Many nouns related to roofing contractors end in y; ability, honesty, quality all spring to mind. Roof problems? Same thing: hesitancy, worry, delay. If you are thinking of tackling roof problems yourself, we politely suggest two more nouns: futility and injury. Here are six reasons to hire a nearby, trustworthy roofing contractor rather than hiring someone who shows up on your doorstep or, far worse, doing the work yourself.
#1 — Mastery
Hiring a local, reliable roofer makes sense unless you, a typical homeowner, secretly know how to do roofing work, know all the appropriate building codes, and know where to find a garage of free roofing equipment.
Admit it: you don’t. You aren’t expected to. Hire a friendly, helpful roofer to perform everything you need:
- Annual inspection
- Minor roof repair
- Major roof repairs
- Roof replacement
Some homeowners fear losing control of the repair process. You control it from start to finish. Your roofer will outline your roofing needs, respect your budget, and help you plan a long-term strategy. These are the exact steps roofers use with commercial roofing, scaled down to a single-family home.
Roofing contractors with physical addresses in your area must adhere to local building codes. This separates them from transient roofers, a Ted-with-his-Flatbed who shows up with “leftover” shingles, offering to “fix” your roof for money upfront.
Send Chuck-with-a-Truck packing. Only trust your roof to a roofer willing to plant roots in your neighborhood, a roofer who will stand by completed work.
#2 — Competency
What about hiring a local handyman or general contractor and subcontractors? Those folks are acceptable for certain jobs, but for roofing, go with an experienced, local roofer who follows the industry’s best practices, uses cohesive, trained crews, and has all the correct, modern roofing equipment.
A handyman may still carry a hammer and a pail of loose roofing nails around when the industry standard is air nailers and coiled nails. Subcontractors may hire day crews from the parking lots of home improvement stores, throwing together untrained workers unfamiliar with each other and ignorant of correct roofing techniques.
# 3 — Safety
Roof work is inherently dangerous. Residential roofs are in a category called steep-slope roofing. They have highly angled pitches to the roofs, which make them slippery and dangerous.
No homeowner should ever risk walking on a house roof, even with a one-story ranch roof with what appears to be a gentle slope.
Professional roofers take roof safety seriously. They work cautiously but efficiently, using correct safety equipment:
- Fall arrest gear
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Equipment hoists
- Roof brackets
- Heavy-duty ladders
Professional, local roofing crews are also trained to work safely and work as a team, getting a roof repair or replacement job done quickly and safely.
Almost all roofers carry liability insurance and workers compensation insurance, transferring their clients’ financial hazards to themselves. Consider: if you slipped and fell from your own home’s roof, who would protect your financial future if you were injured, or worse?
#4 — Reliability
Reputable local roofing contractors with nearby physical addresses are experienced members of your community. They will not disappear the way Dan-with-a-Van or storm chasers will.
The roofer who repaired or replaced your home’s roof will be available in case something goes wrong with your home’s roof. Having a nearby, reliable roofer prevents minor problems from becoming big, expensive ones.
Take something as simple as a loose piece of flashing (the shiny, thin metal bridging gaps between materials): if you ignore it, water will leak into your attic and ruin insulation, drywall, ceilings, and more. If you get your reliable, local roofer to make a quick repair, you save thousands of dollars.
#5 — Warranty
Attempting a roof repair yourself, or hiring someone not recognized by a roofing materials manufacturer, will void your roof warranty. A local roofing contractor, in business for many years, has the experience and manufacturer training to provide you with repair work to maintain existing warranties.
If you need a full roof replacement, you can only get the best available, strongest warranties from reputable roofers.
# 6 — Serenity
You and your family will enjoy the serenity and peace of mind earned from using a local, honest roofer. You’ll know your roof is going to last. You gain years of strong protection for your home, your family, and all your possessions.
With annual inspections from the same roofer, your roof will be in the best condition possible now and for decades into the future.
At Metro Roof Products, we check all the boxes. We are local, experienced roofers dedicated to serving our community. We have been in business right here in the Canton area for more than a decade, using highly trained crews to install and repair our neighbors’ and friends’ roofs. Now let us help you! Contact us today!