Your roof is a critical component of your home. Failure to properly care for and maintain your roof could cause serious damage to the entire structure of your house. For the safety of your entire family, you should handle all concerns related to your roof in a timely manner. This means you should call a residential roofing contractor right away to come in and assess the problem.

According to IBIS World, there are 109,331 roofing contractors in the U.S. So how do you find the right fit? It can be hard to sift through all the options of local roofers to find the roofing service that suits your needs. To help your search, here are a few key questions to ask a potential contractor.

Are You Licensed and Insured?

The roofing industry is particularly susceptible to scams and dishonesty. This means you'll need to take extra caution when selecting a residential roofing contractor. You want to make sure that you're doing business only with genuine, reliable contractors. This means making sure that the company has all the licensing and certifications necessary to perform business in your area. You also must check that your potential roofers have proper insurance coverage for liability and workman's comp purposes.

What is Your Workmanship Warranty?

You should ask your residential roofing contractor what kind of warranty they offer for the materials of the roof as well as for their workmanship. If a company offers a lifetime warranty, this is a good sign that they care deeply about the work they provide. However, a company that provides a 5 or 10-year warranty can be just as reliable. Once you've been given a warranty estimate, be sure to get this quote in writing!

Do You Have References?

You can narrow your search for a residential roofing contractor by speaking directly with the company's previous clients. Any reputable roofing service should be happy to provide a list of previous, satisfied customers who are willing to share their experiences with the company. However, if your potential roofer is hesitant to provide these referrals, you have a major red flag on your hands. You should take that as a sign to continue your search elsewhere.

While there are many factors involved in your decision for a residential roofing contractor, these three questions should help guide your search in the right direction. It's important to take your time with a decision this important. If something seems strange with a company, it's probably a good idea to move your search along somewhere else. If you need expert roofing services, give us a call!