What You Need to Know About Your Role in a Roofing Project

You make the call, you sit back, and wait. Professional roofing crews arrive. What are you supposed to be doing while they are working? 

Before the Call

Select your local, dependable roofer with care. Your first role in any roofing project is to select the right roofer for your home. After all, nearly everything you own is safely inside, safeguarded by that roof. Your roof is the ultimate umbrella protection.  

Before you call for a roofing job, scout around. Screen the roofers, ask questions, get firm bids (especially for big jobs). Do your homework. This has two advantages:

 

  1. By selecting highly skilled, trustworthy roofers, you know your home is safe
  2. By avoiding unscrupulous, storm-chasing roofers, you discourage their presence

Ask for the basic boxes to be checked: insurance, workers compensation coverage, liability insurance, customer referrals, and professional certifications. 

Meeting the Representative

Every roofing job begins with the roofing professional who represents the roofing contractor. This representative knows roofing but also knows how to put customers at ease. 

Be clear about the scope of work you are asking for. If an entire re-roof, be open to great roofing alternatives to the tried-and-true three-tab shingle:

  • Metal roofing
  • Tile roofing
  • Composite roofing

Listen to all the possibilities regarding underlayment, the need to replace sheathing, choices of ventilation, and budget lines in products. If the representative uses terminology that catches you off guard, ask questions. It’s your home; it’s your roof. 

When the Crew Arrives

Naturally you are nervous about any work done on your home. You may be tempted to hover, to ask an endless stream of questions, or to second-guess the roofers’ work.

Here are some tips to get the most efficient, fastest, highest quality roof work:

 

  • Stay safely inside or, if you must be outside, stay out of the crew’s way
  • Take your questions to the project manager or site leader, not to the individual roofers
  • Provide access to bathroom facilities
  • Ask for periodic updates on progress from the site manager

After the Job

A quality contractor is unafraid of your close inspection. Check your roof thoroughly from the ground (for safety’s sake). If you see an issue, schedule a callback appointment.

If you have selected the right contractor, communicated clearly with the crew, and inspected the finished product, you should be very happy with the results. For superior roof work sure to please contact us at VanWeelden Company today!