Home | Why Hire a Metal Roofing Company?
A new metal roof or a metal roof replacement is a major home expense. The inherent longevity of a metal roof means that it will protect your home for many years, so you want to make sure that it’s done right. Finding the right metal roofing company to complete your project can be overwhelming. When you begin your search for a metal roofing company, you will find many roofers, roofing contractors, and roofing companies that all say they can install a metal roof. You’re probably wondering what the difference between all of them are and if these differences even matter. The truth is that there are differences and who you hire for your metal roofing project will depend on what you expect from someone working on your home. Keep reading because we’ll also discuss how to hire a local metal roofing company that will offer the professionalism and expertise that you expect.
A roofer is an individual that specializes in roof installations and roof repairs. A veteran roofer will have experience with many different types of roofing systems and installation methods. Roofers typically work as a member of a roofing crew for a roofing company.
A roofer plays a vital role for a roofing company. A metal roofing company could not exist without the skills of roofers. In fact, the roofing industry has a shortage of skilled metal roofers because there is not a technical school or trade school for teaching the skills a metal roofer must learn. At this point you might be wondering how a metal roofing company acquires a knowledgeable and experienced metal roofer. To be completely honest, it’s quite challenging. This is why it’s important to build a reputation as a local metal roofing company with an established customer base. This is the only real way to be able to solicit and attract experienced metal roofers and keep the company fully staffed.
A roofer might have several responsibilities as a member of a metal roofing crew while working for a metal roofing company. One of the things a metal roofer will do with a roofing crew is tear off the existing roofing material to reveal the roof decking. Roofers should be able to identify rot, damage, or defects to roof decking. Once the existing roofing materials are removed, the metal roofer should notify the project manager if they notice any issues with the roof decking. If there are any potential problems with the roof decking, the metal roofer will also remove and replace the roof decking as determined by the project manager who communicates with the homeowner. A metal roofer is also responsible for doing their part to keep the work site clean, adhere to safety requirements, and follow any other instructions from their project manager.
If you choose to hire a roofer for your metal roof installation, there are a few things you should know. A roofer won’t have the business measures and practices in place that give homeowners peace of mind. For example, a roofer is not a registered contractor with the city. Also, roofers do not carry their own general liability insurance. If you choose to hire a roofer to install your new metal roof, your home will most likely not be covered by contractor’s general liability insurance for the duration of the roofing project.
Contracts are an important component to any home improvement project or major home repair. An individual roofer will not usually have a contract with their customers. A contract details the terms and conditions of the job, the agreed upon price for your metal roof repairs, metal roof replacement, or new metal roof installation. A contract also lays out the timeline for the completion of the project, and specific product information like the type of metal roofing system or paint system that you’ve chosen, among other things. Contracts are important because they protect the homeowner. A contract signed by both parties ensures that who the homeowner hires for their metal roofing job is legally bound to fulfill the terms of the contract.
Business relationships are important and can affect the quality of products and warranties that can be offered. A roofer will not have any established relationships with metal roof suppliers or product manufacturers. They lack the business requirements that these entities require. These companies only partner with other businesses and not individuals. Because of this, a roofer will not be able to warranty the metal roofing products they use or warranty their work.
A roofing contractor is usually hired by a roofing company during their busy season and also after a major storm. A metal roofing company will have a project manager on site to oversee the metal roofing project and to manage metal roof installations. A metal roofing contractor typically hires roofers as part of a metal roofing crew. A roofing contractor can repair roofs and install new roofs. A metal roofing contractor typically has a lot of knowledge and experience, which is why metal roofing companies hire them. However, there are a few things that you should look for when hiring a roofing contractor to repair, replace, or install your metal roof.
First, you’ll want to know if the roofing contractor that you are considering hiring has a physical business address. Not all roofing contractors have an office. In fact, some roofing contractors are referred to as ‘fly by night’ because they are only in town after a storm and then move on to the next storm affected area. To some people this won’t matter, but you always want to be sure that you know where you can find your roofing contractor if you need them. After your work has been performed, you may need your roofing contractor to address a problem with your metal roof installation or any issues with your metal roofing materials. You may not need to contact them immediately, but if ever you were to have a question about the metal roof installation or want to have your metal roof evaluated, you would not be able to find the roofing contractor because most of them are not local.
Next, be sure to ask whether or not your roofing contractor is insured. Ask the roofing contractor to see a current copy of their insurance, called a Certificate of Insurance (COI) because not all roofing contractors carry insurance. Most cities require registered businesses to have up to date insurance, so if your roofing contractor is uninsured, chances are they are not registered with the city either. Roofing contractors sometimes rely on the insurance provided by the metal roofing companies that hire them, but reputable metal roofing companies actually require their subcontractors to be fully insured. It’s important to know that if you hire an uninsured roofing contractor on your own to complete your metal roofing project, you will not have the benefit of the metal roofing company’s insurance. General liability insurance covers your home while it is considered a work site.
