Hartford WI Roofing Estimates
Roofing Estimates for Hartford, WI Homeowners
There are plenty of roofing contractors to choose from in the Hartford area. How do you know if the roofing contractor you’re about to choose is going to be the right choice? It all starts with the estimate for the work they provide you. Is it hand scribbled estimate on a notepad, or do they have a professional multi-page presentation that outlines the scope of work, materials, change orders and more?
It’s safe to assume that when you hire a roofing contractor you’re paying them for the following.
1. Labor and Wages. (roofing takes time and many hands)
2. Your Chosen Roofing Materials. (this is a major cost factor)
In addition to their time and the materials… You are also paying your roofing contractor for their expertise and knowledge of the roofing trade. You are paying them to be mindful, thorough and careful with your roofing project and you want it done properly, so you can have a trouble free roof for many years. Right?
Some Questions To Ask The Company Providing Your Roofing Estimate
Are they licensed to provide roofing servings in the Hartford area? Believe it or not there are many roofing contractors who practice our trade unlicensed either because they let the license expire and didn’t renew it or they never even had one to begin with. Are they insured for roofing work? Roofing can be dangerous and if a contractor isn’t properly insured when working on your home you could be held liable for any accidents.
Both proper licensing and insurance are significant business expenses that a legitimate roofing contractor must pay for and they will be reflected, possibly mentioned in the estimate. Licensed contractors are proud to be licensed and will tell you on their bid.
Does your roofing contractor have a great crew? You probably wouldn’t want to stick around at your job very long if you weren’t paid enough and the quality of work you did wouldn’t be the greatest either. Consider this when you’re looking at roofing estimates too. Does your contractor take care of his employees? Good roofing contractors make sure their crews are paid fairly and on-time.
What Else Affects My Hartford, WI Roofing Estimate?
Lots! There are many different variables that could affect your roofing estimate and we’ll touch on a few of those here.
Old Roof Tear-Off
You’d think this would be a given on a roofing project but there are many roofing contractors who will charge you separately for your roof tear off and disposal, some might not even include in on the estimate. Make sure it’s included on yours and the roofing material will be disposed of properly in accordance with local by-laws. A good roofing contractor will also go over your gutters and surrounding area on the ground with a magnetic roller to collect any roofing nails that may have been dropped. This all takes time and may or may not be explained on your estimate.
It’s not uncommon during a roof tear-off to find damaged roof decking, usually from water intrusion. Does your roofing estimate include a thorough inspection of the existing roof decking? Does it include any time for minor repairs? Your contractor would have a good idea what to expect based on the age of your home, your roofing material and their visual inspection but it’s always nice to know if your contractor is prepared for surprises.
Proper Roof Venting
On most modern homes this isn’t an issue because they have adequate ventilation in place already. If you have an older home, has your contractor addresses the need for proper roofing ventilation? Having adequate ventilation in your roof can prevent events such as Ice Dams and condensation problems within your attic insulation. If your contractor hasn’t spoken to you about the ventilation on your roof you need to consider another opinion, it’s very important.
Roofing Materials
Your choice of roofing materials will greatly affect your estimate. Asphalt shingles are obviously the most economical choice for homeowners but even then, they have varying grades of quality, texture and color that can affect the price. If you’re looking at architectural shingles, or designer shingles than price is obviously going to be significantly more expensive. Ask your roofing contractor to provide with an estimate on more than one choice of roofing material. Go for a good, better, best scenario and see where your budget stands.
Do You Get a Roofing Warranty?
Does your contractors estimate include a written warranty? Verbal agreements for a warranty on your roof won’t hold water with anyone, especially if you face a problem with your roof later. Most roofing contractors warranty their workmanship for 1 year. Which is very fair considering our work is up against mother nature. The roofing materials however can carry a warranty from 5 to 50 years depending on the manufacturer you’ve chosen. Contractors with a lower bid, likely have not factored a warranty into your project and even if they say they have, they are often priced too low to actually provide any service should something go wrong.
What If I Get Several Very Different Roofing Estimates?
This is important… As a homeowner you might receive several estimates for your roof. Hypothetically let’s say you received 3 bids for your new roof. One contractor came in at $7000, another at $10,853 and another at $12,000 even. The insurance company however says they will pay $11,173.00 to replace your roof. Which roofing contractor do you choose?
Generally, it’s always a good idea not to hire the roofer who has priced themselves the lowest… They are the priced this low for several reasons and you probably don’t want to find out why.
If you’ve been given several roofing estimates from Hartford contractors you should choose the one who is the most thorough. With a little bit of research it’s not hard to see how a roofing contractor comes up with their numbers and if you really look into the estimate and ask the right questions you won’t get taken advantage of.
Brad’s Construction is a full service home improvement contractor serving the Hartford, WI area. We specialize in roofing estimates, roof repairs and roof replacements. If you’d like an honest and fair estimate for your new roof replacement than give us a call or fill out one of our online forms today.