Your roof is a major investment. Before you sign a contract, look beyond the price and the sales pitch. The contractor’s experience, reputation, and ability to stand behind the work matter long after installation day.
Ask us to vet your contractorLet The Roof Inspectors help you evaluate your contractor choices—or help you find contractors assessed against strong standards in the roofing industry. A careful review can reduce the risk of costly problems down the road.
Ask how long the people doing the work have been roofing and how long the exact company you are hiring has operated. Years of personal experience and years under the current business name are different. Look for experience with your roof system and projects like yours.
Request references from recent projects and roofs completed several years ago. Ask about workmanship, communication, cleanup, and how the contractor handled leaks or callbacks. Read reviews across multiple sources and look for patterns.
Ask the contractor for supplier or vendor references who are willing to discuss their relationship. Longstanding relationships, dependable ordering, and professional conduct can add useful context to the company’s reputation.
Check licensing records, disciplinary actions, and complaints with relevant consumer protection agencies. Consider the nature of a complaint and how it was resolved. An allegation is not a proven finding, and a clean search alone does not establish reliability.
Verify any license required for the work and request current proof of insurance. Make sure the legal business name matches the proposal and contract. Get a written scope that identifies materials, installation details, payment terms, and responsibility for permits.
Ask who backs each warranty, how long it lasts, what it covers, and what it excludes. Find out how to request service and whether coverage transfers to a future owner. A reassuring promise should be supported by clear written terms.
For more guidance on checking references, licensing, insurance, and complaints, see the Federal Trade Commission’s homeowner guidance.
Young businesses face substantial closure risk during their early years. A company that has operated for more than five years has already passed an important survival milestone. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that only 53.9% of construction establishments opened in 2013 were still operating five years later, with the largest drop in survival occurring in the first year.
These figures cover construction establishments, not roofing companies specifically, and closure does not always mean business failure. A newer contractor can still do excellent work. Longevity is one useful sign of stability; it should be considered alongside current references, qualifications, and service history.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013 establishment cohort
If your contractor stops operating, obtaining repairs under its workmanship warranty may become difficult. That can leave you facing unexpected repair costs when a problem appears years later—or when a buyer’s home inspection raises concerns during a sale.
A contractor’s workmanship warranty and a manufacturer’s product warranty are separate promises. Review the written terms of each, including installation and registration requirements. Do not assume that one automatically covers the other.
Choose a contractor with a record you can check—and a commitment you can put in writing.
Allow The Roof Inspectors to vet the roofing contractors you are considering, or ask us for a list of contractors assessed against strong roofing industry standards. Our review considers experience, homeowner feedback, vendor references, known complaints, credentials, and written warranty commitments.
Send the contractor names, proposals, and your property location. We’ll discuss the review and help you make a more informed decision before you commit. Careful vetting improves your chances of a successful project; it cannot guarantee a contractor’s future performance or survival.
Request contractor vetting