Licensed, Insured, and Bonded: The Scary Pitfalls of Hiring an Unqualified Roofing Contractor
What happens when your roofing contractor is unqualified, unlicensed, uninsured, or unbonded? At HFS Financial, we know it could be disastrous. It really depends on the contractor. We also know that hiring a licensed, insured, and bonded roofing contractor is in your best interest. We are in the business of the best home improvement financing options, and we know the right hire can protect your interests and save you thousands in the long run.
What Does It Mean for a Roofing Contractor to be Licensed?
Roofing contractors in different states must go through various processes to become licensed. Most states require a few years of experience to take the test. This ensures that your roof isn’t the first one a contractor has ever worked on. Since most roofing contractors don’t attend formal school and instead learn this trade on the job, you want your contractor to have as much experience as possible.
What Does It Mean for a Roofing Contractor to be Insured?
This term is likely the most familiar to you as the consumer. We all have different types of insurance to help us cover the costs of various things in life. A contractor’s insurance serves a similar purpose. They can have insurance to cover accidents that may happen on your property, liability insurance, and on down to insurance to cover the loss of their tools. From workman’s comp to umbrella policies that cover all sorts of things for their business and customers, make sure you know what insurance your roofer carries.
What Does It Mean for a Roofing Contractor to be Bonded?
Being bonded is similar to insurance, but it applies more to ethical concerns for the company. If a contractor doesn’t fulfill the terms of your contract, a bond will help you to recoup any money you may be entitled to. For example, if they didn’t finish a job and you have to hire a new contractor, the bond would be responsible for covering that cost. Or, heaven forbid, they didn’t pay subcontractors, you wouldn’t be held liable for their payment.
What Do You Look for When Hiring a Contractor?
When you are ready to hire your choice of contractor, you will want to be sure that they have experience in doing whatever your project requires. For example, if you have a metal roof but they have never worked on one before, they are probably not the best contractor for you.
You will also want to ask for references before hiring a contractor. You should be able to drive by different completed projects and see their work, call and speak with previous customers, or read reviews online. Any of these options will suffice. Just be sure to do the leg work of actually checking for yourself.
They also need to be able to give transparent pricing and parameters of what their quote will include. They are not the contractor for you if they can’t give you a quote to work with or tell you what exactly that quote would cover them doing.
When you have found the roofing contractor you are comfortable hiring for your project, reach out to HFS Financial for assistance with financing this project. Our Check Your Rate tool won’t affect your credit score. In just 60 seconds, you submit your information, and we will call you soon with the rates and options available to you. Replacing a roof can be a costly endeavor. Don’t do it alone! With HFS Financial, “You Dream It, We Finance It.”