It’s comforting to think that your roofer has everything under control. However, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with asking a question or two, especially if it puts your mind at ease. If you are looking into a new roofing company in Jacksonville, here are some good basic questions to ask your new roofer before making a final decision.
#1. Are you licensed?
The answer you want to hear to this question is a resounding “yes” with no qualifiers or asterisks attached. And if they don’t have one you should demand they explain themselves. Every state in the U.S. requires a roofer to be licensed before they’re allowed to practice their craft. Operating without a license is illegal. It means they’re at best a scam artist, and at worst very bad at their jobs. In neither case do you want this person to be working on what you’re going to trust to keep the elements out of your house.
#2. Do you have workman’s comp and liability insurance?
Again, the only answer you want from the potential roofer is “yes.” Workman’s comp protects the workers on your property, while liability protects you from any damage they may potentially do. Roofers have accidentally burned down the houses they were supposed to be working on more than once, so the company you’re talking to needs to have these two insurance plans.
#3. Will you remove my old roof?
In order to save time, some roofing companies will give the surface of the roof (with the shingles already on) a general overview, then just decide to replace the shingles. Because of this, you’ll never know if there is any underlying damage, such as water, rot, or animals living in your roof, which can put you right back in the same situation you were at the start. Make sure your roofer knows what you want them to do explicitly.
#4. Will you use ladder stabilizers/standoffs?
How the workers get up to your roof is important. Not only is it safest for them, but ladder stabilizers or standoffs will protect your gutters, while normal ladders run the risk of bending or breaking your gutters if incorrectly placed. And since that’s a very easy mistake to make, it’s best if everyone involved avoids making it at all.
