How to Select a Contractor – DaVinci Roofscapes

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.