What Questions Should You Ask Your Roofer?

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If you’re looking for a roofing contractor in Las Vegas, here are some questions to ask

When you need a new roof, the fastest or cheapest choice is not always the best. You want to ensure the job is done correctly the first time to avoid future problems and more costly roof repairs due to inferior roof work. At Prestige, we are dedicated to the best workmanship and professionalism we can deliver on all our roofing projects. From paperwork to workmanship to customer service, we hold ourselves to high standards in everything we do. So, we’d like to share what we think are 10 important questions you should ask before hiring any roofing company.

Q: Are you licensed and bonded?

A: In Nevada, any business or individual who alters any building, including roofing contractors, must be licensed by the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB). All licensees must demonstrate detailed knowledge and experience in the field they’re licensed and pass required exams. To keep their license active, the NSCB also requires contractors to have a license bond issued by a surety bond company with Professional roofer in hard hat reviewing roofing contract on his iPadan “A” rating or higher. In Clark County, your roofer should provide proof of a Class C-15 Roofing & Siding license and you can verify the license and bond are current.

Q: Do you have insurance?

A: A roofing contractor should carry both workers’ compensation insurance and liability insurance to protect you in the event of an accident. Workers’ compensation insurance covers any injuries to workers on the job and protects you from being held responsible for their medical expenses. Liability insurance protects your property in case it’s damaged during the process. Contractors should carry proof of this insurance and you have the right to request to see it.

Q: Do you have client references?

A: Roofing contractors should be able to provide names, addresses and phone numbers of previous customers. Then, you can do a drive-by inspection of previous job sites to see their work. Check to see if shingles line up without any gaps and are neatly trimmed at the edges. You can also call references and ask them important questions, like whether they would use the roofer again and if there were any leaks or problems after the work was complete. Ask for references from both recent customers and customers from several years ago to see how the roofs are holding up.

Q: Do you use subcontractors?

A: If a subcontractor is used for any part of the job, the contractor should provide the name, contact information, proof of insurance, certification and references for this person, as well. You’ll also want to Pro roofer climbing extension ladder to inspect house roofknow who’s going to be in charge on the jobsite.

Q: Do you provide a warranty on your work?

A: Reputable roofing contractors offer warranties on their workmanship. This warranty is different from the manufacturer’s warranty on the materials. It covers any issues that occur due to installation. You’ll want to know how long each type of warranty lasts and what’s covered under each. You should get a copy of the manufacturer’s warranty to ensure you don’t do anything to void it.

Q: Will you remove my old roof?

A: Although it’s cheaper in the short-term to put new shingles over your old shingles (called a recover), it’s not always the best investment. If you have multiple layers of old shingles, then you shouldn’t even consider a recover. Even if you have a single layer of shingles, your roof may be in too bad of a condition to recover. Your roofing contractor should walk the roof to determine if any soft spots or decay should be addressed. The best course is to do a complete tear-off, so your roof deck can be thoroughly inspected and damaged sections replaced. Tearing off the old shingles and doing a full replacement typically outlasts a recover by several years.

Q: Do you bring a container to discard refuse material?

A: There will be a lot of refuse from the old roof. Your roofing contractor should bring a container to church roof retiling project with a Prestige Roofing refuse bin for cleanuphold this trash and handle disposal. This should never be your responsibility. He should also run a magnet over your yard to ensure there aren’t any nails hidden in your lawn or bushes.

Q: What do you do if it rains before the job is finished?

A: Clear skies can suddenly bring rain, which can be a major crisis, if it happens during your roof replacement. Your roofing contractor ensures the interior of your home is protected and kept dry by placing plastic sheeting over your roof. If a sudden storm turns into extended rainy days, the roofing company should send someone out periodically to ensure the covering is keeping the home dry and will come out to further secure it, if the storm brings high winds.

Q: How long will the job take?

A: Your contractor should provide you with a timeline of how long it’ll take to complete your roofing job. He should also tell you about contingencies, if there are rain or other weather-related delays.

Q: What is the address of your local, permanent office?

A: If you have any problems with your new roof, it’s easier to contact your contractor at their permanent local office. You should be wary of companies who come into your neighborhood after big storms that don’t have a local office or physical business address.

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Selecting a Las Vegas Commercial Roofer

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Since 1996, Prestige Roofing has served clients throughout the Las Vegas Valley, providing both residential and commercial roofing services. Among our portfolio of professional commercial roofing clients are retail, schools, hotels and casinos and the military. We take pride in working both independently or with the client’s project management team, always delivering high quality roofing projects using quality materials installed with professional care and attention to our commercial clients’ needs and budget.

picture of custom made commercial roofThrough the years we’ve learned what it takes to achieve a great roofing project result that meets and exceeds our client’s expectations, stays within their budget and is completed on time. We’d like to share some things with you that we think a business owner should look for when hiring a commercial roofer for their roofing project.

