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If you are looking to repair or replace the roof of your New Orleans home, one of the things you will have to face is the hassle of hiring the best roofing contractor to get the job done. While you may be looking for the most affordable New Orleans roofing contractors, you must also bear in mind that the contractor you want to hire must be good enough to satisfy your exact needs. Click here to learn more.
In this article, we discuss the important things you need to look out for when hiring top New Orleans roofing contractors for your roof repair.
Consider contractors with a physical office
If your home is in New Orleans, then it only makes sense to hire roofing contractors that are in that locality. The good thing is that there are many great roofing contractors in New Orleans that can get the project done to your satisfaction.
You want to ensure that your roofing contractor has an office in your area. With this, conveniently visiting the company won’t be a cause for concern to you. Ask the contractor for their physical address and verify that they have a full crew on ground. If they don’t, you may want to take your business elsewhere.
Get multiple quotations
It may not be new to you that it is best to contact at least three companies for quotes when trying to hire a contractor, especially if this is not your first time hiring one. Getting multiple quotations helps you to compare prices and ensures that you don’t end up being overcharged by a contractor.
Having gotten multiple bids from these roofing contractors, you want to then consider each one with other factors such as professionalism, reviews, license, etc.
Check past project samples or references
Never consider hiring any roofing contractor that cannot show proof of past work or references. One way that the contractor can show you samples of their finished work is through pictures. You may also want to visit their websites as most contractors include their portfolios there.
The contractor shouldn’t be reluctant to provide references from past clients. Try to contact some of these clients to find out what their experience was like working with the roofing contractor, and whether they were satisfied with their work.
License and insurance
Licensing and insurance are one of the most important things you want to look out for when hiring a roofing contractor. The contractor’s license is an assurance that your roofing project is about to be done by capable hands. This is because a contractor cannot be licensed unless they have undergone formal training, passed many tests, offer contracts, and have a good knowledge of the roofing industry.
Insurance protects the contractors from injuries that may occur during the execution of the project and also protects you as the homeowner. If you fail to verify that they are insured, you may be held liable for compensation in the event of any injury while working on your roof. So, never ignore this.
Experience
If the roofing contractor does not have experience in the field, you could as well do the job yourself. The truth is that many years of experience is required for a roofing contractor to be able to handle a wide range of roofing problems effectively.
A contractor that has been in the business for long is very likely to have performed annual maintenance on roofs that they have installed in the past. They have the skill and tools that are most suitable to fix every roofing problem.
Roofing warranties
Warranties remain one of the most important things you need to be sure that your roofing contractor will provide. Every roofing installation should be accompanied by both a manufacturer warranty and a workmanship warranty.
With the workmanship warranty, you are protected in case of errors during installation, and the manufacturer warranty covers issues with the roofing materials, such as the roofing shingle.
The roofing contractor should be confident and willing to stand behind their work. You don’t want to be the one paying for an error that you are not responsible for.
Client reviews
Doing background checks on a contractor has never been made easier, especially with the help of the internet. Before you hire a New Orleans contractor, do your research to know what past clients have to say about them. One way to easily have access to many client reviews on the local listing is by simply typing meaningful keywords online, for example, “contractor’s name + online reviews”.
Is it normal for a roofer to ask for a deposit?
If you are worried about a roofing contractor asking you for a deposit before doing any work, below are a few things you may need to know.
- First of all, there’s nothing wrong with a contractor asking for a deposit. However, make sure you have done your homework about the contractor before making any financial commitment.
- While it’s ok to ask for an initial deposit, be wary of any roofing contractor that requires that you pay for the entire project upfront. That’s a red flag.
- The amount you should expect to pay a deposit will largely depend on the magnitude of your roofing project. However, your initial deposit is not expected to exceed one-third of the entire cost of the roofing project.
- No matter the amount of initial deposit you are expected to pay, do not pay in cash. Ensure that everything is paid in check or credit. With this, it becomes easy to track and create a record of all the money paid for the roofing project. The common consequence of paying in cash is that you will have a hard time if a dispute arises.
To get a list of the top New Orleans roofing contractors for your roof repair, you may want to check out Angi’s list. Again, do due diligence on each of the contractors.
Final Word
While there are many roofing contractors in New Orleans, choosing the right one to handle your roofing issues can be an overwhelming task. However, if the tips in this article are well followed, you shouldn’t have a hard time making the best choice.
