At J and J Roofing (a premier Los Angeles roofer) we have been fixing and replacing roofs for over 20 years. Based out of the Los Feliz and Silverlake area of Los Angeles, our roofing company services the entire LA area. Our family-owned business is operated by John, Mike and me, Matt Glass. Eighty percent of our business comes from customer referrals.
Getting a referral from a friend or business you trust is, bar none, the best way to choose a roofer. But if you had a referral, you probably would not be reading this blog. You would be scheduling an appointment, right now. Other than referrals from friends or a local roofing supplier, like Burbank Roofing, you also should ask your prospective roofer for references in your neighborhood.
Always remember to check his legal rudiments – licensing, insurance, etc. Below, I will go into the details of these points. But most importantly, go with your gut. If you feel that you might not trust the guy, call someone else.
There’s probably not a huge difference in how you choose a roofer versus any other sort of contractor, but here are a few tips. The overriding doctrine here is to do some homework and find a name that several entities recommend.
Ideally, you will choose your roofer when you have some time, like in the early fall, before all the rains come and you have an “urgent problem”. You don’t have to hire him then, just keep his name handy or you could have him come out and just inspect your roof – there should be no charge. In the off season, he won’t be busy and even if it’s a “waste of time” he won’t mind (I don’t).
It gives me an opportunity to make contact with you and hopefully secure you for when you really do need a Los Angeles roofer but even still, you never know – I may find something wrong with your roof that you didn’t even know was there and you’ll be glad to get it fixed, cheap, in the off season, before it leaks, ruins your ceiling and your grand piano!
Get referrals, as many as possible. In fact, ask the roofer for references he can possibly throw at you that lives within 10 miles of you. If he can’t give you more than three, then it’s not a good sign. And these should be people with phone numbers who have agreed to be a referral.
Call the local roofing supplier. Ask him for the three best roofers he knows in your area. It’s not a guarantee, but there’s a good chance that the local supplier is not going anywhere, has a reputation, etc., and is not going to refer you to a bad roofer or some guy who just got started and has no reputation. He’s likely to refer his three biggest clients which is not a bad thing. If a roofer is buying a lot of material, it means he is doing a lot of business which means a lot of people choose him over others. It’s not a guarantee but it’s a start.
My next blog will go into more detail on this important process in your home ownership and how to choose a roofer that you can trust. You usually only get a new roof once for your home (unless you live in it for over 30 years.)