6 THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING A ROOFING COMPANY

Your roof plays a crucial role in protecting not just the structure of your house but also, yourself, your family and all of your homes contents. In fact, your roof actually makes up approximately 70% of the overall property, so not only does it act as a defensive shield against poor and often extreme weather conditions, but it also plays a huge role in increasing the value of your property. So, whether you want to install a new roof, replace an old one or are just in need of some basic maintenance or repairs, ensuring the job is done to the highest standard is essential. This is why we don’t recommend doing a DIY on your roof repairs, and especially not if you’re planning to replace your roof. Instead we strongly suggest you engage a roofing expert to carry out any works to your roof.

That being said, we also suggest that you don’t just hire any roofing tradesman or company to complete your roofing works. It’s a sad reality that many roofing tradesman and companies are neither sufficiently qualified nor insured to complete the work they are often engaged for. How do you find the right roofing company to work on your home?

Here are 6 things to look for when hiring a roofing company.

Licences and Insurances

When hiring professional roofing services on the Central Coast, make sure that the tradesman or company you are engaging carries a valid roof licence. In NSW there are two types of roofing works that each require different qualifications and therefore trades licences.

Roof Tiling
If you have a tile roof that requires maintenance or repairs, or if you’re looking at replacing your roof with new tiles then you would need to engage a roof tiler to complete these works. A tradesman with a roof tiling licence will also hold qualifications in roof tiling as this is a requirement when applying for the roof tiling trade licence with NSW Fair Trading.

Roof Plumbing
If you have a metal roof that requires maintenance or repairs, or if you’re looking at installing a new metal roof, or replacing your existing roof with a metal one, then you would need to engage a metal roofer or roof plumber to complete these works. A tradesman with a roof plumbing licence will also hold qualification in roof plumbing/metal roofing as this is a requirement when applying for the roof plumbing trade licence with NSW Fair Trading.

In some instances, roofing tradesmen or companies will hold qualifications in both roof plumbing and roof tiling. In this instance their trade licence will allow them to perform work in both industries and both will be listed on the contractors licence that they hold.

At HighView Roofing we attach a copy of our licence to our initial quote, however as a consumer you are entitled to ask to view a tradesmans licence at any point. Alternatively you can also easily search to see if a roofing contractor does hold a licence. If you’re considering engaging a roofer in the near future or if you already have someone in mind you can check their licence here.

It is important to note that in NSW, a licence is only required for works under $5000 (inclusive of GST), however, we still suggest using a roofer who has a licence, even for these less expensive jobs, as it offers you peace of mind in knowing that the tradesman is qualified and therefore has the relevant knowledge and experience to complete the job correctly and to a high standard.

Equally as important as holding a licence, is whether or not the contractor holds the appropriate insurances. In NSW it is a requirement for a roofing company to hold the relevant public liability and indemnity insurances as well as the correct level of workers compensation insurance. This ensures that both your property and the employees are covered in the event of accidental damage or possible injury (it is a high risk job after all!). If the company you engage to complete roofing works is not insured at the appropriate level it is possible that the liability of injury or damage could fall onto you, the owner of the property/job site. Asking for a copy of insurance certificates prior to signing any contracts or having works commence could potentially save you thousands of dollars if something were to go wrong on site. Whilst most reputable roofing companies will perform all of their work following correct safety standards, accidents and incidents can still happen so it’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Previous work and Reputation

When it comes to hiring a roofing company on the Central Coast, it’s a good idea to check their past work and reputation. A good place to start is with their google reviews. Google does not often remove reviews and has very strict policies regarding what is and is not acceptable when it comes to getting the reviews, so you know they are going to be fairly reliable.

Additionally, it is a good idea to view some of the projects that have actually been completed by the roofing company in question. Most companies take before and after photos and would be more than willing to share these (with the owners permission of course) upon request, they also often post them to their social media accounts. It is also a good idea to ask the company what houses they have completed works on in your local suburb so you can drive past and see their work a little more up close.

The best way to check a contractors past work and reputation is to ask for references, this way you will be able to contact some of their past clients and talk to them directly about the work that was completed. By doing this you will get proper clarity on the quality of work completed by the roofing company.

You can take a look at some of HighView Roofing’s past projects and read about what some of our past clients have to say here.

Experienced and Knowledgeable Staff

When hiring a roofing company on the Central Coast you should check how long they have been in business or how long they have worked in the industry for. Experienced roofing companies should have the skills, tools and knowledge to get the job done efficiently and effectively. When engaging a roofing company, don’t hesitate to enquire about the exact services they offer. Are they experienced in the type of roofing work you’re specifically after? How many roofs have they repaired, replaced or installed? In order to determine if the company you are looking at using is experienced enough to deliver the right roofing solution for your needs, it is imperative to ask these types of questions prior to any works commencing.

To find out more about HighView Roofing, what we do, how we do it, and our awesome team, check out the about us and meet the team sections on our website.

Quality Materials

The roof of a house is constantly exposed to the elements, and here on the Central Coast they are also often quite close to the ocean and therefore the salt air. Your roof needs to be durable enough to hold up well against these elements, and for a long time to come too. Therefore, you want to select a roofing company that uses top quality products. Whether it be tile or tin roofing and whether it be near or far to the ocean there will be a material best suited to your needs. When determining which roofing company to engage, be sure to ask each company which materials, brands and profile of roofing material they intend to use. Ask them for any information, such as the specifications documents or brochures, that they may have on these materials. It’s also a good idea to do some research on these brands and types of roofing material yourself prior to going ahead with any works so you can be sure that the materials are going to suit your environment and meet your roofing needs.

HighView Roofing sources as many of it’s roofing materials as possible right here on the Central Coast. This ensures we keep our costs as low as possible as well as our material delivery times as fast as possible as we save on delivery fees and times.

Written Guarantee

When it comes to hiring a professional roofing company, make sure that you get a written guarantee for the material as well as the workmanship. Most materials come with their own warranty (for the materials only) but only on the condition that they are installed by a qualified and licenced roofer. Having this written guarantee for both materials and workmanship means you are protected if there are any problems with the materials or the installation, if for any reason the work is not done to standard, the roofing company will need to return to rectify this under the warranty/guarantee.

Communication and Customer Service

When looking to enlist a roofing tradesman or company on the Central Coast, make sure to speak to several of them and take note of how they communicate with you. Employing a roofing expert that is willing and able to explain things in detail is essential as it ensures you and the contractor are on the same page at each stage of your roofing project.

Hiring a roofing company to complete your roofing work to the highest standard is something that you need to pay careful attention to, engaging a roofing contractor that meets the above standards may take some time and effort in the beginning but it will save you a lot of potential hassles in the long run. If you are considering hiring a roofing service on the Central Coast then contact our team today. At HighView Roofing, we understand the intricacies of the local area and have formed trusted relationships with a variety of local trades and suppliers. Craig has been in the roofing industry for over 15 years and offers all of his talent and knowledge to each of his projects. Combined with Cassie’s 15 years experience in management and customer relations, HighView Roofing ensures your project is complete not only on time every time, but to the high quality standard we are renowned for.