How To Get a Good Roof Estimate and Roofer
If you need a roof estimate, one of the first places some
people look is in the phone book. But if you want a GOOD roofer, that's
not the best place to find him.
Sure, he probably has a small listing there if he's been in business for
longer than a year or so. That's just part of being professional, so
prospects and customers can find you. But unlike the companies that depend
on big, expensive ads to make the phone ring, he gets most of his business
from referrals.
His name is on the hearts and minds of his happy clients and raving fans.
His business card is in their wallets and purses or hung on their
refrigerator. He has earned their trust and they wouldn't call anybody
else.
So where can YOU find this guy for your roof estimate? Actually, it isn't
all that difficult. If you don't know him, you probably know somebody who
does. Heck, they say everybody on earth is connected by just six degrees
of separation. Joe Girard (The World's Greatest Car Salesman) figures the
average person knows about 250 people. If each of them know 250, that is a
pool of 62,500 people right there. Everybody but the homeless have a roof
overhead and they were all installed by somebody.
Here are five places to look for a good roofer for your project.
1. Ask your friends, family and coworkers if they can recommend someone
for a roof estimate. This is one of your very best sources because these
are the people you know and trust. They will probably give you the WHOLE
truth about roofing contractors they know. Even if they can't recommend
someone, they might tell you who to avoid!
2. Ask your neighbors. Find out who they used and if they would use them
again. Some homeowner associations even keep a list of reliable
contractors.
Pay attention to roofing work going on in your neighborhood. Look for yard
signs and company names on the vehicles. What's the condition of their
trucks? If they don't care about their own equipment, how much do you
think they will care about your roof? What about the roofing crews? Do
they go about their work in a quiet professional manner... or does the
jobsite resemble a wild roof party, complete with beer and music blasting
from a boom box? Do they keep the jobsite clean... or are shingle wrappers
and debris blowing all over the neighborhood? If you get the chance, talk
to the homeowner after a hard rain. Is he a happy camper?
3. Call the roofing suppliers in your area or drop by for some product
literature. Talk to the manager, tell him you need a roof estimate and ask
for the names of a few good roofers. The suppliers deal with all the
roofing contractors in town on a daily basis. They are plugged into the
grave vine and have a pretty good idea who has a good reputation and who
doesn't.
4. Call the building inspector for your municipality and speak to a
roofing inspector. Ask about the permit and inspection requirements for
your project. While you have him on the phone, tell him you need a roof
estimate and ask for a few names of good roofers in your area. It's his
job to check roofing work, so he should know better than anyone who does
it right and who doesn't. He probably can't make an official endorsement,
but he might give you a few names to check out.
5. Finally, check out your prospective roofers online. The internet has
made advertising cheap and easy, but it has also made it more difficult
for the bad guys to hide. Google the names of the roofing companies you
are considering and see what comes up.
It's also a good idea to check the names of the owners of these companies.
A common practice when roofing companies get in trouble is to shut down
and then open back up under another name.
See what Angies List and the Better Business Bureau have on them. Check
their status with the local and state licensing boards.
By now you should have several companies to choose from for your roof
estimate. Select the three with the strongest reputation and give them a
call. Be sure to tell them where you got their name. Roofers who depend on
"word of mouth" advertising know how important referrals are and we will
try especially hard not to disappoint you!
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