Flower Mound Roofing Repair

You should hire a local roofing contractor with a reliable track record because, if you have a leak that occurs later on, it can be very difficult to get an out-of-town or out-of-state roofing company to come back and service warranty repairs. While many are reputable, often times ‘Storm Chasers’ are out-of-town contractors who follow severe storms looking for quick money with the opportunity brought by hail and storm damage. Some collect money from homeowners and move on to the next storm site leaving work unfinished or without paying suppliers. They’re here today and gone tomorrow, leaving homeowners holding the bag for those additional costs. Here’s a link so you can find more information on ‘roofing repair scams‘.

You can make sure a roofing contractor is properly insured by requiring they provide you with a certificate from their insurance carrier outlining their type of insurance and policy limits. This is really important.  A reputable roofing contractor should have liability insurance. Liability insurance protects you from damage caused by the roofers during repair or replacement. Don’t accept answers that are indecisive, hesitant or don’t match local and state requirements. Even if the company doesn’t have insurance, it’s easy to answer ‘yes, we have insurance.’ Giving an exact amount and providing their certificate of insurance is harder, which is why we recommend asking to see proof. Avoid hiring any contractor who is not insured in accordance with all the Texas state provisions necessary to operate a roofing company. 

NEVER agree to pay a roofing contractor up front to get the job started. Beware of contractors asking for a deposit, for a percentage or for full payment in advance. Reputable roofing contractors never require money in advance. They will complete all repairs and await your insurance settlement. And look out for contractors who encourage you to spend money on temporary repairs. Payments for some temporary repairs to mitigate damages are covered as part of total insurance settlement. Speak with your insurance agent, and keep all receipts for temporary repairs you make yourself.

Here is a list of questions you should ask before hiring a roofing contractor:

• What is your legal business name? 
  Ask for the roofing company’s full name and address. If they use a Post Office box, ask for the physical location. A roofing company that doesn’t have a physical location is a cause for concern, and you should move on. Getting a roofer’s legal business name is important to protect yourself from a roofer who may be falsely representing them-self online. A little detective work can go a long way in your pursuit of hiring the right contractor. Acceptable answer(s): Our legal company name is X. We market ourselves online as Y, but our legal business name is X, LLC, LP, Inc. Do not accept answers that are unclear. When in doubt, ask for proof. No roofer should have trouble providing you a copy of permits, licenses and proof of insurance. 
• Do you have liability insurance? Requiring your roofing contractor to have liability insurance is important in case damage occurs to your property while the roofing crew is working. Liability insurance protects you from damage caused by the roofers during roof repair or roof replacement. Although the state of Texas does not require roofers to have general liability insurance, it is strongly recommended you do not hire a residential roofing contractor without a minimum of $300,000 combined single limit general liability insurance.
• Do you have customer references of local homeowners?
  Ask for a list of local residential job sites you can visit and check previous roofing work. Any good roofing contractor will have performed ‘insurance work’ with local insurance agencies – and possibly, including yours. Ask the contractor for a short list of agents which they have a working relationship. You can ask for local homeowner references, but many times past customers (understandably) do not want their personal information released. For those customers who give their OK, follow-up with them and ask if they are happy with the roofing job completed by the contractor.
• Do you warranty your roofing work?
  Ask if the roof repair company guarantees its work and for how long. A typical roofing warranty for labor and installation is one year, but some roofers offer longer warranties. The manufacturer warranty guarantees the materials and the roofer guarantees the work. These are two separate guarantees, so ask what is covered under each specific warranty – and get it in writing.
• Can you do a layover for me instead of a full roof replacement? (Trick Question)
  We recommend asking for a ‘layover’ as a test to determine whether you’re dealing with an ethical, reputable roofing contractor. This is a test question only, so it’s important that you ask exactly how it’s written here. ‘Can you do a layover for me instead of a full roof replacement?’ We feel the only acceptable answer is, ‘No’ — with an explanation of why. Here’s why: A roofing layover can be very harmful to your roof and your roofing structure. Roofing shingles are HEAVY! Quality roofing shingles can weigh 350 pounds or more per 100 square feet. This weight quickly adds up. An average size 1800 square foot roof with ONE LAYER of shingles weighs more than 6,000 pounds which must be safely supported by your roofing structure. Now, add a second layer (or a third) and you can see why we  recommend never, never allowing a layover.
• Can you waive my homeowners insurance deductible? (Trick Question)
  Roofers who offer to waive or absorb insurance deductibles are dishonest, period. In the state of Texas it is a criminal offense for a roofing contractor to pay your insurance deductible, waive your insurance deductible, absorb your insurance deductible, rebate your insurance deductible or offset your insurance deductible. Not only that, if you knowingly submit or allow a claim to be submitted with a waived or reduced deductible, YOU, the insured policyholder are also in violation of the state law. This law is in place to protect residents of Texas from the mass of roofers who go door-to-door after storms – many of which are not accredited and may leave you with sub-par work, or even a partially completed roof. For this reason, we recommend you never, never, never hire any roofing contractor who offers to waive your homeowners insurance deductible.