The best Sarasota roofing contractors will go out of their way utilizing their knowledge and experience to help you maximize your roof’s useful service life and ensure you are making your soundest financial roofing investment. Roofing companies who are only interested in profiting from you by closing the next sale will go out of their way to hide information and details that homeowners are unaware of or do not think about. Here is a short list of some easy to recognize tell-tale indicators to help you identify the difference.

1) A Roofing License Does Not Guarantee a Long-Lasting Roof

Hiring a Licensed Roofing Contractors does not guarantee a long-lasting roof. You should consider interviewing the installer not the salesperson. If the installers do not care your roof will fail prematurely; they control the care and quality that will go into your roofing project.

2) Building Department and Building Permit Does Not Guarantee Top Quality

Pulling a permit, installing a roof per local building code and having it inspected is the cheapest way a roof can be legally done. Building departments set and enforce the “Minimum Specifications Requirements”. They do not set standards for the best roof or prove that you are making your absolute best long-term financial investment.

3) Many Manufacturer’s Warranties Are Voided as the Roof Is Being Installed

Certain processes, materials and installation methods are required to qualify for the long term workmanship and material warranty offered by Manufacturers. Warranties only cover what is stated in the fine print. If those requirements are not met the warranty is null and void, regardless of what the roofing contractor writes on the paper work. Read the fine print; a large portion of it states what is excluded.

4) Free Estimate Really Cost the Paying Customer

Free estimates are only free to the person who does not buy from that roofing contractor. When you make a purchase from someone who gives free estimates, you, the paying customer are reimbursing the companies’ expenses for those free estimates they gave to others. Someone has to cover their costs! This is a good first indicator to tell if someone is hiding details to look appealing.

5) Ongoing Inspections Are Critically Important

A roof needs to be inspected annually to maximize it useful service life, regardless of its age. To ignore a roof because the roofing contractor states that it has a 50 year, or even a lifetime long-term warranty is like not checking the oil in a car because the salesperson told you it has a 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty.

Talking with your potential Sarasota roofing contractor about these things can help you maximize your financial investment, and potentially increase the useful service life of your roof.

Note: This post is part of our ongoing “Doubling Your Roof’s Useful Service” roof owner’s guide. This information is not meant to be comprehensive; it’s simply meant to give you some quick ideas on the topic.