Questions to ask a Commercial Roofer before hiring

Whether it’s a large commercial roofing project or a small one, a new roof, a re-roof or a roof repair, here are a dozen things to consider when looking for a quality professional commercial roofer for your project:

  1. Qualifications: Is the roofer licenced?  How long has he been in business?  Does he carry both general liability and workers’ comp insurance?
  2. Reputation: Does he have a good BBB record? Does he have a track record of working well with construction firms, project managers and executives as well as small business owners?
  3. References: Can he provide you with several high quality local references who will answer some of these questions about his work?  Our dozen questions are good ones to pose to any references you talk to.
  4. Communications: Does the roofer ask appropriate questions before preparing his proposal? Is he easy to reach and does he explain things well? Does he make frequent visits to the worksite and stay on top of progress and address any issues that come up?
  5. Proposal: Does he supply a written and detailed estimate and does he explain it to you? Does your roofer carefully consider the intended use of the roof, such as: What is the weight-bearing load? Will it have foot traffic? Will it house HVAC systems,contain solar or other green features?
  6. Contract: Does he provide a detailed written contract, and is he willing to update it if changes need to be made? Does it make sense and does it fit your expectations and budget?
  7. Materials: does he use high quality materials or does he try to cut corners?  Does he give you a choice and explain the differences to you so you can decide?
  8. Building codes: Does the roofer demonstrate knowledge of local building codes and does he take care to comply with them and help handle any permitting issues on your behalf?
  9. Price: Is his bid suspiciously low? There’s probably a reason. Is it reasonable? Does he walk you through it and explain it to your satisfaction?
  10. Warranty and/or guarantee: What is his warranty on the roof, will he stand behind it and what is covered?
  11. Team: Who are his key team members? What are their qualifications? Do they have formal safety training (which indicates your roofer’s commitment to professionalism, to his team and to good business practices)?
  12. At the end: Will they recycle the old roofing materials? Does his team clean up the work area after the job is done?

It may seem a lot to think about, but hiring a good professional is the key to making your roofing project a success. If you need a commercial roofer for your project in Las Vegas or anywhere in Southern Nevada, we hope you will consider Prestige Roofing for your commercial roofing needs.

 

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Roofing 101 (Part 3) Quality Counts When it Comes to Roofing

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Quality Counts with your Roof Replacement or Roof Repair

The quality of your roof is dependent on two things: the quality of materials and the quality of workmanship. Cutting corners on either of these can lead to problems or costly roofing repairs later on. A third factor is the quality of customer service from your roofing contractor.  It’s important to carefully select your licensed contractor, even for small roof repairs as a bad roof repair can result in further problems down that road that cost you more in the long run, such as poor installation resulting in a leaking roof or displaced and broken tiles. Your roof is a major component of your investment in your home, keeping the interior and its contents safe from the elements and beautifying the home’s exterior.  So it’s worth doing a little extra homework before making a decision on a new roof  or roof repair project.

Select the Right Roofing Materials

Tiled RoofLet’ start with materials for your new roof. What constitutes quality materials? With a large selection of roofing materials available, your professional roofer can explain the pros and cons and quality levels of each. Some materials may better suit your climate, the style and load-bearing ability of your house, or the shape, slope and structure of your roof. While higher quality materials may cost you more initially, a quality roof is much less likely to require frequent roofing repairs or roof replacement. Cheap roofing tiles or poor installation can cost you in subsequent damage and loss. Repair or replacement costs could offset any initial savings you thought you had made, not to mention possible interior damage or loss of use of your home if the damage is severe. But, you don’t need to buy the most expensive materials. A solid and also affordable choice of an attractive, proven material such as high quality asphalt shingles or clay or concrete tiles, when properly installed, can provide you with a roof that lasts virtually problem free for decades.

Your climate can be a big factor in what kind of roof you should have and even how it is installed. If you live in an area subject to wildfires, look for a high fire rating on roofing materials you are considering for your project. Similarly, if you live in a hurricane zone, the materials must have high wind resistance. Regions with heavy rains need to be attentive to sturdy construction and materials as well as keeping roofing in good condition to avoid damage leading to small and large roof leaks.  Over time, roof leaks and lead to drywall damage, mold and other serious and costly damage to your home. Be sure the roofer you select is well informed and experienced with any special treatments or steps that need to be taken for local climate conditions during installation in order to increase your roof’s fire, rain, snow, ice or wind resistance.

