There are a number of things to take into consideration when hiring a roofing contractor. One of the chief among these is the importance of hiring a local roofing expert from the community they’re servicing. First, many local contracting companies are smaller businesses where the owner is hands on with the day-to-day functioning of the company. This can guarantee a greater level of concern for providing high-quality service and accountability because customer satisfaction affects their personal livelihood and reputation in the community. This is just one of many reasons for hiring locally when you’re looking to find a roofing contractor in Northern Virginia: let’s find out other reasons for doing so.
Reference Their Past Northern Virginia Roofing Work
There are benefits of hiring locally no matter where you are. When you hire a local roofing contractor in Northern Virginia, there is a much higher probability that you will know someone who can give an honest reference and tell you thorough details about their work. Word-of-mouth is a powerful tool when it comes to hiring locally: talking to friends and acquaintances who have already benefited from the expertise of a local roofing contractor can tell you many things about the hiring process including how they shopped around, who they decided not to hire, and who was the company they ended up hiring and why.
Plus, hiring locally can give you peace of mind; especially if people you confide in tell you who not to hire. If your roofing contractor is local, and none of the people in your immediate circle can provide any information about their professional reputation, you still have the power to find out what the work they carry out is like. When you hire locally, before you actually sign on the dotted line with the company you’re about to hire, you can ask them about their local work portfolio. This means that you can inquire directly about what roofing projects they’ve done locally.
This is a bonus to hiring, because once you find out what jobs they’ve previously completed, you can physically drive to the location and take a look for yourself! If you’re very particular and are keen to gain in-depth knowledge of the process, you could even hire an outsider who has expertise in roofing to gauge the quality of the work you’re assessing. This might sound like a step too far, but it would mean that you have the extra confidence you need to make an entirely informed decision about who to hire.
If you don’t want to go this extra mile, you can still assess their previous projects yourself by conducting research online on things to look out for in a quality roofing project. This way, you will be armed with basic knowledge about how to determine if a roof has been done well when you travel to assess the jobs they previously did.
If you want to be really thorough, you can even knock on the door of the place where the previous roof was done and inquire politely about the quality of the service and work provided. This decision isn’t for the introverted, however! You may feel a bit awkward about knocking on stranger’s doors, but if you don’t, it’s certainly worth a try.
Northern Virginia Project Accountability
Hiring a local roofing contractor allows for greater accountability on their part for a few reasons.
Firstly, hiring a local Northern Virginia roofing contractor increases the likelihood that the contractor in question possesses the relevant documentation pertaining to work. Licensing laws generally differ state to state, so if you hire a company locally, you can be sure that their licensing complies with Virginia licensing laws.
It’s no secret that roofing scams occur all over America, and Virginia is not exempt from this reality. The majority of roofing scams happen after harsh weather conditions, particularly storms. There are a number of tips you can follow in order to avoid roofing scams, of course, but hiring locally greatly decreases the likelihood of falling for one. A local Northern Virginia roofing contractor will not need to get business by going door-to-door, for example. You should generally be wary of a roofing contractor who has to get business in such a way, as it strongly suggests they don’t have a great reputation.
A good Northern Virginia roofing contractor won’t have time to solicit business this week, and they don’t need to, because they naturally obtain new customers by word-of-mouth. The customers they have already provided work for are happy with the results, and pass on the recommendation to people in the community, so a reputable roofing contractor will never need to leave fliers in the mailbox or come knocking. Bear this in mind when you’re considering hiring a Northern Virginia roofing contractor.
Lower Northern Virginia Roofing Costs
As well as the other benefits, hiring locally actually costs less for both you and the contractor. Think about it: the closer you are to the contractor’s hub, the more the relationship is a win-win for all involved. First, hiring locally saves on shipping and handling costs for the roofing materials. A company who is based locally is going to have locally sourced material and supplies in order to reduce their own overheads and increase business efficiency. The benefit of this directly impacts their customers, because profit margins in business are calculated in proportion to overhead costs: the lower the overhead, the lower the end price.
Second, the job site is close to the roofing contractor, meaning that they can maximize the work hours since less traveling time is deducted from the daily schedule. For you, the customer, this means that the completion of the job will likely be more efficient and delays will be less likely.
Make the Right Decision for Your Northern Virginia Roof
It’s evident from the discussion above that hiring a local roofing contractor offers multiple benefits to both the customer and the contractor. In all situations, informing yourself by conducting your own research will inevitably help you to make the best decision possible. Choosing someone to fix an old or create a new roof isn’t a decision you should rush into.