BBB tips on roofing contractors

Advice from the BBB on roofing contractors

If you’ve found a leak in your roof, the BBB says you should start by going to friends and family and ask them which roofing contractors they’d recommend. When you talk to a roofing contractor, you should ask for references of previous customers. Get everything in writing and read the fine print before signing anything. Don’t sign a contract with terms like “cancellation fees” and “liquidation damages.” They also recommend you get at least three or four bids on a roofing project, but add that six or seven is better. Ask about the work, materials, cost and terms of payment. If in doubt, choose a bid in the middle.

The BBB also recommends you not give your money to a contractor that doesn’t have permits or a permanent place of business. You should also avoid contractors who show up at your door and tells you your roof is unsafe. Don’t do business with anyone who only accepts cash, tries to scare you or says they have roofing material left over from another job.

Charlotte’s best roofing contractor

Advanced Roofing and Exteriors are the best roofing contractor in Charlotte and Concord, NC. They have been in business for over twenty years and have won the Angie’s List Super Service Award twice. This family-owned company is also a member of the Home Builders Association of Charlotte and an Owens Corning preferred contractor. They will plan their work schedule to suit your needs, and provide all the roofing materials themselves. Call today for a free estimate.

How to find the right roofing contractor

Find the right roofing contractor

If you’re a roofing contractor looking for a firm in Concord, NC to hire, you’ll want to make sure it’s the right one. And if you’re a homeowner and you need a roofing contractor, it’s even more important that you find a company you can trust. Look locally, and try to find a contractor that’s been in business for at least a few years. Ask your friends and neighbors if they have any recommendations.

Try to find the roofing contractor’s ratings from the Better Business Bureau, Angie’s List and Owens Corning. In addition to ratings, the BBB has a set of recommendations for homeowners when dealing with roofing contractors. They suggest you go to home shows, get a lot of bids on any project (but don’t pick the lowest or highest), and ask about work, materials, cost and terms of payment and previous customers. They also recommend you pay by check or credit card, check for licenses, permits and insurance, get everything in writing and never do business with a roofing contractor who tries to pressure you into anything.

Charlotte’s best roofing contractor

Advanced Roofing and Exteriors are the best roofing contractor in Charlotte and Concord, NC, having won the Angie’s List Super Service Award twice. This family-owned company is also a member of the Home Builders Association of Charlotte and an Owens Corning preferred contractor. They plan their schedule to suit the customer and provide all the roofing materials themselves. If you need a roofing contractor, call today for a free estimate.

Pick the right roofing contractor

Watch out for frauds

There is always a risk, when looking for a local roofing contractor, of finding a fraud. There are too many storm chasers who’ll demand payment up front and do bad work or no work. They usually show up right after a storm and offer to inspect of your roof. (Don’t let them up there — they may damage your roof themselves.) The good news is that there’s a sure way to rule out these contractors — hire one that’s been in business at least ten years. Dishonest contractor don’t even last one year.

Also look at ratings of contractors from the Better Business Bureau. The BBB has been around for over 100 years. They rate contractors and other businesses. They recommend you go to home shows, get six or seven bids on any project, ask about work, materials, cost and terms of payment, ask contractors for a list of previous customers, pay by check or credit card, check for licenses, permits and insurance, get everything in writing and never do business with a contractor who tries to pressure you.

Charlotte’s best roofing contractor

Advanced Roofing and Exteriors are the best roofing contractor in Charlotte and Concord, NC, having won the Angie’s List Super Service Award twice. This family-owned company is also a member of the Home Builders Association of Charlotte and an Owens Corning preferred contractor. They will plan their work schedule to suit your needs, and provide all the roofing materials themselves. If you need a roofing contractor, call today for a free estimate.

Searching for a good roofing contractor

Local roofing contractors

Start by looking for a local company — they need repeat business. You can find them on manta.com and other websites, and can ask your friends and neighbors if they can recommend any roofing contractors. When you have a list of ten or so, go to their websites and see how many testimonials they have from previous customers. (These, of course, will all be positive.)

Then, look for their ratings. Two groups who rate roofing contractors are the Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List. The BBB is a nonprofit that collects reviews of businesses and handles complaints, serving as an intermediary between consumers and businesses. They rate specific businesses, but never endorse one. Angie’s List also has a ratings system.