Choose a Professional Roofing Contractor And since we mentioned installation,choosing the right roofing professional Roofer working on house roof to fix gutteris very important in assuring a quality installation or roof repair that will be problem-free for years to come. A qualified, licensed and experienced roofing contractor will be able to recommend and explain your material choices and answer any questions you have on them. He will also be currently licensed as a contractor in his state, with no suspensions or other delinquencies. Ask him if he carries insurance, including workers’ compensation insurance since, if a worker is injured on your property, you may be held liable unless he or she is covered by the roofing company’s workers’ compensation insurance policy. Be sure you check out these important credentials before hiring a roofing contractor.

Additional factors to look for from your roofer are whether he can provide quality referrals. He should be able to provide you with at least a few references from past happy clients who you can contact and ask about his workmanship, reliability and their customer service experience both during and after the project. You can also check out reviews online and with the Better Business Bureau to see if your roofer has an overall good reputation. Getting things in writing is critical to understanding what to expect and in getting what you pay for with your roofing project. Your roofing contractor should provide you with things like a written cost estimate and a written contract. The contract should include items like the proposed work schedule, handling necessary permits and inspections, site clean up, clear payment terms and a warranty on the work.

Make sure you have a good Warranty Getting a good warranty from your roofing contractor is important, since it’s not unusual for small adjustments to be needed or other issues to come up in the first year. Be sure you read the warranty he provides and ask questions.  Also, be sure you also have a copy of the warranty on the materials from the manufacturer. With two warranties in hand, andsome careful research up front, you will know the people you chose to build your new roof have delivered a great roof and stand behind their work as roofing trade professionals.   At Prestige Roofing we pride ourselves on our experience and quality and on providing only the best customer service to make sure your roofing project goes smoothly and that you are thrilled with the result.  For more information on how we can help you, please contact us at  702-646-7536.

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Prestige Roofing at the Home Expo Las Vegas this weekend

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Prestige is participating in the popular Home Expo at the Cashman Center this weekend. We hope you’ll stop by and talk with us. Feel free to bring along your roofing questions, check out some of our projects and materials or just say hi.  Fall is a great time for weatherizing your roof for winter, and we can give you some quick tips for doing that.  See you this weekend at the Expo!

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Roofing 101 (Part 2) – Hire the Right Roofers for the Job

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Building roof construction site teamwork silhouetteWe’ve already discussed picking affordable, quality roofing materials, emphasizing lifetime cost and reliability of construction. Now we will take a look at picking the right people for the job. Quality roofers are hard to come by- but if you know what to look for, picking the right roofers for the job is easier than you think. Residential roofing is a common specialty in Las Vegas, with many homes using Spanish tiles. If this is your type of roof, then make sure you choose a local roofing company that specializes in them.

Do your research, and consider your roofing professional for more than simply cost: if you’re following our Roofing 101 steps, then you’ve already paid for quality materials. Putting a roof over your head is usually a lengthy process, especially if the roof is part of a whole construction project. Even a basic roof repair or replacement can take a fair amount of time, and the steps involved make it worth paying special attention to who you hire.

Hiring Your Roofers

1. Licensed and Bonded: Is the roofing service you’re considering licensed, bonded, and insured? Professional roofers are required to have proper credentials in order to ply their trade, and checking to make sure your roofing company is legitimate is a big first step towards guaranteeing quality.

2. Referrals: Unless it’s a brand-new roofing company, the roofers you hire are bound to have referrals- customer reviews, assessments of their skill, testimonials, etc. These referrals will show you past customers’ experiences with the company, whether they get the promised results or if they go over-budget.

3. Meet face-to-face: While you can correspond with a business via email and phone, and sometimes it will work out fine, it is always better to meet your roofers face-to-face. You’d be surprised at how meeting a person and looking them in the eye can help you to judge their character and determine whether they will be reliable in business.

4. Permits: Your roofing company should provide the permits required for the job at hand. If your roofer insists on making you, the customer, then there may be something fishy about their operation.

5. You get what you pay for: Cheap roofers build cheap roofs. While you shouldn’t have to break the bank to get a quality roof over your head, if you’re paying considerably lower than you expect for a roofing project, you’re likely to get shoddy workmanship and a poor final product.

Prestige Roofing Las Vegas offers exceptional service at a fair price, and does everything from basic roof repair to full roofing on everything from celebrity mansions to small businesses. Make the right choice by choosing the best roofers in the Las Vegas and North Las Vegas areas. Call (702) 646-7536 for more information or visit our website for a free estimate today.

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