Guide
Questions worth asking
Every contractor will answer these. The differences between the answers are where the useful information is.
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"What is your licence number, and who holds it?"
The follow-up matters more than the answer: does the entity on the licence match the entity on the paperwork, and is it active today?
"Can I see a job you finished five years ago?"
Anybody can show you a roof completed last month. A roof that has been through five winters shows how the edges, valleys and penetrations were actually detailed.
"Who is actually doing the work?"
Ask how long this specific crew has worked together. Roofing companies keep their name and change their hands more often than most trades.
"What underlayment, and how are the valleys done?"
This is the question that reveals whether you are comparing the same roof. Underlayment, ice-and-water placement, drip edge and valley treatment are where quotes quietly diverge.
"What does your workmanship warranty cover, and for how long?"
Material warranties come from the manufacturer and are conditional on correct installation. The workmanship warranty is the contractor's own promise, and it is worth exactly as much as the company behind it.
"What happens if the decking is rotten?"
The right answer is a specific price per sheet, written into the contract before work starts. A vague answer here is how a fixed price stops being fixed on day two.
In short
Six questions, three contractors, one afternoon. It is the cheapest insurance available on a job this size.
Related questions
How long should a roof last here?
An architectural asphalt roof is rated for twenty-five to thirty years and, in this climate, tends to land at the lower end of that. Tile and metal go much further, provided what is underneath them is maintained.
Can I just put a new roof over the old one?
Codes in most places allow two layers. That does not make it wise. You lose the chance to see the deck, and the next roofer has twice as much to remove.
Are gutters included in a re-roof?
Usually not, unless the quote says so. If they are near the end of their life, replacing them during the re-roof is meaningfully cheaper than doing it later, because the crew and the staging are already there.
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