Choosing a Roof Repair Company by Courtney Ronan Your roof is considerably damaged following a sudden hailstorm. You've called your homeowner's insurance company and arranged for an adjuster to survey the damage to your roof. Now it's time to call a roof-repair company. Because you're new to the area and this is the first time your roof has been damaged by hail, you have no idea whom to call. Opening the Yellow Pages, you see dozens of listings. How do tell who's reputable and who's merely blowing their own horn? You could ask your fellow neighbors for recommendations, of course. But if your neighbors are also facing this catastrophe for the first time, then what? Don't merely call the first company on the page. "Fly-by-night" companies know you're in a bind and that you need help now. They're also aware that following a severe storm, most reputable roof-repair companies are booked solid with appointments. In such a scenario, you might be tempted to cast your net wider, so to speak, and go with a lesser-known company of which you know nothing, but whose schedule is wide open. The following tips will help you weed out the questionable companies from the dependable ones: Ask how long the company has been established in your area. The longer the company has been locally established, the better. Believe it or not, some companies have been known to set up shop seasonally in hail-prone regions, sign up as many customers as possible and leave town suddenly either after they've collected up-front money from homeowners, or without paying suppliers. Ask for references in your area, and call them to ensure that their jobs were performed on time and to their satisfaction. Find out if the roof-repair company has liability insurance and worker's compensation. If they don't, move on to the next company. If a repairman falls from your roof or is otherwise injured -- or if they cause damage to a neighbor's property -- you'll be held liable, and the high cost of roof repair will suddenly seem cheap by comparison. Get everything in writing, including the length of time it will take the roof-repair company to finish the job (including specific start and finish dates), the company's statement that it has both liability insurance and worker's compensation, and the company's promise to obtain all of the necessary building permits before any repairwork begins on your roof. Although your contract may not include a clause that grants you the recourse of withholding payment for services not rendered, or not rendered on time as outlined in the contract (there may be certain exceptions, such as bad weather or other unusual circumstances), you can and should negotiate for the inclusion of such a clause. The contract should not require payment up front. Instead, you should pay in stages as the work is completed. Make sure that your contract includes a "right to cancel" clause. In most cases, you have a three-day window of time in which to cancel your contract after signature. If for any reason you do decide to forfeit your contract during that three-day period, send a certified letter to the roof-repair company to ensure their receipt. Make sure that both you and the home-repair company have signed and dated your contract. Any changes made to your contract should be initialed by both of you. Keep a copy of the contract for your records (and your defense, should any problems occur). Since you're new to this process, you may be a bit apprehensive while reviewing your contract, even if it contains the necessary clauses described above. If that's the case, don't hesitate to contact an attorney for review. If you live in "Hail Alley" or another region that experiences somewhat frequent storms, it's probably in your best interest to invest in the one-time expense of hiring an attorney to review your contract and help familiarize you with the process of hiring a reputable roof-repair company. |
