Today’s blog post takes a look at the ins-and-outs of turning to a national roofing company for your commercial roofing needs. Companies with a national presence have specialized resources or operations for providing top-grade commercial roofing services.

Before examining how a national roofing company offers value, though, it is helpful to take a brief glance-over what makes up the American roofing industry today.

The American Roofing Market and Its Influence

Nowadays, there are thousands of local roofing companies across the country. These roof companies vary in size, from small, one-man operations to bigger-scale companies that cover many states with dozens, if not hundreds of personnel. According to a 2014 market research report from the industry research firm IBISWorld, there are 99,958 businesses in the American roofing industry. These companies are reported to employ a little over 286,200 personnel. For companies with large-scale operations, a multi-state market presence, or big warehouse buildings that require savvy roofing expertise, there are clearly many service providers they can choose. But which is best for what they need?

In terms of their resource availability, a multi-state roofing services provider, or even a nationwide roofing contractor firm, may be a good fit for their needs.

Here are a few things that a national roofing company offers that may bear consideration.

Advantages of a National Roofing Contractor Firm

• Service availability. For building owners or companies that need roofing services now, a nationwide roofing company can be a great answer. A roofing company with national capabilities will be able to quickly dispatch a qualified service provider to the customer’s location. If required, it could even bring in roofing contractors from other areas to handle the work. This service provider availability can be invaluable when inclement weather or recurring, out-of-the-ordinary climate patterns make getting timely bids from roof contractors challenging.

For instance, in some parts of the United States, a long, harsh winter period will delay an area’s construction cycle and limit the time in which roofing contractors can actually do work. If construction logistics or coordination in a given area become compressed or stretched thin, bringing in a roofing expert from another region will ensure timely work completion all the same.

• Resources, resources, resources. A national roofing company will have resources that are often unavailable to local, one-man roofing businesses or even some multi-state roofing companies. A national company will have a developed infrastructure for making sure a customer’s needs are addressed quickly and effectively. It is also likely to have relationships with vendors that provide third party services at reduced rates or are swiftly accessible. Those resources are not always found in the hands of smaller companies.

For example, say a large building with a 40,000-square-foot roof takes extensive damage in a storm. Getting funds for building repairs will require filing a claim with one’s insurance carrier, and bigger-amount claims can take a long time to negotiate. A larger-scale roofing company may have partnerships or “preferred vendor” relationships with providers such as professional public adjusting firms for helping someone navigate the maze of the insurance claims process. More established or professional vendors, such as a multi-state public adjusting firm, will then be available to help the customer with his or her situation. In a nutshell, the scale of the nationwide roofing company’s operations gives it access to partners or vendors which can extend customer value.

• Services from providers backed by a nationwide reputation for credibility. A roofing contractor that a nationwide company sends out will be a qualified expert in his tradecraft. Because national roofing companies have infrastructures in place for ensuring their service providers are top-notch, they carefully vet and then vouch for contractors they let into their national contractor networks.

A national company will have also built up its reputation over the years. It will be careful with whom it associates its reputation of credibility and expertise.

• Accountability for rendered services. Because it is a bigger-scale operation, a national company will be more accountable to its customers for its service-providing. Reputation is paramount in the roofing industry, and larger-scale companies that offer poor customer service or workmanship over time will suffer.

Particularly, a national roofing company could be impacted in a number of ways:

o   Unsatisfied customers that feel moved to post reviews of their negative experience online (more likely to happen if a roofing company is nationwide)

o   National or multi-state partners that choose to slow down or cut off business ties

o   Impacted business relationships with roofing material manufacturers with which the roofing company has aligned itself or uses

o   Drop-offs in the numbers of customers who engage that company’s services in the future

o   Lost opportunities for further business build-up or expansion due to a poor reputation

In short, a national roofing contractor firm can offer the promptness, expertise, professionalism, resource availability, helpful partnerships, accountability, and infrastructure needed to deliver exceptional results for your roofing needs.

