Help! What should I ask the contractor when getting quotes for a new roof for our building???

Question

Hi,

My grandmother owns a 7-unit building and she wants to replace the roof--it's over 35 years old. Neither one of us knows anything about this topic.

We have had one quote already and it was for $10, 500 and a little change. Included: 30 year shingles, replacing any of the wood underneath if it needed it, metal stripping around edges, and inspection.

WHAT AM I MISSING??? Please help! I have no idea what questions to really ask and don't want to miss something major. Thanks!

Answer 1

You dont give the size of the building so its hard to say if it's a good quot..

Things to ask the contractor are:

Is he or she instaling a rubber membrane under the shingle or tar paper.

How many nails per shingle(should be 6)

Is he installing new flashing around all chimneys and vent pipes

Does the quot include all removal of old shingles and clean up complete

Will he make sure the men are wearing all safty equipment as per building code

And last will he make sure that the construction site is is fenced off to keep the puplic away and safe..Other then that make sure you get 3 quots..and dont pay until the job is done to your satisfaction..

Answer 2

Garret above gives a great answer but the he forgot a couple of important thins:

1.  when will he start.

2.  when will he be done.

3  does he carry work comp.

4. when will he be paid.

Make sure that your contract spells out these points and has provisions for what will happen if the terms are not met.

Good luck

Answer 3

The most important, is whether he is state licensed, and you need to contact your state's Dept of Consumer Affairs to verify his credentials are valid. Some contractors generate too many complaints, and their state license are revoked or suspended, yet they continue to do business.  Others will steal someone's state license, and claim they're affiliated or a partner to whom ever the license number belongs to. If you do business with an unlicensed contractor, you have no recourse if you pay a partial or full advance, and he runs off without finishing the job. Get an estimate from 2 other state-licensed roofing contractors to make sure they're all within $1,000 of each other's bid.  

If he has other roofing jobs he's working on currently, ask if you can go over and survey his work crew, and see how he reacts to this question.  If he acts worried, its an indication he hires illegal aliens to save on labor costs.  Unlike American labor, illegals are ignorant of their legal rights to state & federal labor laws.  When injured on the job, they simply go home and wait for their injury to heal. Americans would seek medical attention and file for workmans comp benefits, so its advantagious to hire illegals over Americans.  

Ask if the warranty includes materials and labor, or materials only.  Usually, warranties will only cover material cost, but they hit you with labor cost to do the job. If labor is not covered, ask what the hourly labor rate is if you call them back to file a warranty claim. See how long he's been in business.  If he's only in business less than 10 years, its possible he had generated complaints in other states, and had run off and set up shop in your state until he generates too many complaints, and will pack up and move to another state to repeat his operation.   Ask for past roofing job clients and contact these people to ask if they were satisfied with his performance.  A legit contractor will immediately have a list of satisfied customers.  These satisfied customers should be inside a 20 mile radius from you, so you can drive over and survey the job they had completed.  If his references are a considerable distance away, making it difficult for you to drive over and speak to his references in person, its possible these references are bogus, and are friends and/or relatives to this guy, who are giving you lip service as a favor to a family member.  

Run his name through Ripoffreport.com, and see if anyone filed a complaint in the past. Google or Yahoo search "ripoff contractors" and see if his name comes up.  Enter his business name and proprietor name on search as well.  

Answer 4

who is paying to get rid of old roof?

Answer 5

Are they licensed and insured?

Do they have refrences?

How long will the job take?

Is the standard 1 year installation warranty included? (covers the workmanship of the installers should you have problems because of shoddy work)

Answer 6

Ask for some references, ask are they liscensed bonded and insured. Ask how long will it take to complete the job. Ask about the cleanup requirements (like is the price of the haul away included in the job.