A roof is the one repair most homeowners buy once or twice in their lives, which is why the people who sell it badly get away with it. These are the warning signs we see most often in the companies that end up removed from our rankings, and the three questions that settle most of it in one phone call.
The red flags
A knock on the door after a storm. Crews that follow weather across state lines are not around when the flashing fails two winters later. A local company has an address you can drive to and a phone number that was listed before the storm.
A quote without a roof walk. Nobody can price a roof from the driveway. Decking damage, vent boots and flashing condition show up on the roof, and a quote that skips the walk is a quote that will grow once the shingles come off.
Pressure to sign today. A real backlog is a reason to book you for next month, not to sign tonight. The discount that expires at midnight is there to stop you calling a second company.
Full payment up front. A deposit that covers materials is normal. Paying the labor before the labor happens leaves you with no leverage if the crew does not come back.
No license number on the paperwork. Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey each license or register home improvement contractors. If the number is not on the estimate, ask for it and look it up before you sign anything.
The three questions
Who is actually doing the work? Many companies sell the job and subcontract the crew. That can be fine, but you want to know whose insurance covers a fall from your roof, and whose name is on the warranty.
What happens if the decking is rotten? The honest answer is a per-sheet price for plywood, agreed before the job starts, so the surprise on day one is a number you already have.
Can I see a roof you did three years ago? Anyone can show last month's job. A roof that still looks right after three winters is the reference that matters, and a company that has been around long enough to have one will be glad you asked.
Our rankings only list companies we can confirm with a phone number, a map listing or their own website, and every listing links to the company so you can check the license and the address yourself. Start with your town's roofers page and make the three calls.