The National Roofing Partners You can Trust

Choice Roof Contractor Group represents a nationwide network of professional, quality-minded roofing experts who specialize in commercial roofing services. All of our members are carefully vetted for professional capability, impeccable ethics, commitment to excellence, and a ‘customers-first’ mindset. They also all go through the warranty certification program for Conklin roofing products, which they use because of this product brand’s exceptional 35+ year reputation for lasting protection and energy efficiency.

Should you be interested in learning more about how our members are prepared to take on any roofing challenge, give us a call today at 800-670-5583.

In this blog post, we discuss how to hire a commercial roofing contractor. Our previous blog post featuring five tips for hiring a roofing contractor could also be helpful.

In the face of tight economic conditions, effective cost management is a top priority for any real estate owner. Roofing is already an expensive investment, but even when it requires only simple repairs, due diligence is still advisable. Letting the wrong contractor onto your roof may not take care of your problems, but actually compound them. Poor workmanship or improper product application could leave a roof at risk for greater damage—and by extension more expensive roofing work.

Hiring the right roof contractor then becomes a balancing act between affordability and contractor quality. What are the things that a building owner should look for? Below, we offer a checklist of things to consider when you are hiring a roofing contractor for your needs.

Checklist for Choosing a Commercial Roofing Contractor

• Does the roofing contractor have any business listings? Reputable roofing contractors will have some form of legitimate business listings, whether online or in print, such as in the local phone directory. Even though it is not always the case, more dedicated or established roofing contractors tend to have a website where you can see their work and testimonies from satisfied customers. A reputable roofing contractor will also have a permanent address. It is wise to never accept the bid of a roofing company that does not have a business or permanent address listing as proof of their business legitimacy.
• Is the roofing contractor approved and have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau? Not all roofing companies are listed with the Better Business Bureau, but it does provide another layer of documentation by which you can assess a roofing contractor’s reputation. It is important to note one thing, though. The Better Business Bureau does not provide ratings of a roofing contractor’s services or reputation, but how well a roofing contractor has resolved customer complaints. Factors such as the roofing contractor’s product quality or service competency are not gauged. Nonetheless, the Better Business Bureau does provide another solid means of checking out a contractor’s reputation.
• Does the contractor meet requirements for roofing contractors in your state? The requirements for becoming a roofing contractor vary from state to state. Be sure to check with your state’s licensing board or relevant licensing agency for information on state requirements. Things to watch out for include:
  • Contractor licensing that has not expired
  • Workers’ compensation insurance coverage
  • General liability insurance coverage
  • Relevant bond certification or holding
  • Local building permits, if required

• Does the roofing contractor have references? Reputation is the backbone of the roofing industry. Reputable contractors will be happy to share references from satisfied customers with you. It is important to be aware, though, that any references you receive will only be from satisfied customers. They will not be representative of any customers who had neutral or negative business dealings with the contractor, or are not people who are likely to negate your decision to accept the contractor’s bid. Be sure to get at least three references and contact them to confirm they are legitimate. More references are better, if possible.
• Is the roofing contractor certified by the manufacturer of the product he installs? There can be tremendous consequences if a roofing contractor installs a product that he is not certified to apply, and then the product has problems. For instance, you can encounter difficulties in getting manufacturer warranty coverage. It is essential to check that a roofing contractor has certification from the manufacturer to install his particular roofing product brand.
• What type of training does the roofing contractor provide to his employees? Making sure that a roofing contractor’s employees are fully-trained and certified to work on your roof is another critical step. Doing so will be an indicator of a worker’s skill level and professionalism. Another thing to look for is if the contractor’s workers are versed in job safety measures. That helps cut down on potential for accidents occurring at the job site.
• What does the roofing contractor offer in writing? Make sure the roofing contractor will be offering you a written contract. Proper documentation will convey the terms of your business agreement, detail work to be done, and lay out the terms of payment. More specific details will be the roofing job’s scope, roofing materials to be used and their specifications, project beginning and completion dates, and itemized listings for material and labor costs. Asking for a written copy of the contractor’s warranty is not a bad idea, either.

Choice Roof Contractor Group’s Strong Reputation

These are a number of things to keep in mind. Members of our nationwide network have been carefully vetted for strong commitment to excellence in workmanship and servicing.  Should you want to work with carefully-vetted, professionally-trained roofing contractors, give us a call at 800-670-5583.