If you own or manage a commercial property, you’re going to need to hire a commercial roofing company sooner rather than later. After all, to keep your investment in top-notch shape, you need to have commercial roofs inspected at least twice a year.
Since you might not have extensive experience in the industry, we would like to warn you of some common mistakes that property owners sometimes make when choosing a commercial roof contractor.
Here’s what NOT to do when hiring professional roofers.
Do NOT hire an unlicensed or uninsured roofer.
One would think that all commercial roofers who complete high-dollar projects would be licensed and insured. However, that’s not always the case. Reliable roofing contractors are aware of the legal requirements to carry a license and insurance policies.
Therefore they usually have those documents available. Ask to see them and check whether the license has been issued by your state and whether the insurance policies and licenses are current.
Additionally, if the company plans to use teams of subcontractors for the job, you need to check on that company’s license and insurance coverage.
Your roofing contractor or subcontractor must be licensed to work in your area because commercial roofers need to know and follow local building codes.
It should raise a huge red flag if the company can’t quickly prove that they are licensed and insured. It may mean that if your roof sustains damage because of installing errors, the liability is with your company instead of the roofing contractor.
Do NOT hire a residential roofing company to do a commercial roof replacement or roof repairs.
Just because a company is a licensed roofing contractor doesn’t mean they have experience in commercial roof installation.
Additionally, sometimes a commercial roofer has more experience with one specific type of roofing system than another.
We know that sometimes a property owner may feel pressure to use a local roofing contractor when hiring a company for a roofing project. However, only sign a contract with companies whose core competencies lie in the commercial roof industry.
Do NOT hire a commercial roofing company with the cheapest quote.
We know that most property owners are always looking for ways to save money and may be tempted to choose a roofer based on cost rather than other factors. We understand how tempting this may be. After all, we all have house projects that we decide to put a band-aid on instead of shelling out the money for the necessary repair.
But when it comes right down to it, quality work costs more. Materials and labor cost more today. You’ll benefit from experienced, qualified craftsmen from a licensed roofer that has expertise in your type of roofing system and a proven track record. It’s worth it to pay for quality materials and a company that cares about safety measures for their workers.
Even though many property owners immediately look at the written estimate, many factors determine the quality of the job.
Do NOT ignore the fine print in the contract.
Property owners have a lot on their plates, and a roof repair project may be the last on their list of business concerns. However, you need to read the contract and warranty from your roofing company. Even though this is last on our list of what NOT to do, it is one of the biggest mistakes to avoid.
Never accept an oral contract, whether you are purchasing a new roof or hiring a company for a roof replacement. Besides reading every word of the written contract, also ask to have copies of the manufacturer warranty on the materials that the company will be using.
Contact Nations Roof
Now that we have given you a list of mistakes to avoid, we would like to encourage you to reach out to Nations Roof, your local commercial roofing expert. We do new roof installation –and have the required training on a variety of commercial roofing systems. We also offer roof repair, roof replacement, emergency services, and green roofing systems.
Visit our website to find the Nations Roof location closest to you. We offer free, no-obligation commercial roof inspections.
