Maintaining your commercial roof is an important component of the maintenance of your entire property. In fact, your roof not only protects a building and provides shelter, it is also central to the structural integrity of your commercial building. So, when it comes to choosing a commercial roofing contractor, you want to make sure you work with honest, qualified professionals that will ensure the quality of your roof for the long term. The following tips on how to choose a commercial roofing contractor will help you find an excellent roofer who provides first-rate work.
Qualities of the Best Roofing Contractors
So, before we start talking about how to find a roofer, let’s first discuss some of the qualities you want to find in your roofer. Obviously, you want to hire a company that is properly licensed and can provide proof of appropriate insurance. Verifying someone’s professional experience can be difficult, especially when you are often provided a work history directly from them. S/he may have hand-picked previous jobs that reflect more positively on their workmanship, or they could even fabricate their experience. As such, you should find out about licensing procedures in your municipality, but you should at least verify that they are properly insured.
Another resource available to commercial business owners is the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Always select someone who is listed with the BBB; you’ll get peace of mind knowing that you can see what complaints have been made, but also that those complaints are resolved satisfactorily.
Furthermore, you want to hire someone with adequate experience, so don’t be afraid to ask how many years they have been in business. You may have found people through referrals, but the best will be happy to also provide a list of references. You can also ensure they have a permanent address and office. One way to ensure the contractor will abide their warranties and guarantees is to choose someone that has served your community for an extended period, at least a few years. They’ll likely have one address for that entire time as well.
Tips for Hiring
So now that you have a clearer picture of what a good contractor looks like, you can start the hiring process. The following tips will help guide your search and ensure that you hire someone that will do solid work at a reasonable price.
- Create a list of a few potentials and contact them each to interview them.
- Develop this list from a variety of sources – referrals from family, friends, or colleagues, an online search, or those listed with the BBB.
- Always ask potentials about their skills and experience – and don’t forget to ask for references.
- Only work with those that are willing to make and sign a contract that specifies timelines and budget.