A roof is a long-term investment. Roofs typically last for many years, so the roofing company you choose should also be a long-term partner in your investment.
What type of partner do you want on your side?
A partner is someone who’ll be there when you need them. In the roofing industry, we find this out when a roof leaks. Nothing is worse than calling a company and not getting a response when you need them the most.
We’ve all been there, trying to get a company to honor a warranty or replace a product that is not working properly.
Our family at RoofCrafters has been in business for over 30 years. We’ve created thousands of partnerships over the years by installing high-quality roofs. So we know what it takes to have great partnerships with property owners. Now we want to share that knowledge with you.
In this article, we’ll share 5 characteristics that make roofing companies great partners. Hopefully, it’ll help you find and hire a great partner for your upcoming Tampa roofing replacement project.
Let’s get started by discussing the first characteristic.
Professional Tampa Roofing Company
Choosing a roofing company in Tampa that operates professionally is going to be important for your sanity. A professional company is going to be on time. Do you want a partner who doesn't respect your time? They’ll also be proactive in communicating with you. Answering or returning all your calls, emails, and texts promptly.
Look, with all the moving parts and changes that happen in the roofing industry. Such as schedules changing because of bad weather or jobs taking longer than anticipated because of rotten wood. We often run into things we don't expect. Schedules change often in roofing!
Respecting your time and proactively communicating with you is critical for a great partnership. And your sanity!
Roofing Companies with Integrity
Integrity is a big word and it gets mentioned a lot. But what does it mean for a roofing company to have and demonstrate integrity? The number one reason the roofing industry has a bad rap and dateline stories is companies operating without integrity.
Integrity in the roofing industry is a gray area. It’s often subjective to the person doing the roof inspection. Let’s say you have a roof leak. Does your roof need to be replaced? Or can it be repaired? Does it have plenty of life remaining in it? Or is it nearing the end of its lifespan? Can you see that the answer to these questions can be subjective?
A Tampa roofing company that operates with integrity will always inform you of your options. Being a guide, being helpful, and taking the time to go over the options with you. Often that means not making a sale or not making as much off of a sale. Having your best interest at heart is operating with integrity.
Experienced Tampa Roofing Company
Getting started in the roofing industry can be a low bearer to entry. New roofing companies in Tampa Bay form and start roofing all the time. Unfortunately, this can wreak havoc on the roofing industry. When the owners don't have the experience needed.
What we typically see in the roofing industry are 2 types of owners. The first are the owners who can sell roofs. They start their companies by selling roofs and then subcontracting the work to outside crews. They typically do not know how to install roofs. The second type of owners is those who can install the roofs. They’re mechanically inclined and hands-on in production.
Both have their pros and cons. 85% of new roofing companies go out of business within 3 years. Over 90% of new roofing companies will go out of business within 5 years. Being able to sell roofs but being at the mercy of subcontractors to do the work correctly has many challenges. Doing amazing roofing work but not knowing or understanding how to operate a business does as well.
The bottom line is that owners who don't have experience are practicing on the roofs that they first contract. Not saying that it’ll turn out bad. However, with any large investment, like roofing, do you want to take that chance? Do you want to be a guinea pig? Do you want a new company owner to come out to your property and practice on your roof?
How do you know if they’re experienced? Check for manufacturer certifications. The top manufacturers only back companies with a proven track record of doing high-quality work in the community. Check for older references, work that they have completed 3 to 5 years ago.
High-Quality Workmanship
Doing high-quality work sometimes means doing less work. At RoofCrafters we know from experience that growth can cause issues within all departments. We’ve been through growth spurts that affected the quality of the work we performed. When we start moving fast we often miss important details. Roofing companies have so many moving parts and it can get out of hand fast. When a roofing company starts to grow or starts going after a larger volume of work it can affect the quality of the work.
Sometimes we have to make sacrifices. Sometimes we have to say no to more work. Especially if it means not delivering a high-quality product and service to our clients. A company has to be intentional about making high-quality work a priority or it can easily get lost in the busyness.
Transparent Roofing Companies in Tampa
At the end of the day, all businesses in Tampa are built on trust. Without gaining trust in our community, our businesses will suffer. The quickest way to gain trust is to be transparent. Transparent with your team, your suppliers, and all your clients.
That means openly communicating that we’re not perfect. We do and we will make mistakes. But we’re also here. We’ll be here to make any corrections to make it right. Taking ownership of issues or problems upfront is being transparent.
Also, roofing companies in Tampa Bay provide many jobs for other people. It takes making money to stay in business. Hence the main reason 85% go out of business by year 3. Being the cheapest roofer will not keep a roofing company in business. Roofing companies in Tampa have to make a profit.
Being transparent means explaining to your clients why your prices are what they are. It means explaining that and allowing them to decide for themselves if they trust you. By doing this, fewer roofing companies would go out of business. We can assure you that you do not want to hire a roofing company in Tampa that’ll be out of business in 3 to 5 years. Things happen! You want to have support from the roofing company you choose to work with.
Ready to Hire a Tampa Roofing Company?
Now that you learned the 5 most important things to look for in a company you’re probably ready to find a great roofing company in Tampa. If so, we’ve also created a hiring checklist that’ll help you qualify for the roofing companies that you invite to your home. It has some frequently asked questions along with the answers so you’ll know what to look for.
If you are in any of our service areas and would like to save yourself time vetting contractors. With over 3 decades of installing and repairing roofs, our family here at RoofCrafters has these 5 attributes and more. Ready to get your project started? Take the next step, click the button below.
