Questions to Ask a Roofer Before Hiring One in Charleston, SC

Most people hire a roofer once or twice in their lives, so there is no reason you would already know the questions to ask a roofer. They aren't complicated questions, just specific ones, and a few of the right ones can tell you most of what you need to know in about ten minutes on the phone.

Key Takeaways

• Ask for the license number and look it up yourself on the South Carolina LLR site, which takes about two minutes

• Ask for a current certificate of insurance showing both general liability and workers' compensation

• Compare the written scope of work between bids, not the price at the bottom

• Find out ahead of time what happens if they pull the old roof off and find rotten decking

• Walk away from anybody pressuring you to sign today or asking for the whole payment up front

How to Check Whether a Roofer Is Licensed and Insured

Ask for the roofing contractor license number. Then go look it up yourself, because that part takes about two minutes.

When you're comparing roofing companies, ask whether the contractor is a licensed and insured roofer and request proof of both types of coverage.

South Carolina's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation keeps a public Licensee Lookup at verify.llronline.com. You can search by company name or by license number and see whether the license is active. Licensing requirements in South Carolina depend on the type of work and the value of the job, so looking it up beats assuming either way.

A licensed roofer will hand over that number without a second of hesitation. If somebody won't provide it clearly, that is a good reason to pause and keep looking.

Is the Roofer Insured?

There are two kinds of roofing contractor insurance that matter.

General liability covers damage to your home. If a crew drops a bundle of shingles through your sunroom, that is what pays for it. Workers compensation covers the crew.

Ask for a current certificate of insurance, not a promise. The certificate lists the insurance company and the policy dates, and you are allowed to call and confirm the policy is still active. An insured roofer expects that question and will not be bothered by it.

How to Find a Local Roofing Contractor You Can Count On

Everybody says they are local. A magnet on a truck door is not the same thing.

Local means an address you could drive to. It means jobs in your area you could go look at. It means reviews from people in Mount Pleasant and West Ashley and Summerville, not from three states away. Most of all it means somebody who still answers the phone in two years when a shingle lifts after a storm.

Charleston gets storm chasers. They show up after bad weather, work fast, and leave. The warranty they handed you is worth exactly as much as their ability to be found later.

What Is Included in the Scope of Work?

This is the one that saves people the most money, and almost nobody does it.

When you compare two estimates, compare the scope of work and not the number at the bottom. A bid that comes in four thousand dollars lower is sometimes a better deal and sometimes a completely different roof.

This is one of the most important parts of how to choose a roofing contractor, because two estimates can look similar while covering very different work.

Ask for the scope in writing, itemized. It should say whether the old roof is coming off or being covered over, which underlayment is going down, what happens with the flashing, whether ventilation is being addressed, how decking repairs get handled, who pulls the permit, and what cleanup and disposal look like. It should give you a timeline and a payment schedule.

Once you have that from two companies side by side, the cheaper bid usually explains itself.

What Happens If the Roofer Finds Damage Underneath?

Nobody knows what is under a roof until the old one comes off. Between the humidity and the wind driven rain we get here, soft or rotten decking turns up more often than people expect.

So ask the question before you sign. What happens when you pull this roof off and find bad wood?

The answer you want is that they stop, show you, explain the options, and get your approval in writing before doing the extra work. The answer you do not want is anything vague, or a number that just shows up on the final invoice.

Questions to Ask a Roofer Before You Sign

If you only get through one list, make it this one.

• Are you licensed and insured, and can I see both?

• What exactly is included in this price, and what is not?

• Who supervises the job day-to-day?

• Is the crew your own people or subcontractors?

• What warranty covers the materials, and what warranty covers the workmanship?

• If something goes wrong in five years, who do I call and who handles it?

• How do you handle decking damage you find after tear-off?

• Will I receive the complete scope of work, material details, and warranty information in writing before work begins?

Get the answers in writing. A verbal yes from somebody standing in your driveway isn't worth much six weeks later.

Roofer Red Flags to Watch For

Some of these are obvious once you see them written down, and some of them catch good people off guard.

Watch for door to door solicitation right after a storm. Watch for anybody telling you the roof will be free. Watch for pressure to sign today, or a quote that is only good for twenty four hours. Watch for a company that wants everything up front, or will not show you a license or a certificate of insurance.

Getting a Straight Answer

Knowing how to choose a roofer really comes down to this. Ask the questions, write down the answers, and pay attention to who gets uncomfortable.

Better Off Roofing serves Charleston and the Lowcountry, and estimates are always free. Ask every one of these questions. Good answers should be easy to give.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Check if A Roofer Is Licensed in South Carolina?

Use the Licensee Lookup on the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation site at verify.llronline.com. You can search by company name or by license number and see whether the license is active. Requirements vary by the type and value of the work, so looking it up beats guessing.

What Insurance Should a Roofing Contractor Carry?

Two kinds. General liability covers damage to your home, and workers compensation covers anybody who gets hurt on the job. Ask for a current certificate of insurance showing both. The certificate lists the insurer and the policy dates, and you can call to confirm it's still active.

Is It Normal for A Roofer to Ask for Money up Front?

A deposit is standard, and most roofing companies take one before they order materials. Paying for the entire job before any work starts is not. The payment schedule should be written into your contract so there's no confusion about when each payment comes due.

How Many Roofing Estimates Should I Get?

Two or three is plenty. Past that you're mostly reading the same information again. What matters more is getting each one in writing with an itemized scope, because that's what tells you whether a lower price means a better deal or just a smaller job.