Finding the right residential roofing contractor for your needs requires a bit of research. There are a lot of them in your local area looking to earn your business, sure, but the key to narrowing them down on your shortlist involves learning about their qualifications. Aside from their years of experience and local business reputation, you should also find out whether they carry insurance. 

DePalma Roofing & Construction explains in this in-depth blog the importance of working with an insured roofer, as well as the types of insurance that a roofer is expected to carry.

Reasons to Hire a Roofing Contractor Who Carries Insurance

• Insured roofers can be trusted. Insured commercial and residential roofing contractors take pride in providing great workmanship in all the roofing projects they handle. Before they call it a day, they will make sure that you are satisfied with the roof repair or replacement job. Insured roofing companies also show a certain level of care for their employees, which speaks volumes about their trustworthiness as a local business entity.

• Insured roofers protect you from liabilities. As much as professional roofers work to keep the work environment safe, there can still be instances when accidents happen. The good thing about insured contractors is that you can rest assured that the homeowner or commercial property owner won’t be held liable. In other words, you won’t have to shoulder any hospitalization bills if the accident happens on your property. 

• Insured roofers follow safety standards. Roofing work comes with several risks. Since the pros work at a height, they have to implement safety measures to minimize the chances of accidental injuries. When you work with them, you can rest easy knowing that the overall work environment in your home has minimal hazards.

What Type of Insurance Does a Roofing Contractor Have?

Reputable residential and commercial roofing contractors carry with them two types of insurance: workers’ compensation and general liability insurance. Here’s what you need to know about each of them:

• Workers’ Compensation Insurance

This type of insurance protects the installers in the event of an illness or injury while doing the roofing work. A contractor that doesn’t carry workers’ compensation leads to the ailing crew shouldering the hospitalization bills and the ongoing treatment and medication. In other instances, the homeowner or commercial property owner may end up being responsible for taking care of the injured workers’ needs. That’s why it is imperative that you work with an insured roofer that carries workers’ comp for your peace of mind.

If one of the crew members gets injured in an accident while performing roofing work, be it falling off a ladder or while using a tool or equipment, the insurance will cover the medical expenses. It may also take care of their lost wages or the amount of pay they’ve lost because of the accident.

• General Liability Insurance

An insured roofing contractor isn’t expected to commit errors while performing roof repair or replacement like handling power tools and other equipment carelessly, but such instances can still happen and may result in property damage. General liability insurance protects you from being held liable for someone else’s mistakes.

Apart from property damage, a general liability insurance policy also covers bodily injury. If you, a family member, or a neighbor suffers an injury on your property after you tripped on an object in the work zone, expect the insurance to pay for the medical expenses. 

When getting an estimate from a prospective residential or commercial roofing contractor, make sure you ask for a copy of their insurance to prove if they are indeed insured. See to it that it is valid within the date you plan to hire them for a project. When it comes to general liability insurance, find out if they have a coverage amount of up to $5 million.

Other Things to Look for in a Roofer

Having insurance isn’t the only indicator when it comes to identifying a reputable contractor for your roofing needs. Here are a few other things to look for:

• License. A reputable roofing contractor has a license showing they meet local requirements and standards to be able to work on roof repair or replacement projects. However, there are no state license requirements for roofing contractors in Pennsylvania. So what do you need to look for instead? Check their profile for manufacturer certifications and other similar citations. These are good indicators of their ability to do roofing work. Note that most manufacturers require contractors seeking certification to adhere to basic industry standards. It means that they’re not only capable of installing the manufacturers’ products but are also well-versed in roofing in general.

• Business address. You’ll want to go with a local roofing contractor who’s sure to have a physical address that’s within close proximity to your place of residence. Since they’ve worked with homeowners and commercial property owners in your location, it only means that they are well aware of their client’s needs while also adhering to the state’s local building codes. As you visit their website, find out if their phone number and email are working and that their website is professionally done.

• Reference list. What better way to learn about a contractor’s approach to working with clients than to ask the clients themselves. When you interview a prospective roofer, make sure to ask for an updated list of references. It contains a list of their previous clients and their contact details. If the contractor provided you with references, call each one and ask about their overall experience with the roofer. Some may even allow you to see the results of the roofing work done by the contractor. While their needs don’t match yours perfectly, it’s still good to have an idea of how the contractor works.

You can always rely on DePalma Roofing & Construction when it comes to high-quality residential and commercial roofing services in and around Cumberland County. We work with the best as far as roofing materials and craftsmanship are concerned, which means you can rest assured that your newly repaired or replaced roof is built to last. Call us now at (717) 638-1131, or fill out our contact form for a no-hassle roofing estimate.