Make sure that you're secured properly every time you climb onto your roof. This is critical because losing your balance on a roof is not difficult if you do not have regular experience on roofs. Falls from roofs kill or injure many people annually.
When looking for a good roofing contractor, ask your family, friends and co-workers for recommendations. Find out if they were happy with the work and the cost of a particular roofer. As about the quality of the cleanup and if they have a warranty in case of future repairs.
You may have to do temporary repairs yourself. If a roofing contractor cannot get to your home quickly, a quick fix will do. Get yourself a piece of heavy plastic and you can nail that over the leaking area. This is not a long-term fix, but it will give you a little time.
Don't pay for the job in full before it's even started. Offer a quarter of the total cost before they start work; avoid paying more. You don't need them to do less or poor work than you expected.
Check to ensure that any roofer you consider hiring has all of the proper licenses required for the job. If you don't know what kind of licensing your area requires, you shouldn't just ask the roofer what's needed. Contact your local building department and ask them what is needed.
Confirm your contractor's credentials before he starts the job. Nearly every area requires some sort of licensing for roofers, so make sure yours has a current and valid license. They also need insurance and have other certificates as mandated in your area.
If you're wondering if your roof is leaking, try spraying it with a garden hose. This might help you determine if you do indeed have a leak and also where the leak is located. It doesn't cost as much as hiring a professional, so give it a try.
Only award your roofing work to a contractor who can prove he has valid insurance and proper licensing. If they can't then look elsewhere. You won't have any recourse available when they do a bad job which ends up costing you a lot of money to fix.
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