The roof and the siding are two parts of the home likely to suffer damage after a storm. Unfortunately, such damage can be devastating, as they’re both vital to the structural integrity of your home. Therefore, you must hire a roofing and siding storm damage company before you have more problems. So, if you’re looking to have your home fixed, below is a look at how you can find reliable professionals.

Start Your Search for a Contractor

Knowing where to look is the key to finding a reliable roofing and siding storm damage company. And the good news is you can use endless tools and resources to find a contractor for your home. For example, you can start by asking friends and family for referrals; chances are they know a good contractor they can recommend.

Your neighbors are another excellent resource you can use when looking to hire a residential roofing and siding contractor. Chances are, one of your neighbors has remodeled their home in the recent past and can refer you to the contractors they used. Additionally, one or more of your neighbors’ homes might have suffered storm damage, and they might have already found a good company to repair the problem.

Apart from referrals, you can also find a roofing and siding repair company by looking into local home improvement businesses. You can hire the services of a contractor you’ve used before or whom you know in passing. You could also use search for local contractors on platforms such as Google Business Profile or neighborhood apps.

Lastly, you can use the internet to find a home improvement contractor to fix your home’s roof and siding. You can perform a Google (or other search engines) search, and it will bring you a long list of contractors you can consider. In addition, according to Consumer Reports, you can find several contractors listed on home improvement websites like Angi, HomeAdvisor, Houzz, Porch, Checkbook, and others.

Research a Contractor’s Reputation

The next vital step in your search for the ideal roofing and siding storm damage company is to narrow down the list of contractors you’ve generated. And one of the top places to start is by researching each contractor’s reputation. After all, you’re looking for someone you can trust with your home, which is most likely one of your biggest investments.

One of the top places to start when researching a contractor’s reputation is with their past clients. For example, if you’re looking to hire local roofers, contacting homeowners who have used their services before will offer you insight into how reliable they are. In addition, you should ask to see their finished project or roof repair job, thus giving you a better idea of the expected results.

Apart from past clients, you can also research a contractor’s reputation by checking out their online reviews. For example, a siding and roof repair company is likely to have an online presence, either on Google Business Profile, a website, or social media pages. These platforms allow users, including past clients, to post reviews and give feedback on their interactions with a business. Therefore, they can be a rich source of information when you want to know how reliable the contractor you’re looking to hire is.

Unfortunately, according to the Federal Trade Commission, not all online consumer reviews are trustworthy. That’s because some companies pay for fake reviews to appear more reliable. And in other cases, competitors or biased clients will write fake negative reviews to harm a business. Therefore, if you must consider online reviews, make sure they don’t appear fake (too positive or too negative) and corroborate with other sources.

Ask for Several Quotes

When you want to hire a roofing and siding storm damage company, you shouldn’t just reach out to a single business. Instead, you should contact several of them to better understand what each can offer you. And a good rule of thumb when reaching out to contractors is to ask for at least three quotes for the services you’re looking to hire.

One of the top benefits of asking for quotes from contractors is that it gives you a rough idea of how much it will cost to hire them. For example, when hiring a roofing service for repair, the contractors you approach should send a detailed quotation that covers the cost of their services, the materials to use, and labor. Consequently, this will help you know whether the contractors you’re considering are within your budget.

Another top benefit of asking for quotes from several companies is that it can help you save money. Different contractors have different pricing strategies, meaning their final prices vary significantly. Therefore, you can save a lot of money by comparing bids from different contractors.

However, according to Realm Home, you should be careful when selecting contractors based on their bids. For example, you should be wary of a bid that’s too high or too low. In addition, you should be on the lookout for other red flags, like a demand for a hefty deposit or upfront payment, a bid that’s not detailed, or poor communication during the process.

Check for Licenses and Certifications

Before hiring someone to work on your home, you should ensure they are qualified. Therefore, another top tip for hiring a roofing and siding storm damage company is to check they have the necessary licenses and certificates. This way, you can breathe easier knowing you’re entrusting your property to professionals.

When checking a contractor’s licensing, you should ensure they carry state and local government licenses. However, it’s not enough for a contractor to tell you that they are licensed: instead, you should ask for the license number. And according to a report by KTVZ, you should check the contractor’s license online to ensure it’s valid. An online check can also reveal the complaints filed against the contractor, giving you further insight into their reliability.

Likewise, before hiring a home repair professional, you should ensure they have the necessary certifications from all the relevant bodies. For example, according to Roofing Magazine, a roofing contractor must undergo OSHA-certified safety training. On top of that, several associations will require their contractors to undergo training and certification before they can tackle specific jobs for clients.

