Dealing with roof issues is something you probably don’t want to do yourself. You don’t want to climb a ladder and move around in dangerous positions. And if you don’t have a flat roof, dealing with maintenance and problems becomes even more challenging.
That’s why it makes sense to hire a contractor, whether you need a repair or want your roof cleaned. But with over 79,000 roofing contractor companies in the United States, how do you narrow your choices?
Finding the right roof cleaning services is vital to ensure your roof stays in great shape. Ask the eight questions below about your roof maintenance options to verify they can clean your roof correctly.
1. Do You Have the Proper Licenses?
Even if all you’re doing is cleaning a roof, you must have the proper work licenses. You’re still in a dangerous position and must take the proper precautions. Governments want to ensure that the people handling roof work know what they are doing.
They do this by requiring roofers to get licenses before working. Ask a roofing company if they have the proper license in your area. You can view a company or individual’s license number and verify it with your government to ensure it’s valid.
2. Do You Have Insurance?
Since workers are in a dangerous position on a roof, there’s a lot of opportunity for things to go wrong. And since people are so high, it’s possible that someone makes a mistake and injures themself or damages your property.
Although the chances are good that this won’t happen, it’s still possible. You need protection for that chance to ensure you aren’t on the hook for damages.
Verify the insurance coverage of a roofing company before you allow them to clean your roof. They should cover injuries and property damage.
3. Do You Offer Written Estimates?
It’s essential to understand exactly what you’re getting when you work with a roofing contractor. In some cases, you may spend much more than you imagine because of the amount of work that needs to be done. You don’t want surprise bills that drain your bank account.
Make sure to get a written estimate from a contractor before working with them. It should detail the exact work to be done and how much you’ll pay for the service.
Going this route will ensure you don’t have unexpected surprises and a roofer does the exact job they are supposed to do.
4. What Cleaning Methods Do You Use?
It pays to understand a roofer’s cleaning method to clean your roof. There are many ways to handle the job, and your preferences may impact your choice of a roofing company.
For instance, pressure washing is an effective way to clean the debris on a roof safely. It doesn’t require harsh chemicals, so you don’t need to worry about that if it’s a concern.
But other methods, like soft washing, relies on chemicals for cleaning. You may not want to hire a soft washing company if you want to go the natural pressure washing route.
5. Do You Offer Extra Services?
Although a roof cleaner is going on your roof to clean it, that doesn’t mean that will be the only thing they can do. While they are there, it’s possible to examine your roof for other problems.
Ask what other services a roofer offers before you hire them to clean your roof. If they spot any minor problems while up there, they can likely fix them quickly before they grow into bigger problems.
View these roofing services to see what’s available.
6. Are Your Employees on Payroll?
In some cases, a roofing company doesn’t send its own employees to handle roofing work. They work with subcontractors instead of hiring roofers. They do this to focus on sales and let another company handle the roofing work.
It’s okay to hire a company that does this. You just need to know about it before you hire the company. Try to learn who your roofing company subcontracts the work to so you can also vet them for the job.
7. Do You Offer Guarantees?
Not all home improvement jobs go according to plan. The contractors you hire do great work, but they can occasionally miss small details that leave the job incomplete.
That’s why you need a guarantee from the company you work with. You want to ensure they’ll return to finish the job if something doesn’t get done.
Most reputable companies will offer these, so ask what’s included in the guarantee.
8. Do You Have References?
One of the things you can’t afford to forget to ask about when hiring roof services is references. A company may know all the right things to say, but when it comes time to do the job, the service you get leaves much to be desired.
Try to get a few references from a roofing company before you hire them. These can be from the roofing company itself or people you know.
You can also browse the internet to see what others say about your local roofing companies on review websites. A quick search will give you a list of local roofers and what others think of them.
Vet Roof Cleaning Services Carefully
Roof care is something that’s often overlooked in homeownership. You don’t actively view your roof, so it’s often out of mind most of the time. It’s only when you start experiencing problems that you start paying attention to your roof’s shape.
But you can avoid unexpected issues by performing roof maintenance tasks that keep it clean and in great shape. Ask the questions above when looking for roof cleaning services to ensure you hire a company that will keep your roof in great shape.
Do you want to learn more tips that will help you keep the rest of your home looking great? Learn more home maintenance tips by reading the other website articles.