Guide
How to pick a roofer you will not regret
You are not really buying shingles. You are buying four days of somebody else's workmanship, and hoping the company still exists when you need the warranty.
Get it looked at
Three questions, and up to three Santa Ana contractors. Free either way.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in Santa Ana and the surrounding area.
- Today, usually within the hour. The first contractor calls or texts the number you gave us. ASAP requests go out first.
- Up to three of them, no more. We cap it at three so you can compare without your phone melting.
- They come and look. Estimates are given after somebody has been on the roof, not over the phone.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
If you do not hear anything today, check your voicemail and spam folder — contractors often call from a mobile number.
Prefer somebody you could drive to
A local address, a landline, and jobs in the area from more than three years ago are all worth more than a five-star rating. Warranties are only as good as the company still trading when you need them.
Ask for current certificates of insurance
You want general liability and workers compensation, both current, and ideally sent directly from the insurer rather than as a photocopy. If an uninsured worker is hurt on your roof, the exposure can land on your homeowner policy.
Get everything in writing, including the unknowns
The contract should say the material and the layers, who pulls the permit, the per-sheet price for replacing bad decking, what happens to the old material, the payment schedule, and the workmanship warranty. The decking clause is the one people forget and the one that moves the price.
Be careful with the deposit
Ten to thirty per cent is normal, often to order material. Full payment before work starts is not, and in several states it is not even legal. Hold the final payment until you have walked the job.
Compare scope, not totals
A cheaper number for less roof is not a better price. Ask the lowest bidder which items on the other quotes they have left out, and why they think you do not need them.
Check the licence yourself
Every state that licenses roofing contractors publishes a free lookup. It takes two minutes and tells you whether the licence is current, who holds it, and whether there are complaints against it. Do it even when somebody has already vouched for them.
In short
Three quotes, three licence checks, three certificates of insurance. It is a dull hour that routinely saves five figures.
Related questions
How long should a roof last here?
An architectural asphalt roof is rated for twenty-five to thirty years and, in this climate, tends to land at the lower end of that. Tile and metal go much further, provided what is underneath them is maintained.
I have solar panels. What happens to them?
Panels have to be detached and reset. Budget for it separately and coordinate the two trades. Never put a new solar array on a roof with under ten years left.
Can I stay in the house while it is done?
Most people do. Expect noise from early morning, dust in the attic, and a day where the driveway belongs to the crew.
Get it priced
Three questions, about a minute, and up to three Santa Ana contractors come back to you.