• Reject unsolicited offers to inspect or repair your roof.
• If your roof is leaking or you suspect other problems, ask at least three roofers to inspect it, diagnose problems and propose solutions.
• Work only with local roofers who are licensed, carry liability and workmen’s comp insurance, have been in business for five or more years and can provide references.
• Ask for evidence of problems that bidders report but you cannot see from the ground (most roofers carry cell phones with cameras).
• Look for consistencies in the bidders’ assessments and proposals to determine your best course of action.
• Don’t necessarily choose the roofer who finds the most problems or the one who offers the lowest bid.
• Seal the deal with a contract that: (1) specifies the work to be performed in detail; (2) the materials to be used; (3) a reasonable payment schedule; (4) start and end dates for the project; and (5) a warranty for workmanship and materials (five years minimum).
• Never agree to a downpayment of more than one-third of the total project cost, and do not make that payment until a day or two before the project is scheduled to start. (A token payment of $100 or so on signing to reserve a place in the roofer’s schedule is normal.)
• Payments for large roofing jobs should be structured so that you always have enough leverage to get the roofer to complete the job to your satisfaction. For example, you may wish to stipulate in the contract that the final 10 percent of payment will not be due until 30 days after project completion to give yourself enough time to determine whether there are leaks or flaws and incentivize the roofer to attend to any remaining issues.