial 35% down payment. It is not recommended that the total deposit and progress payments equal more than 75% of the total job price. Also, it is not recommended to give a deposit to a contractor whose track record cannot be verified by reference from recent work.

Does your company use safe roofing practices?

Roofing can be dangerous work in many ways. For example, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recently imposed fall protection standards on roofing contractors that mandate the use of safety devices, adding considerable cost to job overhead. These expenses could be the cause of wide variations in prices between contractors who follow the standards versus those who ignore them. The homeowner is not responsible for enforcement of OSHA standards, but you benefit from them insofar as job safety awareness is higher when OSHA standards are followed. Worker accidents are much less likely. Insist on a contractor who knows, is trained for, complies with, and is equipped for following all local, state, and federal safety standards.

Is clean-up included?

Many contractors will cut costs by leaving garbage and unused materials behind, saving on man-hours and disposal costs. But this requires you to clean up often heavy and possibly hazardous materials.

Is a permit needed and who will be responsible to get it?

Often a remodeling or building work permit is required by law to install a roofing system. Check with your contractor if this is required, and who is responsible for getting one. Some contractors will obtain the proper permits, make sure you inquire to be on the safe side.

Is there any clearly stated contractor warranty?

If a roof installation or system should fail, make sure there is a warranty explicitly stating the contractor's responsibility in resolving the situation.

Will I get a signed contract?

Insist on a signed contract that answers the following questions and remember, if it is not in the contract, there is no guarantee that you will get it.

  • What materials will they be using?
  • What manufacturers are specified?
  • What is the warranty?
  • What is the color?

- Troy Ribble