What to check before you sign

Get everything in writing, including the unknowns

Anything agreed verbally will be remembered differently on day two. In particular, pin down the decking rate, the start date and the clean-up before you sign.

Ask for current certificates of insurance

Insurance certificates expire. A certificate dated eight months ago tells you what was true eight months ago. Ask for one issued this month.

Be careful with the deposit

Never pay in full up front, and never in cash without a receipt that names the company. Progress payments tied to milestones protect both sides.

Compare scope, not totals

Lay the quotes side by side line by line. Underlayment type, ice-and-water coverage, drip edge, valley treatment, ventilation, flashing replacement, decking allowance and warranty. Large gaps in the total are almost always gaps in the scope.

Prefer somebody you could drive to

Ask where their yard is. Companies that follow storms across state lines do competent work and then vanish, which is fine right up until something needs putting right.

Check the licence yourself

Every state that licenses roofing contractors publishes a free lookup. It takes two minutes and tells you whether the licence is current, who holds it, and whether there are complaints against it. Do it even when somebody has already vouched for them.

In short

Do the boring checks. They are the entire difference between a roof that is somebody else's problem for ten years and one that is yours.