Roofing Law

Pre-Screen Questions Homeowners Use When Selecting a Roofing Contractor

When working on residential roofing projects, it’s not uncommon to come into contact with a savvy homeowner who asks a lot of questions. When this happens to you, it’s important to be professional with all of your answers, as their seemingly innocent curiosity could be hiding an ulterior motive: to gauge whether or not you’re an ethical roofing professional.

In this brief article, a roofing attorney in Tennessee will discuss several pre-screen questions that homeowners may ask you. Be careful when answering these questions as the “wrong” answers could reflect poorly on your business, even if you have the best of intentions.

Can You Leave an Estimate in My Mailbox?

This is a loaded question that shouldn’t fool an experienced roofing contractor, but it’s worth covering because it could result in a homeowner opting for a competitor’s services. Essentially, you want to allow the homeowner to pick your brain for answers to their most pressing questions. Homeowners want to know about your company, your products, and your installation practices. When you drop off an estimate without opening yourself up to further questioning, your name could be scratched off a list from the get-go. Think about it. If a roofer doesn’t know which materials the homeowner prefers, how can they make a genuine estimate? 

What Is the Per-Square-Foot Cost?

When a homeowner asks you the per-square-foot cost of a project, what they’re really trying to do is to gauge your experience. Pricing for a roofing project is based on a number of factors, including the current market price of roofing materials, age of roof, pitch of the roof, number of roofing layers, known issues, the condition of the shingles, and the condition of the wood decking. You should be able to explain all of these factors and help the homeowner understand how they affect the cost.

Can You Use a Layover Rather Than a Full Roof Replacement?

This is a trick question that can help a homeowner quickly gauge whether or not your business is an ethical and reputable roofing service. Basically, a roofing layover is when new shingles are nailed onto the existing shingles without actually replacing the original shingles. Therefore, when the layover is complete, the roof will have approximately twice as many shingles as before. Roofing layovers can hurt roofs and don’t address the issue at the source. All existing damage is still there; it’s just covered by the new shingles you’ve installed. Of course, the prospect of not having to rip up the existing shingles is enticing, but you should never oblige a client’s request for a layover.

Whether you’re a small roofing business that specializes in residential rehabs or an established roofing contractor that partners with developers on large-scale communities, you need to maintain a high level of professionalism and treat every client with tact and diligence. Remember, all it takes is one bad review to affect your reputation. Requests for work that void warranties, doesn’t comply with building codes and ordinances, or otherwise present potential legal complications should be tabled until you’ve spoken to a roofing attorney in Tennessee.

If you would like to speak with a roofing lawyer in Tennessee, please contact us today.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.