Twelve Questions To Ask A Roofer - And The Answers You Want

Ask every one of these of every contractor you are considering, including the one writing this. A good contractor will not mind. A contractor who does mind has told you something.

1. What is your licence number, and what type of licence is it?

Good: a number you can look up on the state database, and the word "CCC" - Florida's certified roofing contractor licence. Watch for: a general contractor licence offered as if it were the same thing, or a number that belongs to a different company name than the one on the proposal.

2. How long has that licence been active?

Good: a number of years that matches the experience being claimed. Watch for: a licence issued last year on a company that says it has been roofing for twenty.

3. Who will actually be on my roof?

Good: a clear answer - their own crew, or a named subcontractor, and either way someone you can hold to account. Watch for: vagueness. "Our guys" is not an answer if they cannot tell you whose guys.

4. Is the crew covered by workers' compensation, or exempt?

Good: a certificate of insurance, and a plain statement of whether the people on your roof are covered. Watch for: "we're exempt" said as if it were the same as being insured. Exemption is legal. It also means no coverage if someone is hurt on your property.

5. Will the permit be closed by inspection or by affidavit?

Good: they know the difference and tell you which. Watch for: a blank look. Florida allows some re-roofs to be closed by the contractor's own affidavit rather than an inspector's visit. That is legal; it also means nobody independent saw your deck.

6. What exact products are going on, by name?

Good: named underlayment, named tile or shingle, named flashing metal, each of which you could look up in the state product approval database. Watch for: "synthetic underlayment" or "30-year shingle" with no manufacturer. You cannot check an adjective.

7. How much plywood is included, and what does a sheet cost beyond that?

Good: a number of sheets, a per-sheet price, and an explanation that rot is not visible until tear-off. Watch for: a contract that is silent on it. That is not a cheaper roof. It is one with a price you have not been told yet.

8. Are permit fees included, or passed through?

Good: either, stated. Watch for: discovering the answer on the final invoice.

9. If my roof is low-slope anywhere, what goes under the shingle there?

Good: they know that shingle on a low slope requires a double underlayment and they say so without being prompted. Watch for: not knowing what you mean.

10. What is the workmanship warranty, and what is the manufacturer warranty - separately?

Good: two different answers, both in writing, and an explanation that the manufacturer's warranty depends on the system being installed exactly as specified. Watch for: one big number that blends them together.

11. How long has this company existed under this name?

Good: a date you can confirm on the state's corporate registry. Watch for: a long workmanship warranty from a company formed recently. A warranty is a promise from a business; it is worth exactly as long as the business lasts.

12. If it leaks in year three, who do I call, and what happens?

Good: a name, a number, and a process. Watch for: hesitation. This is the question that tells you whether the warranty is a document or a relationship.

What to do with twelve answers

Write them down, side by side, for each company. Most of the differences between roofing proposals are not in the price. They are in the answers to questions seven, ten and twelve - and those are the ones that cost money later.

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