We have all seen horror stories on TV and in the newspaper of vulnerable homeowners being taken for a ride by cowboy builders and other rogue traders, whether being overcharged or having substandard work carried out.
The steps that can be taken to avoid being the victim of an opportunistic “roofer” out for a quick payday are similar to those you should take anyway in order to help select the best, most reputable roofing contractor for your repair or renovation work. Here are a few to point you in the right direction…
Verification/Accreditations
A good place to start when considering a roofing contractor is by assessing their credibility. This can be done in a number of ways. Begin by requesting certain details from the contractors; namely a business address, website and phone number, a tax code or any other bit of information that will verify that the company is legitimate.
Next, check for any accreditations they may have. This is a great indication of quality and shows that the contractor’s operations have been assessed and approved by industry bodies in charge of regulating such things. For a roofer, good accreditations to look out for include TrustMark, safecontractor, the Confederation of Roofing Contractors, Constructionline and more.
Evidence that the company has sufficient insurance that includes liability cover is also important.
References and Past Work
Once you’ve verified the company, it’s time to look at some of the work they’ve already completed to get an idea of their capabilities.
This might be a case of obtaining contact information for past clients (this won’t always be readily available due to privacy considerations) and contacting them yourself for a testimonial. Often, the company themselves will include case studies and in-depth examples of past work on their website, which can also be helpful (although remember that the contractor themselves has created these).
Quotes and Comparison
This stage is often the key factor in deciding on a roofing contractor, and is generally the one that will help you to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Select three of the contractors that you’ve so far verified in your research, and request the same information from all three in order to create a comparison.
Make sure that you compare not just prices, but which materials each one intends to use, the timescale they estimate the work will be carried out in, the type of work they plan to carry out and how many roofers they will be using to perform the work.
Don’t always opt for the contractor that is offering the lowest quote or promising to complete the work in the shortest time, as this is not always an indication of quality and could instead mean corners are cut.
Morgan Asphalte
As one of the leading providers of high quality roofing services across the South East, Morgan Asphalte provide customers throughout the region with reliable and professional roofing installations and repairs.
We specialise in all roofing materials, from asphalt to felt; slate to aluminium, and our expert team have over 45 years of experience in the roofing industry so you can be sure that you’ll receive that best work possible with Morgan Asphalte.
For more information about our accreditations, or for details from our thousands of satisfied customers, don’t hesitate to get in touch today.