WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HIRE A LOCAL ROOFING CONTRACTOR IN PITTSTON PENNSYLVANIA

Your roof is an investment. Whether you require repairs or a total roof replacement, the roofing contractor you choose will significantly impact your investment. This makes it even more important to hire the right local roofing contractor.

Our Pittston, PA, roofing company has been in business for over 60 years, so the people who work there know what it takes to be a good roofing contractor. We’re now passing on what we’ve learned. We’ve compiled a list of reasons you should hire a local contractor: we’re always happy to provide unbiased and honest advice.

You’ll see how important it is to hire locally, whether to ensure they have a local office or protect yourself from out-of-town companies.

Why Is It Important To Hire A Local Contractor?

A good roofing company in your area will know what local installation codes to follow, what paperwork is needed, and everything else they’ll need to make sure your roof is installed correctly and meets your state’s requirements. It will save you much trouble when it comes time to get insurance or sell your home.

You also want a local contractor because you will know where to find them and how to get in touch with them. It’s important to ensure that the contractor you hire has a local office and phone number.

Getting them up on your roof is much easier if something goes wrong. This is important after a big storm damages the roof.

When a major storm hits an area, it’s easy pickings for storm-chasing companies from out of state. The companies will come in, undercut the prices of the local roofing companies, collect the money, and then move on to the next storm-hit town.

They send highly trained salespeople to the area, who then go door-to-door using scare tactics to attempt to sell new roofs to unwary homeowners. They will then place a sign in their yard, attracting their neighbors’ attention.

They quickly take over the entire neighborhood. After these salespeople leave, the crews stay to complete the remaining work. Typically, these roofs are constructed quickly and poorly. Worst of all, there is no warranty on their craft.

When the workers leave the job site, the out-of-town company stops answering their phones. This is called a “tail light warranty” because as soon as you can’t see their tail lights, the warranty goes away, too.

That’s why it’s important to hire locally.

What to Look for in a Roofing Contractor in Your Area

Now that you understand why you should hire a local contractor, you should understand what to look for in a local roofing contractor. What makes them good and what you should avoid will be discussed further on in this article.

Knowing the availability of the owner, the workmanship warranties they provide, and the length of time they’ve been in business will help you in hiring the best local roofing company.

Is The Local Roofer Licensed, Bonded, and Insured?

You should begin your search for a local roofing contractor by ensuring that they are licensed, bonded, and insured. If a roofing company has all three, they will be happy and proud.

Keep in mind that each of them will have different requirements depending on where you live. Some states may not require contractors to have either license. Check your local codes and ensure the contractor you hire has all the necessary permits and paperwork.

Licensed

If your state requires a contracting license, you must ensure that the contractor you hire has one. To get a license, a contractor must first sign up and register with the state’s board of licensing contractors. The cost of the job will determine the license required.

A home improvement license is required for jobs over $3,000, and a general contractor’s license is required for jobs over $25,000.

Because a roof is a large investment, roofing contractors should have a general contractor’s license. However, remember that this varies by state and is constantly changing. A reputable roofing company will tell you what is needed and prove that they have it.

Bonded

A bonding company is aware that a contractor operates legally and ethically. The bonding company posts the bond because they are confident that the contractor will complete the job correctly.

A bond makes sure that if a company ceases operations in the middle of a project or if there is a problem with the work that is not fixed, the customer can turn to the bond company.

They’ll pay to fix the customer’s roof and then go after the contractor for the money to make things right. The bond protects you and your investment.

Insured

All contractors should be fully insured, including general liability, workers’ compensation, and a company vehicle insurance policy on all owned and unowned vehicles. The limits of a contractor’s general liability insurance and worker’s comp depend on the size of their jobs and the state they are in. If they only do small jobs for residential work, their general liability will not be as high as a company that does bigger jobs.

Because insurance is so expensive, every roofing contractor should proudly show you a certificate of insurance.

Don’t even consider hiring a company that isn’t licensed, bonded, or insured. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, you will have no recourse. These three pieces of paper protect you and ensure that the job is done right.

How Long Has the Roofing Contractor Been Operating? 

Most new roofing companies fail within four years.

Every day, a new company opens, and an old one closes. If you choose a startup company that’s only been around for a few years, its prices will likely be much lower. They probably work from home and have much lower costs than a company that has been around for 10 or 20 years.

The problem is that they do not know how to price jobs correctly to have enough retained earnings to get them through the winter months. At that time, a new company will stop operating.

This does not necessarily mean that there are no good young companies in your area. However, you must ensure that the company will be around in five years to maintain your roof investment.

A roofing company’s length of time in business does not make them any better; it simply ensures that they will be available if a problem arises.

Does The Roofing Contractor Provide Workmanship Warranties? 

Every roofing company should take pride in its work and stand behind it. You must ensure that the one you hire provides a warranty on their work.

This may be one year, two years, three years, five years, ten years, twenty-five years, or even a lifetime. A company that relies heavily on caulk, for example, will provide a 2-year workmanship warranty because the caulk will fail within two years.

A good question to ask about a roofing company’s warranty is, “Why don’t they provide a longer warranty on their work?” If the company cares about the installation of your roof, it will provide you with a lifetime warranty.

Simply put, warranties are not worth the paper they are written on. Do some research, ask people around you, and read reviews.

No matter what your research says, you should only hire a contractor who will stand behind their work.

Does The Roofing Contractor Have Positive Reviews?

There are numerous ways to help find a reputable roofer, plumber, or carpenter in today’s digital world. Customers mostly choose a service or company based on reviews.

You can find a lot from reviews about whether or not a company does excellent work. That doesn’t mean that every review you read is true. Some people go too far in one way or the other.

But if a company stands behind its work, treats customers well, and does things the right way, it will probably show up in its reviews.

Ready To Hire A Local Roofing Contractor?

You are ready to take the next step and hire a local contractor to take care of your roof. You are now aware of what to look for in a roofing contractor, so when a local contractor comes out to give you a quote, you will be able to determine whether or not you are hiring a top-of-the-line roofing contractor.

Your research isn’t finished yet; some questions are still to be answered. Luckily for you, we have you covered.

For over 60 years, Anthracite Roofing Systems has provided the best roofing services in Pittston, Pennsylvania. We’re proud of how well we treat customers and how well we do our jobs.

If you live in Pittston, please contact us so we can meet your residential roofing needs.