The BBB offers comsumers advice on how to judge the honesty of roofing contractors who work for you. They recommend going to home shows, getting multiple bids on any project, asking roofing contractors about work, materials, cost and terms of payment, making sure the contractor you choose has the right licenses, permits and insurance, paying by check or credit card, and getting everything in writing. They say you should never do business with a contractor who tries to pressure you.

Charlotte’s best roofing contractor

Advanced Roofing and Exteriors are the best roofing contractor in Charlotte and Concord, NC, a member of the Home Builders Association of Charlotte and an Owens Corning preferred contractor. They will plan their work schedule to suit your needs, and provide all the roofing materials themselves. Call today for a free estimate.

Where to find a good roofing contractor in Charlotte

Finding a roofing contractor

When you need roofing work done in Charlotte, you need a roofing contractor who will show up on time, arrange their work schedule to suit your needs and finish the job without leaving bits of roofing materials on your lawn or damaging your garden. It’s also good if they offer free estimates. Some roofing materials carry particular challenges — slate, for example, is hard to repair because it’s too brittle to walk on — so you need to be sure they can work on your roof.

The advantage of a small, local Charlotte roofing contractor is that it relies on its reputation within the community. The disadvantage is that some of these contractors are frauds who will try to pressure you into paying upfront and then disappear. Be sure to ask your neighbors about roofing contractors they’ve worked with, and which ones they’d recommend. You should also look up how long a company’s been in business — it should be at least a year. Look for ratings from the BBB, Angie’s List, Owens Corning, home builders associations and other professional groups. The BBB also recommends you go to home shows, ask about materials, cost and terms of payment, ask contractors for a list of previous customers, check for licenses, permits and insurance, get everything in writing and avoid a contractor who tries to pressure you.

Charlotte’s best roofing contractors

Advanced Roofing and Exteriors are the best roofing contractor in Charlotte and Concord, NC, having won the Angie’s List Super Service Award twice. This family-owned company is also a member of the Home Builders Association of Charlotte and an Owens Corning preferred contractor. If you need a roofing contractor, call today for a free estimate.

The BBB can help find a Concord, NC roofing contractor

Advice from the BBB on Concord, NC roofing contractors

Last year, the Better Business Bureau had over five million inquiries about roofing contractors, and over 6,400 complaints. If you are looking for a Concord, NC roofing contractor, they recommend that you ask them for a list of accredited roofing companies in the area. They also say:

• When talking to a Concord, NC roofing contractor, ask for references, such as previous customers. This will help weed out the real Concord, NC roofing contractors from the storm chasers.
• Check your Concord, NC roofing contractor for licenses, permits and insurance. Also, find out if they are a member of any professional association.
• If a Concord, NC roofing contractor claims to have roofing material left over from another job down the street, tell them they can keep it.
• Get multiple bids — at least three or four, although six or seven is better. If one bid seems remarkably lower than the others, don’t choose it. Ask about the work, materials, cost and terms of payment. If in doubt, pick one of the ones in the middle of the price range.
• If a Concord, NC roofing contractor puts pressure on you, tries to scare you, demands all or most of the payment up front or says anything you know to be untrue, don’t hire them.

Charlotte’s best roofing contractor

Advanced Roofing and Exteriors are the best roofing contractor in Charlotte and Concord, NC. This family-owned company is a member of the Home Builders Association of Charlotte and an Owens Corning preferred contractor. They will provide the roofing materials themselves. Call today for a free estimate.

Never hire a storm chaser

The storm chasers

(The following is a dramatization.)

They always show up after a storm. That’s why they’re called “storm chasers.” They are the scum of the roofing contractor world. Don’t let them into your home.

The thief

Tom came to the Pritchett place after a hailstorm. He made the lowest bid of all the roofing contractors, but asked for thirty percent of it as a down payment, plus a “bidding fee.” Mr. Pritchett paid… and never saw Tom again.

The vandal

A block away, Dick introduced himself at the Swarthmore place as a roofing contractor and offered to do a free inspection. Mrs. Swarthmore had already had an adjuster look at the roof, but figured another set of eyes couldn’t hurt. She didn’t mention this to Dick. As soon as he was on the roof and Mrs. Swarthmore wasn’t watching, Dick took out his screwdriver and started making new “hail marks” and enlarging the old ones.

