When it comes to your roof, you have to be strategic. Simply finding the first professional and hoping for the best can lead to disastrous consequences that endanger your home, property, and even your family. How can you make sure that you protect them instead?
It’s a seemingly simple question with a complicated answer. Licensing and insurance matters, as does experience in repair or replacement projects like the one you need. That’s why it is so important to put time, effort, and research into finding the right professional for your specific project.
Getting to that point is a complex process, and we’ve covered much of this in this space before. One of the points in finding the right roofer, though, deserves further consideration: why does it matter whether or not the roofer you choose is local? In other words, why should you prioritize roofers near you in your search? Consider these 6 reasons as you make your decision.
First, let’s discuss the importance of flexibility when it comes to your roof. Often, you will realize that you need repairs or replacement with little time to spare. Any time spent waiting for a solution could be time that water leaks into your attic and home, causing potentially significant damage in the process.
Working with a national firm or even one of the larger state-wide contractors typically comes with availability problems. Both because they draw from a larger area and because they try to maximize efficiency, these firms might not have appointments open for weeks at a time. Of course, you probably can’t wait that long to take care of the problem.
Now, consider finding a roofer near you instead. Simply because of their location and lack of travel time, they can check out and evaluate your roof quickly and efficiency. Because they prioritize their local area, they might also have earlier time frames to actually complete the repairs. That flexible availability is absolutely vital to making sure you get the roof fixed, and fixed the right way.
Anytime you need major repairs on your house, you have to make sure that you work with professionals who know their craft and are willing to take on any liability related to the job. In other words, both state licensing and insurance matters a great deal in finding a roofer who can protect you against any potential problems.
Going by price and simply looking for the cheapest professional tends to bring problems with this specific area. But you might not realize that actually, as you go further outside of your home market, the same problems can begin to appear. Even if you live close to state borders, a roofer in another state might not be licensed in Michigan.
Insurance also comes into play here. A local roofer will work with insurance that knows the area well. They’re not only insured against any potential damage themselves, but know your insurance information and have likely worked with it in the past. The result is a much smoother process that can leave you with significantly greater peace of mind as the project gets completed.
Working on a roof in Dearborn, Michigan comes with a number of specifics that not everyone will know. How confident can you be that the roofer you choose to hire knows everything they need to know about the area, and can make sure that your repairs are done right under those conditions?
Let’s start with the weather as an example. Anyone living in Michigan knows just how much the weather can change between December and June, or even within a given month in Spring or Fall. As you can probably imagine, that change in weather patterns will have a major effect on your roof repairs.
First, especially major replacement projects will need to be done at a time when the open roof doesn’t fall victim to bad weather. Second, the roof has to be strong enough to withstand large changes in temperature, heavy snowfall, and other elements that are common in this area.
The result: only local roofers who know these patterns and requirements should be working on your roof. That’s why finding a roofer near you is so crucial to making sure that by the time the project is done, your home and family are safe and protected.
Permitting is an absolutely crucial part of the roofing process. In the state of Michigan, any exterior work or interior work that requires structural changes will require a permit. How familiar are you with the process, and are you comfortable enough to take care of it on your own?
The answer that question is crucial to the viability of a local roofer. In most cases, and for most homeowners, permitting is not a process to be taken lightly. The paperwork required is significant, and not easy to learn. Take a wrong step, and you risk incurring major fines for a process that you didn’t even know you needed.
Bring in a national company, and they might require you to take care of the permit yourself. After all, they’re not familiar with Michigan state laws and building codes. That means the research, paperwork, and even the payment will fall entirely on your shoulders.
Now, compare that with a local contractor. Their work is exclusively in the state, and they’re able to work through the local offices and laws exactly as required. Depending on the quote you get, the fee may still be on you. But you can rest easy knowing that the work and expertise needed for the permitting process will not fall on you.
What happens when the job is done? A contractor from another state will simply pack up and leave. They might do a great job, and then move on to the next one. That’s good in isolation; obviously, you’d rather have the job done right than wrong. In other ways, though, that can become problematic.
Imagine, for example, a scenario in which the roof goes bad again after a short while. It might even be due to the same problem you thought was fixed. When you call the out of state contractor, will they answer? And even if they do, will they be able to come back out, take another look, and potentially fix the issue?
You probably know the answer. The longer distances don’t just matter for initial availability as mentioned above, but become just as important when the job is done. A national or regional contractor, once finished and packing up, will not have much accountability to you. A local contractor’s approach to the future after the job looks much different.
Most importantly, they’re usually reachable. They know the Ann Arbor, MI area as well as you do, and can make a bit of time in their schedule to stop back if there is a problem to be fixed or issue to be reviewed. That’s also why local contractors typically offer more and better warranties than their national counterpart; they’re interested in building a long-term relationship, not just making the quick dollar on an isolated project.
Finally, consider the importance of references as you start on a roofing project. Especially for larger projects, like a full replacement, you should never choose a contractor without checking the references first. Most roofers, local or otherwise, will be happy to give you some. Their answers, though, can tell you a lot about which option is best.
A reference might talk about a roofer in the best possible terms. But how much does that really matter if that client was located in Pennsylvania or Ohio? We all know the unique nuances that Michigan comes with. References who can speak to the roofer’s experience with these nuances will always be the most beneficial.
For instance, they can talk about the factors mentioned above. Did the weather influence the job, and how did the contractor adjust? Did they show accountability for their work once the job was done? How did they clean up after themselves? All of these questions are best answered by references from the same area as you, which is what makes working with a local company so beneficial in this industry.
When it comes to roofing, it pays to go local. The advantages of finding roofing near you are so significant that it’s worth prioritizing these local businesses, Whether you’re looking for a 48103 zip code in Ann Arbor or a neighboring area, look for companies who prioritize that region as their main area of business.
We could be that roofer for you. In fact, our experience in Ann Arbor has set us apart as one of the best roofing companies around. But don’t take our word for it. Contact us today, ask the right questions, and meet with us to evaluate your roof. Let’s get started in making sure the most important part of your home gets fixed the right way.