How To Choose A Contractor

In the State of New Jersey all contractors need to have several business license's to operate. Even though I am a licensed contractor. I myself have fixed so many jobs, done by so called contractors, with bogus documentation just to obtain work. I have compiled some tips so you the homeowner or property owner can choose a contractor and be safe.

No matter what you need to have done to your roof, you need a professional roofing contractor. This doesn’t mean you can head to your local hardware store and start pulling names off their neighborhood bulletin board. This means you need to find a licensed professional. Chances are, you yourself aren’t an expert in any type of roof repair, construction, or replacement. More than likely, the only thing you’ve done to your roof is to climb up and clean the gutters. For anything more detailed, you need to hire someone who can evaluate the problem correctly, give you a fair price, show up to do the work, and get it done right. Many handymen and misc. types of laborers claim they can fix roofs. If you’ve ever been to a local big box home improvement center, there’s a good chance you were handed a business card in the parking lot by someone who, among other things, listed “roof repair” on his long list of abilities on his card. This is not the type of person you should be hiring to fix one of the major portions of your home. Done poorly, this will cause you more problems in the long run. Between shoddy work and possible issues with the local zoning and code ordinance authorities, you could have a major problem on your hands. Keep in mind that only a licensed professional will have the appropriate level of liability insurance and bonding. This helps take care of any personal or property injury and mishaps while the roofing contractor is working. Ask the contractor if they remove the debris after the job is done. Roofing can be a messy project. One of the major problems that homeowners encounter, and one that few homeowners even think about beforehand, is – what happens to all the shingles and tiles up there now? Well, they get tossed to the ground! And broken, shattered, and strewn all over. You will also have nails all over the place, too. If these old roofing supplies are not placed neatly on a tarp which can be carried away, you will have broken tiles, nails, wood splinters, and even worse, all over your yard for literally years to come. A licensed roofing contractor will know how to prevent this dangerous mess, and he will be liable for any injuries to your property or your family if there is damage from disassembling your roof. This includes everything from throwing a tile that ends up going through your car windshield, to having your four year old step on a rusty nail.