As you go through this process of interviewing different roofers, getting to know them, and trying to understand their techniques and specialties—you want to make sure you pick the one who is going to be the best fit for you and who can successfully assist with your job. That’s why it’s so important to know what to ask so you can identify the best roofer for the job.
This question seems so obvious and unimportant that most people won’t ever think to ask it. But, asking this will give you an idea of how legitimate the contractor is you're interviewing.
If he's using his home address as his business location or, even worse, a PO BOX, it may not be a great indication for you to partner with them.
If his office address is out of town, that could slow down his response times, especially if you have an emergency repair, or warranty repair needed. It would be more ideal to work with someone closer to you, than a town or two over who can't prioritize you.
Another important part of considering the viability of the company you're speaking with is their contractor's license number.
For instance, If you're residing in the El Paso County area, all of this is covered by Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD), as they issue out these license numbers to contractors that are licensed in El Paso County.
However, if the contractor is not licensed here, he cannot pull a permit which is required for your roofing job. This nullifies their ability to be able to work with you while also raising some interesting questions for their past projects
If a contractor or any subcontractors do not have workers comp insurance and there is an injury on the job, you as the homeowner or your insurance company may be held liable for medical costs.
This is why it's crucial to ask this specific question when consulting with a contractor as it's not too uncommon for cases like these to arise at any given moment.
It's not uncommon for a great number of roofers to try to justify that you are paying them upfront to help them pay bills and expenses to get things going; however, a legitimate contractor is going to be able to pay their bills without collecting any money upfront from you.
With this also in mind, Colorado Senate Bill 38 governs exactly how a roofer can and cannot collect money from you as a homeowner.
This is why it's important to take some time and do your research about professional roofers.
This may be more of a trick question, but it still produces positive results for you. Asking, ‘will you help pay with my deductibles?’ works because roofers in Colorado are regulated by certain laws and statutes to not pay, wave, or discount your deductible in any way, shape, or form. Even promising to do so will put them in this zone of legal violation.
If you ask a roofer, "Will you help me pay my deductible" and he says something along the lines of "Well sure we can do that", that serves as a red flag and indication that you should most likely not deal with them for this process.
It can also be increasingly beneficial to ask if he offers any satisfaction guarantee. If the roofer does a really poor job, no satisfaction guarantee means you do not have any type of recourse that you can take with that contractor.
If he really screws something up or complete certain tasks incorrectly, are you just stuck with having to give them money, under the threat that he may file a mechanics lien on your property (which are legal documents that reserves the rights of the filer to seek unpaid compensation, commonly filed by contractors), or perhaps even send the collection agency after you.
It's vital you know if there is a major issue that can't be resolved-do you have the assurance that you're going to be able to receive your payment back if need be, just like other more common purchases you make.
If you have any more questions surrounding this topic or any other roofing information, you can contact us today to speak with a local member of our team.