Besides licenses and certifications, you must also ensure that the home repair company you’re hiring has the necessary license. After all, something can go wrong on the job, which can damage your property or cause injury to the contractor(s). And if the person you hired is not insured, you could be liable in both scenarios, leaving you with a huge financial burden.

Verify Their Experience

Training, certification, and licenses are great when looking for a contractor for your home, but they are not everything. Instead, you must hire a professional who knows what they’re doing. Therefore, experience is another vital factor when looking for a reliable roofing and siding storm damage company.

When looking at a contractor’s experience, you should start by considering their years in the industry. A contractor with several years of experience will likely be a good hire for your project. That’s because they have handled several similar projects in the past. Therefore, they know what works and the mistakes to avoid, which can guarantee you a high-quality job.

Besides years, you should also ensure the contractor has enough experience working with the type of materials that will be used. For example, if you’re looking for roofers, you should only hire someone who has in-depth experience working with the type of roof you have, say, a metal roof. And it’s not just enough to take a contractor at their word; instead, you should look at their past projects and job history to verify that they have enough experience.

Lastly, you must also verify that the employees of the roofing and siding repair company you’re considering have the necessary experience. For example, if the organization uses contractors and subcontractors, everyone assigned to work on your project must have in-depth experience and be supervised by a more experienced contractor. This will avert a situation where novices work on your home, leading to poor-quality repairs or property damage.

Be Wary of Unsolicited Repair Services

To hire a reliable roofing and siding storm damage company, you must stay clear of the bad eggs in the market. And one of the top ways to achieve this is by being cautious of anyone trying to sell you unsolicited repair services. With such contractors, accepting their offer will often mean overspending on unnecessary repairs or falling victim to a home improvement scam.

A good example of contractors to stay clear of are storm chasers. According to CBS News, these are mostly out-of-town (and sometimes fake) contractors who knock on your door after a storm offering to repair your home. In most cases, they will likely use your homeowner’s insurance to commit insurance fraud and pocket the payout. And in other scenarios, they might ask for a deposit or a full payment, then disappear with your money.

Besides storm chasers, you must also be on the lookout for other contractors (including the ones you’ve contacted) who try to upsell your services. For example, in the case of roofing damage, a contractor might convince you that your home has more damage than you suspected, and thus you need a roofing replacement instead of repairs. Consequently, you spend more than you had budgeted for the project. And even in cases where your insurance covers the cost, you end up on the losing end; filing an insurance claim can lead to a higher premium.

Ensure They Have Access to the Materials You Need

The roofing and siding storm damage company you hire will be responsible for guaranteeing quality repairs on your home. As such, they insist on acquiring the materials needed for the project, which is common practice in the home improvement and construction industry. Nonetheless, you have the final say in the materials to be used in your home. Therefore, before hiring a contractor, you must ensure they can access your desired materials.

For example, in the case of siding, you might opt for a replacement if the damage is extensive. In such a case, you could opt for a different material from the current one, say, vinyl siding. You may also need additional supplies, for example, new insulation. So, the contractor you hire must be able to source the materials you want from the market without any delays.

However, while you’ve got the final say on the materials to be used, you should listen to your contactors professional advice. With their wealth of experience, they can offer better advice on which materials are durable and which can lead to more problems. Additionally, they can leverage their connections to get you quality material at an affordable price.

Ask The Right Questions

According to the National Post, hiring a contractor is much like dating; you need to know them to build a trusting relationship. And the only way to do this is by asking them questions. Therefore, when looking for a reliable roofing and siding storm damage company, you must ask questions and lots of them.

Of course, most of the steps above involve asking questions, but there are several others you might have. For example, when choosing between several residential roofing contractors, you might ask about their payment plans. Do they require a deposit or payment in full before the work begins? Or can you pay in segments until the work is done or pay a once-off payment when you’re satisfied with their work?

The type of services offered is another top question you can ask a contractor. For example, before choosing a roofer, you might want to know if they also offer a gutter service or any other extra services you require on your project. This way, you won’t have to hire different contractors to complete the projects you need to tackle.

You can also ask your contractor other questions like:

• How long will it take to complete the repairs?

• Whether your home repairs will require applying for permits

• Do they offer warranties or guarantees for their work?

• Do they use subcontractors?

• How will they protect your home?

You’re free to ask them anything you wish to know about the project and their services. And a reliable professional will be more than happy to answer them to help put you at ease. So, if you notice that a contractor is evading or unhappy about your question, that’s a huge red flag.

Finding a reliable roofing and siding storm damage company to repair your home can be overwhelming. However, with the tips above, you will have an easier time searching for a home contractor. In addition, you can choose someone suitable who you can trust to repair your house without the fear of poor-quality work or mistakes that lead to huge losses.