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The
more knowledgeable you are about roofing and the industry,
the better equipped you will be to make the right decision
when choosing your contractor.
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Be
aware of any solicitation at your door, and evaluate it
closely. Unless your roof is leaking, there is no reason
to replace your roof. The hail typically accelerates the
aging process of your roof system. Do not allow yourself
to become a victim. Take your time to make decisions.
Verify who will be working on your roof. Make sure they
have a history in your community for putting on reliable
roofs.
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Don't
be fooled by companies that claim to be "nationwide"
providers. Make sure before you contract with any roofer
that they are a full-time roofer (year round) and an established
company with long roots in Atlanta.
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Use
contractors who have been used by the same community for
at least 10 years. They have stood the test of time. (90
% of the roofers go out of business within the 1st 5 years.)
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Unfortunately,
you as homeowners will need to verify this information
on your own. Do not rely on a salesman to be truthful
about the origin of himself or his company. Also, make
sure you share this information with friends, neighbors,
fellow church members, and most importantly our senior
citizens.
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Check
with the Better Business Bureau, and log on to the Internet
and see if the company has an office (or not).
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Demand
to see a 400 customer name reference list at least, then
call several references. A substantial reference list,
proves they have been successful in satisfying customers
in the same town for at least 7 years. Get a Minimum of
400 references. Not Uncle Joe & Aunt Lucy. Out of
Towners cant come up with this, which is why they work
under cover of willing local companies.
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Ask
very specific questions about how they handle all the
penetrations, valleys, walls, flashings, chimneys, skylights
on your roof.
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Ask
the contractor if he will install step flashing or counter
flashing or is he just going to rework, seal and caulk
your old flashing. If it is the latter it will absolutely
be a costly mistake causing leaks later. Re-using your
old flashings is like getting a new car with old tires,
isn't it?
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- Check
to see if the roofer is registered with the Georgia
Secretary of State.
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Call
a local roofing suppliers and ask about the company's
history.
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Look
at the license plates on their trucks and vehicles.
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Never
give a roofer a down payment or "draw" to purchase
materials. If the contractor cannot finance the job 100%
on his own, he has no business working on your home. All
payments to the contractor should be made upon completion
of the work. Legitimate contractors have resources to
install your roof system without getting money up front.
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Ask
the salesman and contractor about the crews who are going
to install the roof. Because of the sudden spike in work,
out of state crews are brought in together with the out
of town salesmen. These crews have no roots in Atlanta,
and who knows what kind of work they do.
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Many
roofing problems will not become evident for several months
or possibly a couple of years after the installation.
Will you be able to find the company that installed it?
At that point, you will sustain interior damage, as well
as have to pay another contractor to repair the faulty
work installed by some "storm chasers", and
even some local contractors.
