It is important that a homeowner not be easily persuaded by contractors whose methods to contact them rely upon going door-to-door. These people make huge promises of great savings if the homeowner chooses them for their roofing repairs. Any work that needs to be done on a housetop should only be handled by reputable companies that do not solicit business by going door-to-door. In fact, they have so many customers to help that they never have to solicit business – it comes to them in more than adequate numbers!

The types of roofers who knock on doors usually only want the owner's money. They begin a project and all too frequently disappear before the job is completed, leaving behind a pile of shingles. They create so many problems that the homeowner often wishes they had closed the door in their faces!

Such huge difficulties can be avoided. Getting the right information about roofing repair and learning how to research for a reliable contractor is the only way for a homeowner to protect their investment from such scams. An owner should consider the following things when looking for the best roofing contractor:

• Thorough Research - It is both important and very normal for a responsible owner to do proper and thorough research when selecting a roofing contractor. To protect their own best interests, a homeowner should be willing to exert the extra effort needed to find the best one. Begin the process by asking family, friends, colleagues, neighbors and acquaintances for any input on experiences they have had with roofing repair or replacement, especially if it was a positive experience with a good contractor. If that doesn’t produce any results, then the local yellow pages can be consulted although it is perhaps only a reflection of who spent the most money on their ad and not actual experience in the industry. Online research is the more modern approach and probably the better one as thanks to social networking and blog sites, actual opinions of customers can be located and used to make a hiring decision.

• Significance of Experience - The longer a contractor has been in the roofing business, the more experience they have gained which should increase their competency in this related building industry. A company cannot survive in this business if they have poor workmanship. Contractors who have been in business for many years usually reflect that experience in their work quality which in turn indicates that they are capable of handling any roofing job and providing solutions to any related problems. They can offer many alternatives that will solve the problem while fitting any budgetary needs of their clients.

• Legitimacy - Although it may sound redundant, a very important consideration in the selection of a roofing company is avoiding the ‘con artists’ who prey on uninformed homeowners, especially if there has been a recent storm and the local contractors are overwhelmed with work. How can this be avoided? The following information about a roofer that should always be available and solicited by an enlightened homeowner includes: current business licenses; proper credentials; necessary business insurance; and local references to name a few. This is a necessary step in the search for a good contractor to avoid the ‘scams’ that unfortunately do exist in the roofing industry.

The best way a homeowner can get answers to the many questions they may have about the capabilities of individual roofing companies is to meet with each potential candidate. Preparing a list of any important questions to be discussed will save time for both parties and undoubtedly reap great benefits towards making a hiring decision. After all, it is certainly better to be safe than sorry!