Your roof is one of the most important aspects of your home; not only does it dramatically enhance its aesthetics but it also protects the structure, and everything within it, from the elements. As such, if your roof is in need of repairs or renovations, it is crucial to find a good, professional tradesman to conduct high quality, fairly priced roofing work.
However, with a number of options available – from large, national companies to single roofers working on a self-employed basis – the task of choosing the best, most appropriate and, above all, most reliable roofer for the job you require can seem almost impossible. And a wealth of TV programmes documenting how badly wrong a project can go when you hire a cowboy roofer doesn’t make the process any easier!
So if you are looking for an expert, trustworthy roofer, read our guideline below for advice on how to select a good one – and avoid the cowboys!
#1 ASSESS THE PROBLEM YOURSELF FIRST
One of the key indicators that your roofer may be a cowboy tradesman is if he exaggerates the scale of the problem, how much work he will need to do and, as a result, how much money you will have to spend. Therefore, specialists within the industry recommend that you attempt to assess the problem yourself first before calling anyone out. For example, if your roof leaks from one small, single area, it is unlikely you will need a complete re-roof and instead will just require one section to be patched and repaired.
If you have a friend or family member with experience in home improvements or DIY, ask if they could have a look for you. If not, use a ladder to safely and carefully have a look at the damage yourself.
#2 CHECK THEIR CREDENTIALS
It is important that you always investigate a company thoroughly before hiring them to do any work. This means making sure they are a licensed, insured business with the relevant accreditations and trade associations.
One of the easiest ways to work out quickly if they are an established company is to ask for all their details – including their address and telephone number. Any roofing contractor who just gives you a mobile number should raise your suspicions as they are then virtually untraceable.
#3 ASK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE
Before contracting a roofer, industry experts suggest that you make sure they have relevant experience conducting the job you need them to do. It is ineffective to hire a roofer with exclusive experience in thatched roof renovations when you need an emergency slate roof repair and it is likely that, following their work, you will need to hire a second roofing contractor to fix the job the first one failed to do!
Instead, ask them to be honest with their experience. You want to make sure you hire a roofer that has a wealth of knowledge and specialist experience undertaking the specific task you need. There’s no point wasting your time – or theirs!
#4 RESEARCH PREVIOUS WORK
Looking at examples of the previous work they have conducted is another great way to establish their quality, experience and reliability. A company who is willing to show you numerous pictures of other work they have completed are a lot more likely to be a genuine, dependable company who carry out good quality work.
Anyone who refuses to show you any images, or who claims they don’t have any, should immediately set off alarm bells as it is quite likely that they don’t want to show you what they do (or don’t take any photos) for a very good reason!
#5 REQUEST A WRITTEN QUOTATION
Before you agree to any work, or any work begins to take place, you should ask the roofing company for a detailed and precise written quote. This will help you to establish the exact pricing structure of the job and will clearly explain how they calculate their prices – such as on an hourly rate basis or through the use of flat-rate pricing. A written quotation also describes exactly what you are paying for, eliminating the risk of them charging for unnecessary tasks or putting the price up once work is underway.
A written estimate will also help to compare various companies more accurately. However, it is worth noting that the lowest priced company is not always the best and, more often than not, if something looks too good to be true it usually is!
JTC ROOFING…
One company who are guaranteed to conduct superior quality, affordable, reliable roofing work is JTC Roofing. Their track record for excellence ensures anything you need them to do – from small roofing repairs to re-roofs and roof renovations – will be finished to the highest standard and will be completed on time and on budget. Furthermore, their dedication to exceptional levels of customer service means they will go above and beyond to ensure your satisfaction.