Commercial roof installation is usually done by a sub-contractor. If you’re the General Contractor (GC), you’re the one who is in contract with the building owner to complete the job on time and on specification. If one of your sub-contractors, like the commercial roofer, fails to deliver his end of the job, it’s you who will have a lot of explaining to do. If the roofer stops working, for example, the project will be in jeopardy, and you will face some serious repercussions. As a GC, therefore, you need to look for a roofer that has a proven record of reliability and a history of quick and quality work. Here are six things that you need to look for:
Competence
Unless you’re a roofing expert yourself, it’s impossible to tell whether your roofer is doing the job correctly or not. How can you get an assurance that he will do his job properly? A warranty will give you the confidence that he is doing a good job. If the roofer is willing to give a warranty for his work, then it means that he is confident of his ability to deliver.
Track record
Aside from the warranty, you have to look for past performances because these are better indicators of the roofer’s competence. Warranties can be hard to fulfill, but past performances will speak for itself. If you have not worked with the sub-contractor before, you will have to rely on referrals from people you trust and testimonies from the contractor’s previous clients.
Understands how others operate
There are a lot of moving pieces in construction, and a good sub-contractor will know his place in the grand scheme of things. The place where responsibilities overlap is where problems usually occur, so you need to hire a sub-contractor who understands construction above and beyond his own area of expertise.
Good communicator
Contractors are generally poor communicators, but a roofer who communicates openly will stand out from the rest. As the GC, you should not need to chase down your roofer for information. The roofer should know how to initiate a conversation.
Strong customer service
Aside from being a good communicator, the commercial roofing installation contractor must also provide excellent customer service. He must keep you informed about any issue that may arise in his area of responsibility because you are his customer. In other words, he must care for your success too.
Available on time
You need to look for a roofer who understands job site workflow and will not waste precious time doing something unimportant and unrelated to the job. An understanding of the workflow is the only way the roofer can understand the critical part of the scheduling process.
As a General Contractor, you have to manage a lot of sub-contractors in the construction project. Should the project go awry, it is your name that’s on the line. Therefore, you have to make sure that you hire the right sub-contractor, including the commercial roofing sub-contractor. These six characteristics will help you filter the roofing contractor you hire.
