Collect Customer Feedback

In our surveys of consumers, we find that many roofing outfits get favorable reviews by a high percentage of their customers. But, unfortunately, some roofing contractors get very poor scores, receiving “inferior” overall ratings by at least 20 percent of their surveyed customers. Carefully check online reviews for roofers you consider and make sure nearly all ratings are positive.

Complaint Histories

Also check for recent complaints with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Even a few complaints might indicate a company is unwilling to resolve disputes.

Payment Policies

To reduce the risk of dissatisfaction, pay for most or all of the work only after the job is completed. This gives you leverage to ensure that work is done properly and on time. Many companies allow you to withhold all pyaments until your job is complete. We strongly advise you to choose a contractor that requires no payment before work begins—or certainly not more than 10 percent of the contract price.

Licenses and Bonds

Think ahead about obtaining additional leverage in case you’re dissatisfied with a contractor’s performance. A company may seem conscientious and cooperative early in the process, but prove harder to live with later.

By choosing a contractor licensed by local authorities, you empower consumer protection officials to use the threat of license cancellation as leverage in working to resolve disputes. With a licensed contractor, you also enhance the chances that officials will feel you deserve their help. Ask any contractor you are seriously considering to present proof of a currently valid license; then verify by calling the appropriate licensing officials.

If you wish additional protection, ask your contractor to secure for you a “performance bond” in the amount of your contract price. This will add an extra one percent to five percent to the price of the job, but the bond will cover your full claim.

Insurance Coverage

Make sure the contractor carries liability and workers’ compensation insurance. A liability policy pays for damages to your home or your neighbor’s home if a ladder falls through a bay window; workers’ compensation pays for injuries sustained by the worker who tumbled. Without these policies, you could be liable. Before signing a contract, require the contractor to show you current certificates of insurance for both types of policies.

Financial Soundness

Make sure your roofer will be around to finish the job and that you won’t be left fending off the roofer’s creditors—who could put a lien on your house.

A good way to assess financial soundness is to obtain—and check—references. Ask for the names of major materials suppliers; then ask them how much credit they commonly extend and about the contractor’s recent payment performance.

If your roof has been damaged during a storm, beware of contractors who appear out of nowhere to offer help. Many roofers chase storms, traveling from area to area in search of easy money. Some of these companies perform good work, but many do not; and if your newly repaired roof begins to leak a year or two later, it could be hard to track down the out-of-area contractor.

Warranty

You’re likely to get two types of warranties: one on materials from the manufacturer, another on workmanship from the roofer. Manufacturers also offer extended warranty protection.

The warranties offered by shingle manufacturers are very similar to one another. They agree to pay for the cost—including labor—to repair or replace shingles only if they are proven to be “defective”—which is a somewhat unlikely risk. Don’t assume lengthy warranty periods cover you against all leaks and other common problems, or even that you will be protected long-term from product defects. A manufacturer’s warranty generally begins with a specified time period (for example, five years) during which the warranty covers the entire cost of replacing defective shingles. After the initial period, the manufacturer’s exposure is reduced on a pro rata basis each year for the remainder of the warranty’s duration.

Roofers often use the length of manufacturers’ warranties to describe various shingle options (for example, “a 50-year architectural shingle”). But the duration of these warranties (30 years, 40 years, 50 years, “lifetime,” etc.) doesn’t necessarily correlate with the quality of shingles; for example, there’s little evidence that 50-year shingles are more durable than 40-year ones. Also, keep in mind that the term “lifetime” refers to the number of years the manufacturer reasonably expects its products to remain serviceable, not your lifetime or even how long you might own your home.

Roofers’ warranties on their labor often aren’t spelled out as clearly. Some simply say “labor guaranteed for X year(s).” Others say “guaranteed against defects in workmanship for X year(s).” Roofers’ warranties most often cover one to two years, but some are in effect for five years or more.

Because these statements can be unclear, be specific. Will you recover costs or have work redone for free only if you can prove things were done improperly or just if the roof leaks? And if workmanship is defective, does the contractor have to provide materials in addition to labor?

To nail it all down, ask roofers to supply the following warranty: “If roof leaks within X year(s), except as a result of accidental damage, contractor will bear the cost of labor and materials to eliminate all leaks.”

To supplement warranties—and to protect yourself if roofers go out of business and aren’t around to honor their warranties—most manufacturers now offer extended warranties on workmanship. To buy one, you must use a properly licensed, insured contractor approved by the writer of the warranty. Also, the warranty seller will require the roof to be installed according to proper specifications.

Extended warranties usually cost $5 to $20 per 100 square feet of the roof, depending on the length of the warranty. If your roof measures 2,500 square feet, and a typical 20-year extended warranty costs $10 per 100 square feet, you’d pay $250. As with most extended warranties, we here at Checkbook doubt that the value of these manufacturer-offered warranties justifies the cost, but they do represent additional protection.