Almost all homeowners will have to have their roofs repaired or replaced at some point. When that time comes, you may find yourself asking this all-important question: “Which roofing company should I hire?”
Who will you trust to give you that information? According to a recent marketing survey, 88% of people trust their family, friends, and others within their community to provide high-quality recommendations.
Before hiring a contractor for your repair, inspection, or replacement, it’s always wise to check their qualifications to make sure they are trained and experienced. And, if you want a roofer who is trustworthy and easy to work with, you should consider hiring local for your project.
In this blog, we’ll be going over:
Alright, let's get started!
Local roofers are not just business owners, they are part of your community. They weather the same storms, shop at the same stores, and perhaps your children attend the same school. Using a local roofing company is beneficial for the community. Not only do they hire people from your community, but they also use nearby vendors for supplies and materials.
Perhaps one of the most important reasons to choose a local company is their community involvement. They participate in local events and outreach initiatives and are sponsors of local charities.
When you select a local company, you know you will be working with individuals who are familiar with the specifics of your region. This means they know how to time projects according to your area’s weather patterns and specific challenges.
It’s also easier to access a local roofing company rather than one from out-of-town because you can just drive to their office and meet with them face-to-face.
Hiring a company that does not have a local office or representative can result in longer response times in the event of a warranty claim, an emergency repair, or just general questions about your newly installed roof.
A local company with lots of experience has a business based mostly on referrals and repeat customers who trust them with their roofs. Since their reputation is established within your community, they’ll be able to provide you with a list of local references.
A company with a stellar reputation will also encourage you to visit the homes they have worked on so you can personally inspect their work.
If your roofer’s been established in your community for many years, they’re more likely to have developed a strong network of local connections. This includes material suppliers and other home contractors such as plumbers, electricians, and other trade types.
A professional roofer will also know which manufacturers produce durable, high-quality materials and they’ll have built long-term relationships with local suppliers, which means they’ll be able to access these materials at lower costs.
There are a few different ways that you can learn about a roofing companies credentials and experience. One such way is by checking to see their certifications and awards that they have received. Roofing material manufacturers give out titles and certificates to contractors that have undergone certain levels of training and testing. GAF and CertainTeed, two of the largest manufacturers in the country, give out their Master Elite , and SELECT ShingleMaster status respectively, to contractors who meet their qualifications.
Another good indicator of how well a roofing company will be able to serve your needs, is how many years they’ve been in operation. Many of the shadier roofing companies that we talked about earlier end up going out of business, or quitting the game before they’ve even been around a couple of years. If you’re dealing with a company that’s been around for a few decades, you can feel pretty confident that they have a good track record for customer service, and quality installations.
Once you’ve done some asking around, the next place you can look is to check these companies reviews against your contact’s experiences. The best place to read reviews is on Google’s page for the company, as this is the most common place for customers to leave reviews, and where most companies want their customers to leave them.
A good way to determine how a company will interact with its customers is to see how they respond to reviews, both positive and negative. If a company is responding in a prompt and meaningful way to former customers, that’s a good sign that they will be communicative and responsive for active clients.
You should always take online reviews with a grain of salt, though, as there’s no real verification that someone who left the review actually worked with the company, and, as with anything online, they can sometimes be over-exaggerated, or slightly untrue.
Most companies worth their salt will have lots of examples of their recent work in your area. Whoever you are working with should be able to provide addresses of homes close to you that they have completed, but they should also have a gallery of work on their websites, and social media pages.
The more work that you can see will help you learn more about what kinds of roofs the company works on, and the job that they did installing the roof, and cleaning up after themselves.
Working with a local company that’s been around a long time, and has a good reputation in your area is a great way to start your project on the right foot.
On Tops Roofing has been working with homeowners in the Raleigh area since 1991! We’ve spent our 30 years helping out wherever we can, whatever you need, we’re on it!