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How to Select a Contractor

Getting Started

Community

Try to find at least 2 or 3 contractors to interview so you will have a choice. Recommendations from friends or people in the neighborhood are a great place to start.

Distributors

Established roofing materials distributors are a good source for identifying contractors. They usually know who’s been around and who pays their bills.

Officials

It is a good idea to talk to a codes official in your area. They usually know who does good work and who complies with codes without having to be reminded.

Doing Due Diligence

  • Find out how long the contractor has been in business. It is best to use a contractor with a minimum 3-5 years experience.
    • This can often be done by searching state databases for corporations.
    • Physical addresses can generally be researched from property tax reports.
    • Roofing materials distributors can help here too.
  • Ask for 5-7 references of similar kinds of re-roofs and call at least 2 or 3.
  • Ask if they have worker’s compensation and liability insurance.
    • Tell the contractor you will require a certificate of insurance (in your name) if they are awarded the contract.
    • The workers’ compensation must cover all the employees.
    • If sub-crews are used you must verify that all workers on the sub-crew are covered with workers’ compensation.
    • Worker’s compensation is especially expensive for roofing contractors (so some contractors try to work without it) and if the contractor doesn’t have it the homeowner may be liable for workers’ injuries.
  • Try to get trade references from where the contractors purchase their material.
  • If your jurisdiction requires a contractor’s license verify they have one. A “contractor’s license” generally requires some proof of knowledge and company stability. A business license means nothing except the contractor has paid a municipal tax.

Remember

The roofing company’s warranty is of no value if the company is not around to support it.

The Proposal

  • Have the exact materials being used defined by manufacturer in the proposal.
  • Have some general idea of timing of the job defined in the contract. Once the job is started it must be completed when the weather permits.
  • If the roof is a tear-off, define in the contract that the roofing contractor is responsible for damage inside the house once the tear-off starts.
  • Have a look at the written warranty you will be given on the installation when the job is complete. Remember that it is much more important to have a very strong warranty the first 1-2 years of the warranty than having a warranty that “lasts” a very long time. Most installation problems will be apparent after one full cycle of seasons.
  • It is much better as a homeowner to survive a roofing project by making sure the project is cleaned up every day.
  • If you are buying a DaVinci roof and live in snow country make sure the proposal includes snow guards.
  • If a roofing permit is required define who gets it and who pays for it.
  • Have the payment terms completely defined.

Locate a Contractor

A DaVinci Project Specialist will help you find a local contractor.

Contact Us