The importance of contracts cannot be overstated. You need to know if the roofing contractor you hire will provide a contract which you both sign. A legitimate contract with the roofing contractor protects the homeowner because a contract ensures that the roofing contractor will complete the roofing project as specified within a defined timeframe. A metal roof replacement or new metal roof installation is a major project, so relying on a handshake or verbal promises to get your metal roofing project done is not good enough.
Roofing contractors may or may not offer warranties, so it is important to know what types of warranties, if any, a roofing contractor provides. The most common types of warranties are product warranties and workmanship warranties. If your metal roofing contractor does provide warranties, you’ll also want to know how long these warranties cover the metal roofing products the roofing contractor uses and how long it covers their workmanship. To offer product warranties, the roofing contractor must meet certain standards set out by metal roof suppliers and manufacturers. If the roofing contractor will not warranty their products or work, it is a definite red flag. This means that you cannot rely on them to return if there is a problem with your metal roof repair, your metal roof replacement, or your metal roof installation.
Finally, be sure to ask a roofing contractor for references. It is not a good sign if they cannot or will not provide references. If the roofing contractor does provide references, be sure to take the time to speak directly to these homeowners. Ask these homeowner references if they hired the roofing contractor directly or hired a roofing company who the roofing contractor worked for. If the homeowner reference you speak with hired a roofing company rather than hiring the roofing contractor directly, you many have a very different experience than they did with your metal roofing project. You should also drive past these homes and view the roofing contractor’s work firsthand so you can be sure that it meets the standards you have for your home.
Metal Roofing companies represent top of the line metal roofing services. Most metal roofing companies are licensed and provide warranties. Establishing a metal roofing company is a major undertaking. A metal roofing company needs to be licensed with the city in which they are offering their services, be fully insured, be certified by metal manufacturers, establish themselves with the community as a reputable business, and be fully staffed with experienced metal roofers to provide service to their community. A metal roofing company needs to be very passionate about the industry that they are in since it’s very demanding work and requires a lot of attention to detail. As most homeowners know, metal roofing systems are expensive so homeowners expect their new metal roofing system to be in place for a very long time. Today, most business is earned through referrals and maintaining a good reputation as a local metal roofing company is vital to the success of the business.
Most metal roofing companies are licensed and provide warranties. However, this doesn’t mean that all metal roofing companies will exceed your expectations. At Gravity Metal Roofing, we are a fully insured metal roofing company, meaning that your home is protected while we’re completing your metal roofing project. We employ teams of experienced metal roofers that follow the strict standards for metal roof installation that we require. We always require contracts with homeowners before we begin work. Our contracts lay out the terms and conditions of the job, the timeframe for job completion, the products we will use, and the pricing that is agreed upon. Gravity Metal Roofing has established relationships with manufacturers and supply houses so we will warranty our work and will be there when you need us most.
You’ll want to be sure that the metal roofing company you hire to install your metal roofing system is local. After a hailstorm a lot of roofing contractors and roofing companies send salespeople to storm affected areas and these roofing contractors and roofing companies are called storm chasers. Storm chasers travel from city to city, and even state to state, following the destruction of major weather events. If you hire a storm chaser, you may run into a couple of problems. Storm chasers aren’t always familiar with your city, so there’s a chance that they won’t be up to date on city code upgrades when replacing your roof. A local metal roofing company will be aware of city codes and requirements. Most importantly, if the roofing company you hire is not local, there is no guarantee that they will be around in the future to address any issues with your roof installation.
Gravity Metal Roofing is a local, family-owned metal roofing company. We only use top-of-the line metal roofing materials from leading metal manufacturers. We install durable, high-quality metal roofing systems. We love our community and want to be there for your metal roofing needs for years to come. If you need a metal roof inspection, metal roof consultation, metal roof repair, or metal roof replacement or installation, call us to discuss your options.
It really depends on your comfort level with risk, the quality of materials, and the standard of work you want done on your metal roof. If you want the best protections for your home, such as contracts and warranties, you’ll only want to consider a local metal roofing company. If you want the best metal roofing materials for your budget and have high standards for the work that is done on your home, a local roofing company will be the best fit for your project. If you make the choice to hire a local metal roofing company, you’ll benefit from everything the metal roofing company has in place as part of their service, from insurance, to contracts, to warranties.
Ultimately, who you hire is your choice, but we hope we’ve given you some insight into the different roles that roofers, roofing contractors and roofing companies play in the industry. At Gravity Metal Roofing, we work with our clients to help them make the best metal roofing decisions for their home and budget. Our durable metal roofing systems provide maximum protection for your home. We are proud to serve our community with dependable service and solid workmanship. We specialize in metal roofing and are committed to installing your metal roof quickly and professionally with as little disruption to your daily life as possible. Give us a call to discuss your metal roofing goals for your home, we’re always happy to help.
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Your roof will require some professional attention for a long life.
