When it comes to buying houses, homeowners should not skip on properly inspecting the roofing of their homes. It is a vital part of owning a house, and if left unmaintained, a leaky and damaged roof can spell disaster for unwitting families. As such, in the event that one suspects the roof is in need of servicing, calling a roofing company would be the best way to go.

Hiring Roofing Contractors

However, residents of Menlo Park should be wary of questionable business tactics some shady roofing companies conduct to the unaware. The Better Business Bureau has posted some useful tips when hiring a prospective roofing contractor.

Take Your Time, Don’t Rush

The BBB urges residents to be more extensive when looking for a prospective Menlo Park roofing contractor. Checking a company’s background for certification, conferring with other residents about who their roofing contractor is, and if the services they applied for were met professionally and in a timely manner, are all vital information that could shed light on the company’s reliability. Shelton Roofing, for instance, is a Menlo Park-based roofing company that is accredited by the BBB. Backed up by over 70 years of experience, their services are well-known in their respective community.

Most legitimate roofing companies have a base of operations located within a given area. As such, asking for their office number, or a business card would help in determining whether a roofing company is a legitimate one. Steve Abel, the president of the Better Business Bureau further stressed the following:

“Consumers should be wary of itinerant repairmen who come into the area. The Better Business Bureau knows from experience that in the wake of a storm fly by night operators often try to take money from victims, supposedly to buy home repair materials, then leave town, never to be seen again […] Never pay for a job up front; never sign anything until you are ready to hire a contractor, read and get a copy of anything you do sign.”

Better to Put It in Writing

Once residents have chosen a Menlo Park re-roofing contractor, the BBB highly recommends that residents enter a contract with their contractors before any kind of repairs are done. This way, both parties, and especially the homeowners, are well aware of what kind of repairs the contractors will be doing and their services’ corresponding fees. Nowadays, it pays to be in-the-know, especially in all things where a significant amount of money will be shelled out.

(Source: Tips on Hiring Roofing Contractors, www.BBB.org, August 29, 2014)