1. How is the age of my roof affecting its wear?
Wear is associated by age. Let the roofer know the age of the roof so they can examine likely issues that might not be seen from the ground.
2. How will you ventilate my roof?
Heat rises. As you cook, clean, shower and live in the house you produce heat and moisture. As it reaches the attic without proper ventilation a cycle of serious issues in the dark, hot, moist attic can result in expensive maintenance costs. Remember, attics serve as an air filtration system for the home. Let’s keep it properly ventilated so it stays cool and dry.
3. What is the manufacturer warranty of the materials?
Get this in writing. Make sure you confirm how many years whether it is 30 years or 50 years. Sometimes the warranty will include labor, workmanship and transferability. Take some time here to understand the warranty especially if there are any exclusions.
4. What are the unknown costs?
The biggest unknown cost is wood. While no one really knows how much wood you will need to replace or repair you can confirm the cost per foot if you do. Sometimes 50 or 100 feet are included. Find out the wood charge per foot before you get started.
5. How many years have you been in business?
Ask them about recent roofs they have completed. The quality of the finished product depends on the experience of the installer. Check the recent Google reviews.
6. What licenses does the contractor have?
Many cities do not require a roofing license to do a roof. Also, if a roofer has general contractor experience they likely have good knowledge of the issues in the way your roof needs to work with unique shapes or additional things you are doing like solar, HVAC, skylights, etc.
7. Will the roofer be naming you as additionally insured on the Certificate of Liability Insurance?
Although it’s not required by law, many roofing contractors go through the administrative effort to make sure the customer is actually named on the insurance for the project.
8. Will you be installing new underlayment and a new drip edge all around the perimeter?
Drip edge metal is the narrow piece of aluminum that is under the shingle at the edge of the roof that extends over in front as it exits the roof. This directs the water away from the wood fascia as it exits your roof. The underlayment goes over ALL the wood to prevent water from getting into the wood.
9. Will there be a foreman that I can talk to during the project?
This is important for many reasons. There is always something you forgot or may want the roofers to know about. You will need to make sure you have a strong point of contact.
10. Can you provide a written estimate?
It is always best to have the details in writing. Make sure there are no surprise costs at the end.