The 4 Main Reasons Why You Should Hire a Roofing Contractor

With the rise in roofing prices and contracting in general, some homeowners are trying to find cheaper alternatives for their roofing projects. Maybe they’re hiring their neighbor, brother, uncle, a crew off Craigslist, or even someone who has a handwritten sign on the side of the road with a number to call.  Look, I get it. Saving money where you can is important and sometimes necessary. But your roof isn’t one of the things you can get cheaply and expect the job to be done perfectly.  That’s why it’s important to hire a certified and professional roofing contractor. You’re probably thinking, “You’re a roofing company, so of course, you’re saying that.” By the end of this article, you’ll understand why.  For over 30 years, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has helped homeowners understand everything about their roofing project. This includes how and why you should hire a great professional roofing contractor.  Let’s get to the 4 main reasons you should hire a professional roofing contractor.  1. Professional roofing contractors have proper safety training The first and probably most important reason you should hire a professional roofing contractor is for safety reasons. Roofing contractors have training and knowledge to properly work and walk on a roof safely.  But training and knowledge aren’t the only things it takes to work on a roof safely. Roofing contractors have the safety equipment required to work on a roof, like ropes, sponge pads, proper shoes, and harnesses to tie off on steep roof pitches.  They also have years of experience getting on and off a roof with a ladder at various heights. Which is still something incredibly dangerous to do even with years of experience.  I will always recommend that anyone who’s uncomfortable on a ladder or walking on a roof should avoid getting up there in the first place. Because even with all the experience a roofer has, accidents still happen.  And if it does happen, a professional roofing contractor has the proper insurance to take care of any injuries. The last thing you want is for an accident to happen on your property, and you be responsible for payment.  2. Professional roofing contractors have access to better quality materials The next reason to hire a professional roofing contractor is for their access to quality materials. They’ll have suppliers with all the roofing materials and components your roof needs. But quality isn’t the only thing they have access to when it comes to materials. A professional roofing contractor can find a broader selection of colors and shingle brands to find the perfect fit for your situation. Plus, most professional roofing contractors are certified by shingle manufacturers to offer better roof warranties (more on that in a bit). They can also get different types of roofing materials, like synthetic, metal, cedar shake, etc.  Now, I’m not saying it’s impossible for you or a non-professional roofer to find quality materials. However, you can count on getting the best materials available with a professional roofing contractor.  3. You can rely on a professional roofing contractor’s workmanship The next reason why you need to hire a professional roofing contractor is for their workmanship. Every roofing project requires experience, knowledge, training, and skill to do the job right.  A professional roofing contractor and their installers have years of roofing experience under their belts. This difference in skill can make the final quality between a professional roofing contractor and someone off the street drastic.  Of course, there’s always the chance that errors and mistakes can happen even with professionals. However, you can count on a correct roof install most of the time from a professional roofing contractor.  Just know there will always be bad professional roofing contractors out there. But this doesn’t mean you should avoid hiring a professional completely.  You just need to know how to spot a reputable one, and if you stick around until the end, you’ll be able to do this.  4. You’ll have better roof warranty opportunities with a professional roofing contractor The final main reason you need to hire a professional roofing contractor is for your roof warranty options. When working with a professional roofing contractor, you’ll have two warranties after your roofing project is completed.  The first one will be on the roofing contractor’s workmanship. A workmanship warranty is in place to protect your roof against installation errors. This means if there’s ever a problem caused by poor craftsmanship, the roofing contractor should take care of it at no cost to you. Just know the length of a workmanship warranty varies from contractor to contractor.  The second roof warranty will be on your roofing materials and protects against defects during the manufacturing process. Every roofing material comes out of the package with a warranty from the manufacturer.  However, a lot of professional roofing contractors have certifications from manufacturers to offer better warranties overall. For example, architectural asphalt shingles come out of the package with a 30-year prorated warranty.  If the roofing contractor is certified by the manufacturer of the shingles, you’ll have the opportunity to get a 50-year non-prorated enhanced warranty. But to get this, you’ll have to invest and use all of the one manufacturer’s components to form a complete roof system.  Both warranties are in place to protect your roof investment. With a professional roofing contractor, you can count on getting more protection in the long run.  The checklist you need to hire a great professional roofing contractor Now you know the 4 main reasons you need to hire a professional roofing contractor. If after reading this you still want to hire your neighbor, brother, or a random crew off Craigslist, go ahead.  Just know you won’t get all the protection, experience, and craftsmanship a professional roofing contractor offers. But remember, there’s still the possibility of making a bad hire even when looking for a professional roofing contractor.  That’s why you need to know how to spot a reputable one out of the sea of options in your area. To help you do this, I created a checklist of 16 questions every homeowner needs to ask potential roofing contractors.  The checklist not only has the questions to ask, but it also has the answers a reputable roofing company should give back. With your free checklist, you’ll have the ability to determine if a roofing contractor does things the right way and you’re making the right hiring decision.  Since 1990, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has provided high-quality roofing services to thousands of homeowners in Nashville and surrounding Middle Tennessee areas. We take pride in everything we do, and we’re proud to offer a lifetime workmanship warranty, so you never have to worry about your roof again.  If you’re local to Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, Belle Meade, or another surrounding Middle Tennessee area, don’t hesitate to contact us for any of your roofing needs.  Here’s your Checklist of Questions to Ask a Roofing Contractor to find a great professional roofer in your area.