Before selecting a roofing contractor, let us first know why you need one in the first place. Well, to begin with everyone needs a roof over their head. I don’t think; I need to elaborate on this point any further. A roofing contractor deals with the right setting and arrangement of stone, wood, ply or whatever material your roof comprises. His job is essential for the sustenance of any building and the long life of the building.
Not just that, they also provide waterproofing solution to the roof of your place. I guess, you don’t want the roof over your head to leak water when it rains or snows? So elaborating further on the importance of hiring a roofing contractor is meaningless now.
However, when selecting a roofing contractor, there are various things that needs to be kept in mind. You must be wary of roofing contractors, who are either not certified or possess poor workmanship and installation materials and machinery.
In order to avoid such mistakes from occurring, you need to evaluate the contractor you are about to hire on the following parameters.
Checklist 1: The amount of time the company has been in business.
Well, I’m not saying that startups are not reliable, but in all honesty, the fact is almost 70% startups close down within the first 3 years of business. So, if you choose an established firm, then at least you can be certain that if any problem arises, you can call them again and get the problem resolved.
Checklist 2: WSIB(Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) certification.
Roofing is a dangerous task, even a small slip or error in judgement can lead to serious consequences. So, whichever roofing contractor you hire, make sure the workers have a workplace insurance, and the contractor have safety certification. If not, then any workplace related accident will burn a hole in your pocket with all the medical bills and claims filed by the workers.
- Also, the written agreement needs to contain the clause of contractor safety precautions and insurance.
- If you are employing more than 5 workers at a time then, the contract also needs to have a clause of health and safety policy mentioned too.
Checklist 3: Contractors using subcontractors
At the time of Hurricane Katrina on the west coast, many contractors hired subcontractors to do the job on their behalf. Although, the Gulf of Mexico is comparatively uneventful, however sometimes contractors hire subcontractors to do the work under their banner. They are in turn paid on the job basis, and low accountability results in a poor job done. So, if the contractor hires any subcontractor or does not offer to do the entire job, then do not hire them in the first place.
Just make sure any roofing contractor you hire should get 3 on 3 checks on the checklist as mentioned earlier. Even if they fall short by one, I’m saying this for your own benefit, DO NOT hire them in the first place.