Dick, unlike Tom, didn’t get away with it. It sounded to Mrs. Swarthmore like the damage Dick was describing was worse than what the insurance adjuster had described. She asked the adjuster to return and take another look. The adjuster recognized Dick’s work for what it was immediately.

A real roofing contractor in Charlotte and Concord, NC

To avoid the Toms and Dicks out there, choose a roofing contractor that has been in business for some years, and has a good professional rating and many satisfied customers. Advanced Roofing and Exteriors are the best roof installers in Charlotte and Concord, NC. They have been in business for over twenty years and have won the Angie’s List Super Service Award twice. Call today for a free estimate.

Finding the right roofing contractor in Concord, NC

Ask the experts

If you’re looking for a roofing contractor in Charlotte or Concord, NC, you should start by looking for a local company, which needs positive word of mouth within the community. To avoid outright frauds, be sure to choose a business that has been around for some years. Ask your friends and neighbors if there are any contractors they would recommend.

When you’ve done all that, there are groups that have ratings for contractors. Two of them are the Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List. The Better Business Bureau has been around for over a hundred years. It is a nonprofit organization that collects reviews of businesses and handles consumer complaints, acting as an intermediary between consumers and businesses. The BBB never endorses a specific business or product — they just rate them. Their ratings should be paid attention to.

Angie’s List, unlike the BBB, is only a little over 20 years old. Its work is similar, but it began with construction contractors and home and lawn care services, so it’s very relevant here. Owens Corning makes its own assessments of roofing contractors. Home builders associations and other professional groups also have their own standards.

Charlotte’s best roofing contractor

Advanced Roofing and Exteriors are the best roofing contractor in Charlotte and Concord, NC. This family-owned company is a member of the Home Builders Association of Charlotte and an Owens Corning preferred contractor. They’ll plan their work schedule to suit your needs and provide all the roofing materials themselves. If you need a roofing contractor, call today for a free estimate.

How to spot good and bad contractors

More than one kind of bad contractor

Finding a good roofing contractor is important for a Charlotte or Concord, NC homeowner. There are two types you should avoid — frauds and the merely indifferent.

To avoid the true frauds, look for a company that has been in business for at least ten years — no crook stays in business that long. If you do decide to go to a new business, carefully check the background of the owner to make sure they didn’t once run a company with a history of complaints. You may also want to ask a contractor for references, such as previous customers.

To find one that’s better than okay, check the Better Business Bureau’s web site for a list of accredited roofing contractors in your area, along with their ratings. Ask your neighbors, friends and family in the area for recommendations. Get bids from six or seven roofing contractors, and ask for details on the work, materials, cost and terms of payment. If in doubt, go with one of the bids in the middle. Also, check every contractor for licenses, permits and insurance, and see if they are a member of a professional association. Check the Angie’s List web site.

Charlotte’s best roofing contractor

Advanced Roofing and Exteriors are the best roofing contractor in Charlotte and Concord, NC. They have been in business for over twenty years and have won the Angie’s List Super Service Award twice. They will plan their work schedule to suit your needs, and provide all the roofing materials themselves. Call today for a free estimate.

Finding a roofing contractor in Concord, NC

How to find a good roofing contractor

It’s better to hire one roofing contractor who will get it right the first time than one who does work that has to be redone. Always ask your friends and neighbors who they hired and what kind of experience they had. Check the BBB rating of any contractor you consider hiring, and see if they’re a member of any professional associations. Get bids from six or seven contractors. If in doubt, pick a bid in the middle of the price range. And when you choose a roofing contractor, be sure to get a warranty on the roof. If your new roof has a problem, you should contact them immediately, and they should be ready to fix it right away.

A good roofing contractor can replace a roof completely in one to three days, without damaging the grounds or leaving debris around the home or yard. They should arrive at the expected hour every day and do the work without making too much noise. If this turns out to be a problem, you should be able to talk with them and have the situation resolved. Other services roofing contractors should be able to provide are inspections and damage estimates.

Charlotte’s best roofing contractor

Advanced Roofing and Exteriors are the best roofing contractor in Charlotte and Concord, NC. They have won the Angies List Super Service Award twice. They will plan their work schedule to suit your needs, and provide all the roofing materials themselves. Call today.