It’s not every day that you are tasked with hiring a roofer for your home or business. However, you don’t have to be an expert in home construction to know that choosing the right roofing company for the job with professional contractors is essential to maintain the integrity of your structure.
Selecting a roofing contractor can be an intimidating process for many homeowners. After all, replacing the roof on your house is an expensive process. And, when you hire a roofing company, you are allowing a group of individuals to make major structural renovations to your home, which may be your biggest investment.
Additionally, you know that roofing is a dangerous job. Therefore, you want to make sure you are hiring a reputable company that uses all necessary measures to keep their crews safe.
One way to narrow down the list of companies in your area is by only selecting fully licensed roofing contractors. One would think that for a roofing company to be in business, it would need to be licensed and bonded. However, this isn’t always the case.
What is a Certified Roofing Contractor?
A certified roofer is different from a licensed roofer, even though most certified roofers are licensed.
Certified roofing contractors undergo advanced training with the manufacturing companies that make roofing materials. This training doesn’t take place during the afternoon or weekend. Usually, becoming a certified roofer for a specific brand requires months or years of training. And the training isn’t a “one and done” experience. Roofers have to undergo regular training to ensure they are up to date with the most current practices and techniques.
The manufacturing company also oversees numerous roof installations and roof repairs performed by the company before giving their “stamp of approval” on the service the company provides. The manufacturing company wants to make sure that the companies they certify will follow their installation instructions to a T before recommending the company to the public.
Benefits of Working with Licensed Roofing Contractors
Roof installation and repair is a highly-skilled trade. Your roof is a critical component of the structure of your home, so you should never let any company without the proper licenses and certifications touch your roof.
Hiring a licensed roofing contractor nearby protects you from shoddy workmanship.
There’s always going to be an unlicensed handyman who has done “some roofing” offering their services, often at a much lower price than a licensed roofing company would quote. However, it is better to hire a licensed contractor doing roofing with the backing of an international roofing materials company.
For example, AmeriPro Roofing is an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor. That means our crews are trained to install the company’s roofing shingles, gutters, and siding products.
Licensed Roofers Know the Industry
To obtain a license from many state licensing boards, local licensed roofing contractors must prove their expertise by passing tests. Not only will the leadership of these companies know the best practices for roof installation, repair, and maintenance, but they also know all relevant permitting rules and regulations.
Licensed Roofers Carry the Necessary Insurance
Another significant benefit of working with a licensed roofing contractor is that the company has to carry the necessary insurance to become licensed. This protects you against being liable for any costs should a roofer damage your property or become injured on the job.
A licensed roofing contractor also carries worker’s compensation insurance. Please don’t do business with a roofing services company that treats its employees unethically.
Licensed Roofers Stand Behind Their Work
One final reason you should always choose a licensed roofing contractor for all your roofing projects is that licensed professionals stand behind their work. They have taken the necessary steps to be a part of your local business community, which means they care about their reputation.
You may have heard about homeowners who have been scammed by roofing companies that swoop into an area after major storms. Searching for “licensed roofing contractors near me” will reduce the likelihood of you being scammed by one of these storm-chasing companies.
How to Hire Certified Roofing Contractors
While you might be tempted to reach out to a company that leaves a flier on your front door or shows up in the top result on your Google search, we advise you to be a little bit more thoughtful in your selection process. Also, keep in mind that the “recommendations” you receive on Next Door or other community social media sites may or may not come from actual customers.
Most people understand that it’s good to receive quotes from several different roof replacement companies when hiring a roofer. Still, we recommend that you only ask for quotes from roofing companies that are both licensed companies and certified roofing contractors. Here’s how you can tell that the company meets those minimum requirements.
Your Roofing Contractors Should be Licensed
Most states have agencies that license roofing contractors. The licensing process varies from state to state, but some require that the company shows proof of insurance and/or proof of experience in the industry. In addition, some states require that the roofer take an exam.
To determine whether or not a roofing contractor is fully licensed in your state, visit the appropriate roofing licensing board’s website and make sure the company you are thinking about hiring is listed.
Some states have higher standards than others when licensing a roofing company. This means that you also need to make sure that the companies you choose to give you a quote are certified roofing contractors.
Top Roofing Companies Have a Record of Quality Work
Roofing manufacturers know that the materials they produce will only perform well if installed correctly. Roofing materials manufacturers also only want to warranty their products if correctly installed.
In short, hiring a certified roofing contractor is important because this means that the roofing materials manufacturer is putting their reputation on the line to back the roofing company.
Of course, Owens Corning is one of the most highly-rated roofing materials companies. So being named as one of the Owens Corning certified roofing contractors is a huge accomplishment.
AmeriPro is an GAF Master Elite Contractor
If you are looking for a certified and licensed roofing contractor to give you a quote in your local area, reach out to AmeriPro. AmeriPro has locations in 13 states, and they have been named as an Owens Corning Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractor.
Schedule your free roof inspection in your area today!
