A contractor or inspector comes out and tells you that you need a new roof.
The biggest hail storm in over a decade sweeps over your town and now you’re left with 100 different business cards from 100 different roofing contractors and storm chasers.
What is a storm chaser?! Where did all of these roofers come from? We’ll get into that shortly.
How does a homeowner make the right decision on which contractor to use?!
Many homeowners have trusted neighbors in their neighborhoods. If one neighbor or friend, even a family member has a good experience with a contractor, then usually they will refer or recommend that contractor to people in need. Many people within neighborhoods are even using a mobile app called “NextDoor.” NextDoor as I mentioned is a mobile app in which people in the same neighborhoods or close by neighborhoods can ask for recommendations or referrals for roof replacements, or other trades or services they are in need of. It is a way of communication for strangers nearby or in the same community. This is why having Integrity and a good reputation is so important. Word of mouth is crucial, you want to make sure one customer or client does not have a bad experience, as it could lead to a train of lost referrals or lost projects.
Many roofing suppliers or roofing supply manufactures have referral lists or companies that they recommend. Their lists are based off of reputation within the community, and the level of customer service that those contractors provide. Again, this is why it is so important to have that high level of excellence as a roofing contractor!
When in doubt, search on the BBB! The BBB has been around for many, many years. People have learned to trust in the BBB. One website can show most of what you should be aware of, as it not new or unknown not to quickly refer to the BBB to reference an amazing or a horrible, horrible experience as a homeowner or a customer of some sort! People have been referring to the BBB for years and although contractors subscribe to the BBB, it is still known to be one of the most trusted sources. All reviews, the good, the bad or the ugly are confirmed. They are confirmed to be sure that the reviews posted are not false, or farfetched. They assure all reviews left are from actual clients, buyers, etc.
Google is also a very good place to check on reviews for potential contractors. Nowadays, many customers or consumers are quick to post on Google. Google is the most used or most common search engine, which makes it very easy to type in the contractor name and find not only reviews but details on that company. If a contractor holds one star on google, with 5 reviews or 500 reviews, they’re probably not the contractor you want working on your potentially most valuable asset in your life. Now a contractor like Integrity Roofing and Painting with a 4.8 rating, over 300 reviews, would be a good decision for the contractor of your choice.
Who doesn’t have social media nowadays? Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, all of these social media platforms have become such a big thing in many people’s day to day life. Morning, people are checking their social media. Lunch breaks, people are checking social media. Before people lay down to close their eyes at night time, take a guess. People are checking social media! Many people around the world rely on social media for news updates, to keep in touch with each other, or even to stay up to date on local events. Social media is becoming, if not just as important as Google or other search engines. You can search a company or contractor name, and see reviews just as you would a search engine. You can rate companies and leave words or grace or buyer beware messages to potential customers or consumers. Again, showing that having integrity and a high level of customer service and excellence is crucial!
Integrity Roofing and Painting, LLC actually hosts a YouTube channel that shows tools and tricks of the trade to homeowners or other roofing contractors. Our channel has over eight thousand subscribers, and our channel is actually used to train other companies’ workers across the United States! We make roof replacements easy and we want to be able to share that with our potential homeowners!
Beware of “Storm Chasers”
Homeowners should always be aware of what the industry refers to as “storm chasers.” Storm chasers are contractors who travel from state to state, working where large storms or a great number of homes are affected by weathering storms. If a hailstorm does a significant amount of damage in Chicago, they hop on a plane or in their trucks and take off to Chicago. The Fountain Colorado storm in 2018 is a prime example of this. Contractors from all over America flooded the streets of Fountain and Security – Widefield looking for homeowners unaware of who they were or what they were doing in town. Year after year shortly after these weather events, you see contractors on the internet or on television for taking homeowner’s funds and not returning or not completing the roof replacement. To stay clear of this, always be sure to BBB search or Google search the company you are considering.
Local Building Departments are also very beneficial.
Your local building department should have a website that is accessible to you as a homeowner. On that website, you should be able to search licensed contractors. In the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department’s website for here in El Paso County, Colorado, you are able to see if the contractor is licensed, how long they have been licensed, and if they hold general liability and workers comp insurance.
Many homeowners are not aware that having a contractor cover your deductible is against the law. Senate Bill 38 declares that as a homeowner, you are responsible to pay that deductible to your contractor. As great as it sounds having a contractor take care of that expense, it is not beneficial. Again, one being that is illegal and two, if a contractor is willing to break the law to earn your business, they’re likely to cut corners and not as probable to give you the best roofing system possible.
There you have it, with so many different contractors and roofers, and service providers, how in the world do you find the right one? How do you know that the contractor or company you’re consider can be trusted to get the work done correctly and, in a time, efficient manner? There are merely suggestions, but we highly recommend doing your research before committing to the first contractor at your door!
Article written by Samantha C.