When trying to find a roofing company or contractor to work with, before you even look at their reviews or past work, you should make sure they are properly licensed and insured. If you don’t, you can run into a whole mess of problems.
Today, we’re going to talk about why it is essential to work with a roofing company that is insured and licensed, as well as a couple of red flags to watch for when hiring someone to take care of your home.
Roof Licensing 101
Hiring an unlicensed roofer can be a big mistake. In both Wisconsin and Minnesota, roofers are required to be properly licensed. So, why is it important that roofers adhere to these codes? First off, in order to acquire these licenses, you must pass a test that determines whether or not you have the skills necessary to safely and skillfully work on roofs.
Next, in order to maintain these licenses, you have to continue to go through on-going education. This is to ensure that roofers are continuing to get better by learning improved techniques. Home-building and craftmanship changes, and as a result, roofers need to be up to date.
Roofing Insurance 101
It’s also important that your roofer has the insurance necessary to work on your home. There are two main types of insurance that you should make sure they possess. The first is workman’s comp. In the event of a roofer getting injured while working on your home, workman’s comp will ensure that any medical bills don’t come to your homeowner’s insurance. If they are insured for workman’s comp, then you have nothing to worry about.
The other type of insurance is general liability insurance. If you hire a roofer that doesn’t have this insurance, then any damage that occurs while they are working on your roof may come out of your pocket or your homeowner’s insurance. There are some serious disasters that can occur while people are working on your home, no matter what services they perform. For example, a crane could fall into a roof while trying to place a hot tub in the backyard (true story).
It is essential that whoever is working on your home has both types of insurance.
Roofer Red Flags
If your roofer cannot produce a copy of their license, then do not hire them. Another way to tell if you should avoid their services is if they ask you to pull the permit for construction on your home. If they ask this of you, it is a sign that they themselves don’t have the license to pull the permit on their own.
At First American Roofing & Siding, we are fully insured and licensed in both Minnesota and Wisconsin. We take our jobs seriously because we know how important a safe, secure home is to you. We also go above and beyond what is asked of roofers, with our GAF Master Elite certification, as well as our GAF Golden Pledge warranty.
If you need a professional roofer with proper qualifications, experience, licensing, and insurance, then look no further than First American. Reach out today to get started on improving your home!
