The changing weather conditions, falling branches, and normal wear and tear, are just a few things that could cause you to hire a roofing contractor to do maintenance on your roof. If you are new to hiring these types of companies, then you are probably asking yourself: “What should I expect from my roofing contractor?” This is a good question, especially if it is the first time that you will be going through the experience of having repairs done to your roof, or even having your roof replaced completely.

First of all, the company you hire should provide you with all the necessary important paperwork when you first contact them about the job. This paperwork should include:

• The company’s contractor’s license
• Insurance certificates
• Detailed labor and materials documents from both the company, as well as the distributors they use

Your contract with the company

• The contract entered into between you and the roofing contractor should give thorough details of all aspects of the job, and you should also have the option to ask questions about the job or anything else that may concern you, before, during, and after the job has been completed.

• The project manager should make contact with you before the job gets underway, to confirm with you everything that needs to be done, to ensure that the job goes smoothly, and is finished in as short a time as possible, to your satisfaction.

• On the day that work is to commence on your roof, the site manager should introduce himself, and discuss briefly with you, what will be done during the course of the day.

What to expect if you are having your roof removed

Obviously there is going to be a certain amount of mess and inconvenience while the job is underway, but the company should:

• Park a dump truck as close as possible to the house, to reduce the risk of debris from falling into your garden

• Cover driveways, walkways, and pool areas with tarpaulin, to reduce the risk of damage

• Several trucks will be parked in the vicinity of your home at times, and the company should make attempts each time, to ensure that you and your neighbors have easy access to your driveways

Noise related issues

As with any construction project, replacing a roof will cause a certain amount of noise inside, as well as outside your home. This is due to the type of equipment that needs to be used, such as forklifts and dump trucks, power saws, pneumatic guns, various other power tools, as well as certain hand tools, all of which do make a certain amount of noise.

However, the company should make every possible effort to keep these noise levels as low as possible, and not work out of normal business hours, over the weekend, or on public holidays, unless you have given them permission to do so. Also, the crew working on your property should not add to the noise by playing loud music while they work, again, unless you have given them the go-ahead to do so.

You may feel vibrations while the job is being performed

The nature of the job will cause vibrations to the ceilings and interior walls of your home, especially when the roof is being removed. While every effort will be made to keep these vibrations to a minimum, it is a good idea to remove any items from the walls and ceilings in your home that could be damaged while work is in progress.

Protecting your yard or garden

The roofing company you hire should do all they can to protect your garden and yard, any decks you may have, as well as your pool, should you have one, from falling debris. They should also avoid walking in your flower beds or damaging your shrubs and trees at any time.