Finding the right roofing contractor seems daunting.
Roofing companies are in the thousands and how are homeowners supposed to know which one to hire for their home, which will turn out to be one of their biggest investments? After all, the work should be done in a high-quality way by a professional who would not do a half-finished job or disappear with their money.
Thankfully,
there are various ways on how to identify the most reliable roofing contractor out there.
By being specific in what they are looking for, home-owners can safeguard their investments and secure good quality work for decades to come.
In this article:
- Why Choosing the Right Contractor is Important
- Qualities to Look For in a Roofing Contractor
- Potential Red Flags to Avoid
- Questions Homeowners Should Ask
Why Choosing the Right Contractor is Important
A roof is there to protect your home.
Failure of which, could lead to more damage that will cost a ton to repair. If water were to seep through, mould will grow.
Then there are structural damages as well as the list goes on, resulting in thousands of dollars in damages to your property.
Here’s the thing:
Not all roofing contractors offer the same quality of work. Some try to cut corners. Some may take their deposit and leave, not to be seen again.
And others, just do not possess the necessary skills to do the job correctly.
Doing the due diligence in advance would save you a whole lot of headaches in the long run.
Whether you are comparing local options or established companies such as JP Carroll Roofing Danvers, you want to verify that they have the credentials to back up their promises.
The right roofing contractors have the expertise, licences to work, and a portfolio of happy customers.
A 2024 Roofing Contractor survey shows that 73% of homeowners who need roof repair are recommended to roofing companies by family members, friends, and neighbours.
That statistic should tell you one important thing…
Humans trust personal referrals more than any advertisements.
Qualities to Look For in a Roofing Contractor
So, what makes a good roofing contractor?
It boils down to these qualities:
Proper Licensing and Insurance
This is a deal-breaker.
All legitimate roofing contractors have proper licences to work in their state and municipality. They also have both liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance.
You would ask, what is the big deal if an unlicensed contractor were to damage the property or a worker was to get injured in the process? This means that the homeowner is at risk of being sued.
As such, always ask them for proof of insurance and verify that it is up-to-date.
Established Local Presence
Fly-by-night contractors are a dime a dozen.
They come out of nowhere after a storm and offer unbelievable prices to lure in homeowners. Then they vanish into thin air once issues are discovered.
The reason they can get away with this is that they are from out-of-state and have no reputation to protect.
A roofing contractor with a good established local presence means that they are not going anywhere.
Look for local roofing contractors that have been in the business in your area for a minimum of five years. See if they have a physical address as well as a working phone number.
All these little things eliminate most of the bad apples.
Strong Online Reviews
Online reviews are important to homeowners when they are making choices on who to choose from the list of roofing contractors.
However, do not just look at the overall star ratings. Go through the actual reviews and see if there are patterns on what customers have to say about communication, workmanship, and how they resolve problems.
Some negative reviews are not necessarily a big deal-breaker. What is important is how the company responds to those dissatisfied customers.
Clear Communication
One of the biggest pain points from homeowners is the lack of communication.
A 2025 Roofing Contractor survey reveals that 40% of homeowners cite that lack of communication as their biggest challenge in working with roofing contractors.
That is a huge gap for homeowners.
This is where you can get an edge if you know how to communicate with your customers. When vetting different roofing contractors, take note of how fast they respond.
Do they answer your questions? Are they patient and go through things thoroughly with you? These early interactions will be an indication of how the rest of the project will be.
Potential Red Flags to Avoid
Knowing what to avoid is as important as knowing what to look out for when choosing a roofing contractor.
- Pressure tactics – if a contractor is pressuring you into making an immediate decision or have an ‘excellent offer that will not last long,’ something is fishy. A legitimate roofing contractor would give the customer the space to think things through.
- Cash-only payments – cash only most of the time means that they are either dodging taxes or are fugitives from past issues. Whenever possible, pay by a method that will give you an itemized paper trail.
- No written contract – verbal contracts are non-existent when it comes to a roofing contractor hiring you. Scope of work, material details, project timelines, payment schedules, as well as warranty inclusions and exclusions should all be documented and included in a written contract.
- Unusually low bids – one bid is considerably lower than the other three bids. In cases like this, one of two things is most probably going on. They are cutting corners on material quality or upselling on future extras later on during the project.
- Door-to-door solicitation – be very wary of contractors who stop by your door after a storm. Most of them are ‘storm chasers’ looking for fast money from naive customers.
Questions Every Homeowner Should Ask
Before homeowners sign any form of contract with a roofing contractor, they should find answers to these questions:
- Credentials – how long have they been in the business? Are they licensed? Are they insured? Can they provide names and contact details for customers who had work done in the last six months within your local area?
- Project details – what kind of materials are they using? What manufacturer? How long will the project take? Who is going to be working in your home?
- Protection – what warranties do they offer for their labour? What if problems were to occur after project completion? What if a dispute happens between both parties?
- Logistics – how are they going to protect my property during the construction process? What is the payment schedule? How long before the project can begin?
Getting these questions answered and in writing will help to avert any potential issues in the future.
Wrapping Things Up
Choosing the right roofing contractor all boils down to research, before committing to them.
Start by getting recommendations from trusted sources. Then, check their credentials diligently. After that, read their reviews thoroughly.
Notice how they communicate with you from the first point of contact. And of course, always… always get it in writing.
To recap:
- Verify their licensing and insurance before anything else
- Pick a contractor with a good reputation in your local area
- Pay attention to their communication skills from the first contact
- Get at least three quotes, but take a step back if one is significantly cheaper than the other two
- Document everything in a detailed written contract
The roof is not something that homeowners can afford to leave to chance.
Spending the time to vet the right contractor before the project starts will save you the hassle of thousands of dollars’ worth of problems in the future.
Investing the extra time and energy now will reap the rewards for the long-term.
