If you’re fixing to get your roof repair or replacement done right around now, that might have turned out to be a little more complicated than you first thought. You may have realized that you can’t just Internet search “roofing company” and go with the first one you see.
Or maybe you were recently confronted by a door-to-door salesperson who claimed to offer roofing services. You were charmed by their demeanor, but you’re wondering if their methods are a sign of dedication or desperation. Are they really as great a roofing contractor as they say they are?
In any case, selecting the right roofing contractor is hard, but Tony’s Lifetime Exteriors, as Sauk Rapids roofing specialists, is here to help. We have a long history in the exterior contracting industry—48 years of it, in fact—and our time has more than taught us what makes a great roofing contractor as opposed to a less-than-stellar one.
We care about you, your roof, and the home underneath it, so we’re sharing our hard-earned knowledge below on what makes a good roofing contractor to help you make a smart decision.
Great Roofing Pros Generally Don’t Go Door-to-Door
That salesperson we mentioned in the beginning might not be a roofing provider you can trust! In this industry, going door-to-door to solicit business is generally frowned upon by more established and credible roofing companies, because there do exist door-to-door scammers who solely want to take advantage of you and your insurance company.
They might use downright unscrupulous business practices in order to secure a sale, such as fabricating evidence of roofing damage, which is obviously highly unethical. Even with the acknowledgement that there are plenty of honest and hardworking door-to-door roofing companies out there, the risk of a scam is still high when someone like this shows up at your door.
You should be the one to reach out to your roofing professional, not the other way around. To avoid a potential scam risk, never sign anything pressured upon you by these companies; a great roofing company will never try to push you into anything at all. They let the customer drive, so to speak, and are only there to provide professional input and structure.
To learn more about fraudulent roofing contractors and storm damage experts, check out our blog on the topic.
Great Roofing Companies Demonstrate an Individualized Approach
How’s that for a mouthful? What it means in more plain terms is that a great roofer understands that each client is an individual.
This may manifest in a variety of ways; They may offer a variety of roofing shingles, for example, knowing that different clients have different needs. Or, they may demonstrate this during a consultation in the courteous and intrigued way in which they speak with you.
Regardless, you’ll no doubt feel at home with this roofer, similar to how you’d feel while being waited on at a restaurant you love. You feel you can ask questions about the metaphorical “menu”—the roofing options—because you trust that this roofer’s top priority is understanding your needs.
You also feel good when you “place your order,” or make a roofing decision of any sort, as you know the roofer has informed you enough for you to make the right choice.
Great Roofing Companies Have History
While there are plenty of great young roofing companies out there, a near surefire mark of a good one is a long history of proven service. An older company wouldn’t have been around for as long as it has been if it didn’t deliver top-notch service that could be counted on.
In other words: While a lack of a history isn’t necessarily an indicator of a lack of quality, the presence of a history most certainly goes hand-in-hand with great service and great results.
Don’t know how to assess a roofing company’s history? Usually, it’s described in brief on their “about” page. Their roofing portfolio, too, may be able to provide some answers. While it might not tell you exactly how long the given roofing company has been open, it can show you another type of history: the history of their work.
Don’t underestimate the importance of this history, as it shows you the type of result you’re likely to receive yourself.
A Great Roofing Company Operates In-House Whenever Possible
It’s common in this industry to subcontract work out, and sometimes it’s unavoidable. Roofing is a big and complicated task, and on occasion additional pairs of hands are needed to get the job done to a high standard.
But as much as possible, a great roofing company tries to keep its workers in house. Though incredibly rare in the field, it’s a sign of a company that cares about its employees and the work that they do.
The in-house approach, for example, allows your roofing company a greater deal of control over the project outcome. As Hubstaff, a provider of workforce management software, puts it: “as a general rule, you’ll have less control over a project once you outsource it.”
When your roofing company knows what quality looks like and won’t take anything else, they’re far more likely to use their in-house staff, whom they know can uphold their standards, than to chance it and outsource.
Secondly, in-house employees, if full-time, are likely to receive career advancement opportunities and benefits, both of which can motivate them to work harder and take pride in the job that they do. This leads to higher-quality roofing jobs and better employee retention, which in turn means a higher level of skill accumulated over time.
A Great Roofing Company Is Transparent and Honest
No flashy sales tactics or beating around the bush. A good roofing contractor will speak with you honestly and frankly, using exactitudes when it comes to your project and never making promises they can’t keep.
If you ask a question about anything—from certifications to insurance—your answer should be straight-up. Why? Because when it comes to roofing, there’s no room for sugar-coating.
Dishonesty deludes a well-intentioned customer into paying for poor-quality service that they didn’t sign up for. It’s false advertising, unethical, and demonstrates a massive lack of integrity—all of which don’t bode well for the quality of the craftsmanship you’ve hired.
LinkedIn describes three subtypes of workplace integrity: the type related to image, to actions, and to internal morals and convictions. Your roofing pro needs to show all three if you’re looking for quality work.
Tony’s Lifetime Exteriors Is Your Roofing Pro of Choice
Our customer-focused approach to roofing combined with our consistent success and vast industry knowledge mean that we’re the perfect roofing company for nearly any job. Serving you is, and has always been, our number one priority. Give our Sauk Rapids office a call today at 320-252-9086.