Need your roof installed, replaced or repaired? Living in Northern Virginia? Before rushing into a decision about choosing a roofing contractor in Northern Virginia, below are a number of tips you should consider:
Research Northern Virginia Roofing Contractors
Shop around, consult professional advice about home improvement, and dig up as much information as you possibly can before choosing a Northern Virginia roofing contractor. Before you start making calls to local Northern Virginia roofing contractors, it’s recommended that you study laws about roofing in Virginia so that you are better-equipped to decide which company fulfills the necessary criteria.
The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC), for example, is a set of regulations that need to be complied with throughout the entire state of Virginia when doing building work of any kind. This includes new constructions as well as improvements to existing buildings. Thus, when you’re thinking about questions you might want to ask the Northern Virginia roofing contractors in your area, finding out where they stand when it comes to regulation compliance is a good place to start.
Northern Virginia Roofing Contractor Reviews
One of the best ways to find out the most reliable roofing contractor is to find out what other people say about them. First, make a list of local roofing contractors who seem to offer a competitive price or service. Most companies nowadays have a website, or are at least registered with sites who offer review services. After making a shortlist of five to ten companies you think seem viable, take a look at their reviews online in order to assess their suitability as a contractor. When you’re reading reviews, don’t let one bad review out of one hundred turn you off the potential roofing contractor. Be discerning, of course, but if most of the reviews are positive you could be onto a winner.
Online reviews are an effective way of uncovering unbiased information about the roofing contractor from people who have actually availed of their services. Another way of finding out such information is to consult friends, family, or acquaintances who have had their roof modified or replaced previously.
Assess their Northern Virginia Roofing Services
When choosing a roofing contractor in Northern Virginia, you should go further than to simply make a shortlist based on price: your shortlist should also include an assessment of the different services each roofing company offers. Mentally take note of the specific roofing issues you have, and get a number of quotes or estimates so that you can compare the price. Next, consult each company’s website to find out the specific services they offer. You may have specific issues with your roof, but while you’re at it you might also need your gutters or siding examined. Some companies offer more services than others, so make sure to take this into account before making a final decision.
Northern Virginia Roofing Prices
It may seem like an obvious suggestion to shop around according to price: we all love a bargain, and will often spend numerous hours trying to get the best price for whatever we’re looking for, whether it’s car insurance, house insurance, or house repairs. This is no surprise, and for hard-working Americans, price is often seen as the most important factor to be considered. One thing should be seriously noted, however: when you’re looking for quotes, those given over the phone or over email aren’t as accurate or reliable as quotes that are given on-site.
Because of this, it’s recommended to begin your search for a Northern Virginia roofing contractor as close to your home as possible. This means that local companies can come to your house and assess your roofing situation more effectively than sales-people trying to win you over on the phone. Most companies offer free consultations or free quotes, so you don’t need to worry about having to pay them for the initial call-out.
It’s not uncommon for homeowners to feel pressured to give work to the first company who conducts a face-to-face assessment of their roofing repair needs. This is understandable, but you are under absolutely no pressure to hire someone just because they come to your house. Don’t be afraid to shop around in this sense: there’s nothing wrong with getting up to five companies to come out and take a look at your roof before deciding who to go with. Our personal routines will obviously impact the amount of time we can devote to this. If your routine is particularly busy, you might want to get approximate quotes over the phone or by email before even asking for one contracting company to assess it in person.
Avoid Storm Chasers
No matter where you are, one tip for choosing a roofing contractor is to avoid contractors known as ‘storm chasers.’ Storm chasers are those who go around knocking on doors after a storm, trying to get customers. This kind of contractor is not the kind you want to go for. For one, they often carry around what’s known as a ‘letter of intent’, a rather forceful tactic they use to pressure you into a contract with them. It’s a lot like door-to-door salesmen who try to get you to sign up for some sort of monthly withdrawal, and harass you into giving them your account details.
As a general rule, anyone who conducts business in this way is not to be trusted. When it comes to hiring a roofing contractor, a good one won’t need to come and knock on your door because their reputation will precede them.
A reputable Northern Virginia roofing contractor will get the majority of their business from customers who need to avail of their services more than once, or new customers who have been referred to them. Someone who goes around knocking on doors after harsh weather conditions obviously has trouble getting customers in the standard ways, which suggests that perhaps their work isn’t good enough to warrant a recommendation.
BBB Ratings
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is an objective business regulator who perform a number of functions including reporting email and message scams. The BBB website contains an archive of businesses from all industries. This organization exists in order to improve the public’s trust in businesses, so if you’re choosing a roofing contractor in Northern Virginia, make sure the company you’re thinking of hiring is BBB rated.