Local Roofing Contractors Are The Way To Go! ASR’s Advice

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Following up on our theme from this week, we talk about choosing local roofing contractors. There is no doubt that looking for local roofing contractors should be a very big part of the roofing process. However, sometimes homeowners pay too much weightage in their decision making. While in most cases our experts here at American Standard Roofing do advise homeowners to go local, it is not always the case. Our team advises that just because a contractor is nearby, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will have better service or products. Our team considers ourselves local the 50 mile radius we serve. We continue to provide quality products and service to the areas we serve. Something to keep in mind perhaps when looking for local roofing contractors.

Understanding Reasoning Behind Homeowners Looking For Local Roofing Contractors:

Having spent a fair amount of time in the roofing, sidings and gutters business, we have seen many customers turn down good offers from out-of-town contractors. The reason? Because they weren’t local to homeowners. Today we’ll look into this phenomenon a bit more and try to understand more.

Does ‘Going-Local’ Really Have No Benefits?

The answer is not that simple. Yes, most of the time it might be the best option looking for local roofing contractors. Not all the time though. The one thing homeowners need to understand is cost-effectiveness of their decision. On top of cost-effectiveness, homeowners need to consider trust and personal relationship as factors. What really makes the contractor more qualified than others?

Questions to Ask Yourself:

Here at American Standard Roofing, we have come up with a few questions that you can ask yourself if you get stuck in a situation looking for local roofing contractors:

1. Is the total cost of the project coming out to be the same for both local and out-of-town contractors?
2. Are there any added incentives from your local contractors?
3. Is the local contractor fully licensed, bonded and insured?
4. Most roofing contractors have a mileage radius drawn out where they will work. Most also have basically the same capacity to cater for emergencies, be punctual and provide equipment to site on time. What is the reason for giving the edge when looking for local roofing contractors?
5. Finally ask yourself this: Will a local roofer fare better against a professional roofing contractor who is 30 miles away, but has excellent experience, knowledge and reputation?

The World is Getting Smaller:

Yes, it definitely is. Gone are the days when traveling to one place from another was a big task. In this day and age, contractors have equipment that is mobile, and vehicles that can easily carry all required product and materials. This makes looking for local roofing contractors versus out-of-town a bit easier to consider. Most roofing contractors with a good reputation will have their geographic area clearly identified. That renders close proximity as an attribute without any real value.

Sample Work Done by Contractors in the Past:

A good barometer for testing quality work is not by proximity but by past samples of work done. Most of the time, a local contractor might just be handyman looking for work. As noble as it may sound giving work to him, can homeowners really rely on his quality of roofing, siding or gutters work? Make no mistake, there is a world of difference between the quality works of professional contractors, versus someone working from the back of their pick-up truck. Here are some things homeowners looking for local roofing contractors can do for optimal results:

1. Ask for samples from the local contractor. Just request addresses for the places they have done work. Go there, talk to people. Look at the work done. Is it up to your standards?
2. Checking out local roofing contractors work done is also a good idea. It shows that the contractor has apt knowledge of working in your region. Different areas have different building codes and requirements set by law. Some areas require open roof inspection while some may require additional ventilation required by home inspectors. The more work your potential roofing contractor has done, the better.

Going Out-of-Town Betraying = Local Community & Neighborhood?

In short, not at all. Granted, it is a very noble thought. In this day and age, technological advancements have made things more complicated. Consider the fact that majority of people buy from the internet from websites such as Ebay and Amazon. A lot of products are manufactured overseas and brought stateside. The internet age has rendered proximity useless. We interact with people over social media and phones 24/7. The world has indeed gotten smaller.

There are many ways one can contribute to the local neighborhood and community. Homeowners can give back to the community by attending social and charitable events, raise funds for local causes and contribute their time and hours for all sorts of volunteer work. Look, When it comes to replacing or repairing roofs and working on sidings and gutters, we can assure homeowners that they do not want to be spending money looking for local roofing contractors who do shoddy work. This is irrespective of whether it is a local or out-of-town contractor. If homeowners can find a local quality roofing professional, that is great. But if not, they should not hesitate to look for contractors who are farther away but can still cover the home the area is in.