Guide
Choosing a roofing contractor
Choosing a roofer is the part of this that homeowners have the least practice at, and the part that decides the outcome.
Or call (909) 415-2461Get it looked at
Three questions, and up to three La Verne contractors. Free either way.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in La Verne and the surrounding area.
- Today, usually within the hour. The first contractor calls or texts the number you gave us. ASAP requests go out first.
- Up to three of them, no more. We cap it at three so you can compare without your phone melting.
- They come and look. Estimates are given after somebody has been on the roof, not over the phone.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
If you do not hear anything today, check your voicemail and spam folder — contractors often call from a mobile number.
Ask for current certificates of insurance
Insurance certificates expire. A certificate dated eight months ago tells you what was true eight months ago. Ask for one issued this month.
Check the licence yourself
A licence number on a business card is not a licence. Look it up, confirm the name on the licence matches the name on the contract, and check the status is active today.
Compare scope, not totals
A cheaper number for less roof is not a better price. Ask the lowest bidder which items on the other quotes they have left out, and why they think you do not need them.
Be careful with the deposit
Ten to thirty per cent is normal, often to order material. Full payment before work starts is not, and in several states it is not even legal. Hold the final payment until you have walked the job.
Prefer somebody you could drive to
Ask where their yard is. Companies that follow storms across state lines do competent work and then vanish, which is fine right up until something needs putting right.
Get everything in writing, including the unknowns
The contract should say the material and the layers, who pulls the permit, the per-sheet price for replacing bad decking, what happens to the old material, the payment schedule, and the workmanship warranty. The decking clause is the one people forget and the one that moves the price.
In short
Do the boring checks. They are the entire difference between a roof that is somebody else's problem for ten years and one that is yours.
Related questions
Why three quotes and not one?
One quote is a number with no context. Three gives you a range, and the conversation about why they differ is where you learn what you are actually buying.
Do I need a permit?
Almost certainly, for a full replacement. The contractor should pull it, and the fee should be a visible line on the quote rather than a surprise.
How many contractors will contact me?
No more than three. We picked that number because two quotes is not enough to spot an outlier and five is an ordeal.
Find out what it costs
No cost, no obligation, and never more than three contractors.