Your roof is ending the near of its usefulness. You’re looking to have a new one installed. Now all that’s left to do is to find a Nashville roofing contractor.
Need a little help with the endeavor? You’re in the right place. Here are 7 tips for finding and hiring the best Nashville roofing companies.
1. Make Use of Search Engines
First and foremost, you’re going to want to search for roofing companies with the help of a search engine. The best search engine is, of course, Google.
Once you’re on the website, type in something to the effect of “roofer in Nashville”. This should yield hundreds of results for roofers, all of which will be labeled with star ratings. Try to narrow your options down to those with star ratings of 4 or higher.
You might also want to consider where each roofer is located. Though it’s not necessary, you might prefer a roofer that’s relatively close to your home.
Your search results should return customer reviews for each roofer as well. These reviews will be helpful in assessing specific roofers’ strengths and weaknesses. Read over them and see if they can aid in narrowing down your list of potential candidates.
2. Ask Around
There’s bound to be someone in your life who has made use of roofing services. Ask around and see if any of these individuals have a roofer to recommend. If they were particularly impressed with a roofer’s work, they will likely recommend that roofer.
Some people you should ask include your brother, your sister, your mom, your dad, and, of course, your friends. You might also consider asking co-workers and other associates.
A personal recommendation such as this can be much more reassuring than can a nameless, faceless online review.
3. Inquire About Insurance
When a roofer is working on your house, there’s a chance that he or she could cause damage. At the same time, there’s also a risk of his or her employees becoming injured on your property.
For this reason, when hiring a roofer, you need to make sure that he or she carries the proper insurance policies. These policies will cover you not only in the event of damage to your home but in the event of injury to a company employee.
The two types of insurance that you need to inquire about are general liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. Make sure to see proof of both before moving on with the project.
4. Make Sure the Contractor is Licensed
In addition to checking for insurance, you’re also going to want to check for licensure. Here in Tennessee, roofers don’t need contractors’ licenses unless they’re facilitating projects of over $25,000. In other words, not all roofing contractors are going to have them.
What they should have, however, are business licenses. Make sure that your prospective roofer is licensed with the state as a business before commencing with your project. If the business is unlicensed, it’s not being regulated, and could scam you.
5. Get a Cost Estimate
Roofing prices can fluctuate based on a number of factors. Some companies charge much more than others, even when working in the same areas. As such, prior to signing any contracts, you want to receive a cost estimate.
Obtaining an estimate will ensure that you’re not paying far outside your budget. It will also enable you to compare roofing companies against one another, helping you to make the best choice possible.
When comparing estimates, it’s wise to be skeptical of extremely low rates. If a company’s rates are exceedingly low, there’s reason to believe that it’s providing a low level of service. A good deal could turn into a bad deal quicker than you realize.
If a roofing company won’t give you an estimate, you should avoid it entirely. Any decent roofing company will be completely upfront about its costs.
6. Make Sure The Company Offers the Type of Material You're Looking For
Not all roofing companies provide the same services. Whereas one might install only asphalt shingles, another might install asphalt shingles, cedar shakes, metal roofing, and more. The key is to make sure that the company you choose can cater to your needs.
Generally speaking, you can find more information on this by reading the companies’ websites. See if there’s a “services” or “materials” tab and click on it. This should indicate the roof types that the company works with.
If the company’s website doesn’t indicate roof types, you’re just going to have to make a call and ask. Any respectable roofing company would be happy to speak with you.
7. Ask About Experience
Generally speaking, it’s wise to choose a roofing company with a bit of experience under its belt. This is your roof, after all, something that’s vital to the look and protection of your house. If it’s installed incorrectly, it could cause major (and expensive!) issues for you.
In most cases, experience is correlated with competence. This is because experienced roofers have had the time and opportunity to make their mistakes and learn from them. New roofers have not had these opportunities, and are, therefore, making their clients their guinea pigs.
At a minimum, your roofer should have 2 years of real-world experience under his or her belt. If a roofer is still maintaining a solid reputation after this length of time, he or she is likely to get the job done right.
Utilize the Services of the Best Nashville Roofing Contractor
If you’re looking for the best Nashville roofing contractor, you needn’t look any further than Rhythm Roofing. Experts in residential roofing, we’ve re-roofed countless homes throughout the Nashville area.
Whether you need a roof installation, a roof repair, or roof maintenance, we can help you. Contact us today for a free inspection!
