Energy Efficient Roofing

Getting Educated on Asking The Right Questions For Your Roofing Project

Friday, November 14, 2008

Most roofing contractors do not disclose
1. What type of plywood is going to be used, OSB or CDX?
2. What fasteners will be used to install the plywood, staples or nails?
3. Do they use subcontractors for the roof removal or installation (some companies just sell)?
4. What type of underlayment is going to be used on the project?
5. What type of ventilation is going to be installed, if any?
6. Are the flashings around the skyligths or fire-place going to be replaced?
7. Do they re-use the same roof jack flashings or replace with new?
8. What type of Ridge will be used on the project?
9. Is dry-rot or wood replacement included on the proposal?
10. How old is the license, not the name? (can be verified on State Contractor's Board Website)

If you are comparing apples to apples with roofing contractors, you may want to ask some of these questions.

Emilio Lopez
Senior Project Manager
Patriot Roofing Inc.
Roof Expert
San Diego County

Help in choosing the right company and contractor

Most of us know that it's a good practice to hire only licensed contractors to do any work on our homes, of course there could be a higher cost associated with hiring a California Licensed Contractor. That's because these contractor's play by the rules, they are licensed, bonded and insured. They are trained and have passed the states exam required to hold the license. The temptation for all of us as consumers is to hold on to as much money as we can when deciding on the selection of a contractor necessary to complete our project. We've all heard the stories from family and friends who have gone this route and as the old saying goes, "you can pay me now or you can pay me later."

When it comes to your roof, this saying carries even more weight in making the right decision when choosing a roofing contractor. If the roof fails, you're not just risking a small repair or major damage, you are at risk of damaging the entire interior of your home. As many consumers have found out, it may take months before any visible sign of a leak is noticed. By then you could have a considerable amount of damage throughout the interior of your home. It's worth it to make certain that you are working with a reputable company and the company has a current contractor's license from the state where your property is located, in addition to the proper state required insurances and bonds.

A great place to check this out is: http://www.cslb.ca.gov/ This is the Contractors State Licensing Board for California. All you need is the contractor's license number and you can find out all of the information on this contractor's history that you will need. It's really worth it to take a little extra time and do your homework to save money and time down the road!

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All licensed contractors created equal

If you are in the process of taking bids for your project here are some tips for finding our information on the contractor's that you are considering.

Go to: http://www.clsb.ca.gov/ which is the California State License Board.

This is a great place to start to find out current and past information about the contractor you are considering. When you are taking proposals ask the contractor for their Contractor License number. Once you have that go directly to the site and you can enter the contractor license number and research this contractor.

There are obvious reasons for checking into the site such as:

1. Is the contractor up to date or current with their license?
2. Are there any complaints or problems with the contractor that this site is aware of.

Tip: How many licenses has the contractor held for the company they're representing.


Why? Note: If a company has held several licenses this could be a sign that they have had problems in the past. If a company is under a new license, then they may or may not honor previously completed projects under the old license. In other words old customers warranties may be null and void. This is mportant when you consider that most roof warranties are for extended periods of time such as 10 years or more.

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