When researching the best roofing contractor for your Florida home, going with the cheapest contractor is never the best way to go.
Why?
Well, because roofing materials and skilled labor are not cheap. The cost of roofing materials has a set price and building a team of highly skilled roofers means paying them a fair wage. Roofing contractors typically pay the same price for materials, which means if you receive a cheap bid, the roofing contractor who gave you that bid will either have to cut corners on material or hire unskilled installers for your project to give you that lower price. These shortcuts are something you probably won’t discover until a few years down the road after the labor and workmanship warranty has expired.
Here are some other ways a cheap roofing contractor can provide you with the lowest bid.
- Use cheap materials that won’t hold up.
- Reuse some of the materials from your old roof (drip edge, underlayment, etc.).
- Use fewer nails per shingle than the manufacturers require to give you a full warranty on your new roof. If this happens, your warranty will be voided and you won’t know it until you need it.
- Hire unqualified labor that doesn’t know how to properly install your new roof.
- Carry the minimum insurance required ($50,000) for a registered contractor, or don’t carry insurance at all.
Watch Out for Hidden Costs
Some roofing contractors will give you a bid, but fail to include all the costs, such as cost of the permits, specific payment terms, extra wood replacement, etc. Their initial bid appears lower, but then you end up with an unpleasant surprise, when they hit you with an expensive change order.
What Should Be Included on a Roofing Bid?
Here are some of the items that should be included in your roofing bid.
- Cost of labor, materials, and permits.
- Specific information about the type of shingles, underlayment, and other materials that will be used.
- Verifiable license information.
- Terms of payment.
- The cost of any add-ons or changes that could result in extra charges (wood replacement, etc.)
- A termination clause.
After the job has been finished and paid for, be sure to ask the contractor for a lien release. This will prevent a lien from being placed on your house if the contractor doesn’t pay the supplier for the materials or neglects to pay anyone else who was involved in the project.
What’s Next?
Are you looking for a high-quality, reputable roofing contractor to replace your Florida roof? If so, please Contact Us today. Perry Roofing Contractors has been in business since 1976 and is a long-standing member of the community. We look forward to helping you in any way we can.