10 questions you need to ask before hiring a roofer

The roof is one of the most important elements of your home and if it doesn’t work properly or do the job it should, everything else in your house may be compromised. So before carrying out any work on your roof, you need to find the best professional for the job. Knowing the right questions to ask will make the task a lot easier. Let Cedral guide you through:

NB: Do not sign a contract until you have satisfactory answers to the questions below

1. Are you licenced and insured? Reputable builders will be licenced to carry out the work they propose to do and fully insured in case of injuries on site – you don’t want to be liable for accidents on your property.

2. What is your registered address? If somebody turns up offering just a mobile number, they may be a fly-by-night operation. Ask for an office address and landline as well.

3. How long have you been trading and do you have any testimonials? You may feel more comfortable hiring a contractor with many years of experience in the field and there are lots of professional websites that offer customer reviews and testimonials for previous work carried out. If your job is particularly tricky or requires specific specialist knowledge, you may want to ask if the contractor has worked on similar projects in the past.

4. Will you replace the old roof? Patching up over the existing roof can lead to serious problems being missed and may make further repairs necessary further down the line.

5. Can you supply me with a breakdown of costs for the work? Always ask for costs in writing, don’t rely on verbal agreements.

6. What’s your contingency plan for any unforeseen events? Find out what measures the contractor has put in place to deal with unforeseen issues, such as bad weather stopping work.

7. What materials do you plan to use? You should be satisfied that the building materials used come from a reputable supplier and are adequate for the work planned. Know what’s available on the market. For example, hard-wearing Cedral slates are designed to perform in the toughest weather conditions and while strong, they are also lightweight, so can be placed on lighter trusses or frames without any additional reinforcement.

8. Who is my main contact on site when the work begins? The contractor may place a foreman on site who will be your main day to day contact, or he may even sub-contract the work out. It’s important that you know who is in charge and who you should speak to if any problems arise.

9. How long will the job take? It’s good to have an idea of how long the work will take so you can plan accordingly. As a guide, most roof renovation projects will take from 5 to 7 days – but bad weather can slow things down.

10. How will you leave the site after finishing? You want to make sure all the materials and debris are removed from around your house once the work is done, so make sure you get this in writing.