Roofing

The importance of the roof on your home or commercial property means you should definitely never trust it to just anyone. Hiring a contractor who isn’t licensed simply isn’t worth the risk since it can make it nearly impossible to know whether the company and its workers are experienced and whether they are up to the job and perform quality work.

In this article, we’ll explain the benefits you get when hiring a licensed roofing contractor to help you understand why it’s so important.

Quality Assurance

Unfortunately, Texas is one of the places where roofing contractors aren’t required to be licensed by the state. While the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses many other types of business, they don’t offer licenses for roofing contractors. This obviously makes it more difficult to know whether or not any contractor you’re considering hiring is capable of correctly performing your roof repairs, replacement or other roofing projects. That said, any reputable, experienced roofing contractor in the state will almost certainly be a licensed member of the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas (RCAT).

While an RCAT license is voluntary and not required to operate a roofing company in Texas, looking for a company with this license is an easy way to ensure you hire someone who is qualified and experienced. Not every roofer or roofing contractor can obtain this license. The RCAT Licensed Roofers program actually licenses individuals and not the company itself. However, before an individual can apply to receive an RCAT license, they must first be able to prove that they have either owned or managed a professional roofing company for at least three years.

Roofing Permits

Although the State of Texas doesn’t require roofing companies to be licensed, San Antonio is one of a few places in the state with its own licensing requirements and does require all roofing contractors to be licensed. Unfortunately, there are still many unlicensed companies offering roofing services in our area despite this requirement.

The issue in this regard is that most roofing projects other than minor repairs usually require you to obtain a building permit from the city or county before the work can be started. If you’re altering any of the existing roof penetrations such as the plumbing vent stack, exhaust flue or electrical connection, you will also need to have a plumbing, mechanical or electrical permit as well.

None of these permits are something you can get yourself, as the city only allows a licensed trade contractor to apply for them. If you plan on re-roofing your building with a different type of materials than what it currently has or are altering the slope of the roof, you’ll also need to have an engineer’s assessment performed before the roof can pass the final framing inspection.

If you perform any work on your roof without the necessary permit, there is an extremely high chance that you will get fined. You will also likely be forced to stop the project until you receive the permit. That means you’ll end up having to hire a licensed roofing company anyway so you can get the permit and continue the work. In some cases, you may also be required to have any work that has already been performed redone.

Insurance, Safety and Liability Concerns

To be licensed in San Antonio, all roofing contractors must have a certificate proving they have sufficient liability insurance that covers both property damage and bodily injuries. This insurance requirement is definitely one of the biggest reasons why you should always hire a licensed roofing contractor. Hiring an unlicensed contractor that isn’t properly insured could potentially end up costing you a huge amount of money.

For instance, you could end up having to pay the associated repair costs yourself if the contractor or their employees were to damage your home or property during the course of their work. Roofing work is inherently dangerous, and you could also face major liability issues and have to cover all of the medical bills if you hire an uninsured company and one of their roofers get injured while on the job.

Hiring a licensed, insured company will also give you added peace of mind that the work will take all of the necessary precautions to ensure the work is done as safely as possible. Another thing to consider is that any licensed roofer in San Antonio must first undergo a full FBI background check before receiving their license. This is also important for your safety and security since it ensures that the person who owns or operates the company doesn’t have any sort of criminal background that would disqualify them from being licensed.

Another important reason to hire a licensed roofing contractor is that it enables you to file a complaint with the city should the company perform shoddy work or not complete the project as originally agreed. If you ever do need to file a complaint, the city will then perform an investigation and hold a hearing. If they agree that your complaint was valid, the contractor will then have their license suspended or revoked until they either fix the issue or come to some sort of resolution with you.

Workmanship Warranty

While this isn’t always true, most licensed, reputable roofing contractors will stand by the work they perform and offer some sort of labor or workmanship warranty. Asphalt shingles and some other roofing materials come with a manufacturer’s warranty. However, this warranty only protects against material defects and doesn’t cover the labor or any issues that arise due to poor workmanship or improper installation.

Hiring a company that warrants their work or offers some type of workmanship guarantee is yet another way that you can ensure that your roofing project will be done correctly or any issues will be fixed at no cost to you.

Manufacturer Associations

The top roofing manufacturers like Owens Corning and GAF partner with some independent roofing contractors who have proven themselves capable of performing exceptional work and have shown a strong focus on customer service. However, most manufacturers will only partner with licensed, experienced contractors.

Choosing a licensed contractor that is either a manufacturer-authorized installer or dealer is another easy way to know that the work will be performed properly. Many manufacturers also offer extended warranties or better warranty terms when their products are installed by one of their authorized installers.

Your Trusted Local Roofing Company

If you’re searching for the best, most trusted roofing contractor in Terrell Hills and the San Antonio Metro area, look no further than BELDON Roofing Company. We’re a family-owned company that has been providing exceptional roofing services since 1947. We’re fully insured and licensed to do business in San Antonio, and we’re also a licensed member of the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas.

We’re proud to offer an industry-leading 10-year labor warranty on all work we perform. As a GAF Master Select Contractor and an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, we’re able to help you get additional warranties on many of the products we install. Our company is also certified or authorized by many of the other top roofing manufacturers.

Our team of highly skilled roofers has years of experience working on most types of residential and commercial roofs, and we’re ready to handle all of your roof inspection, replacement or repair needs.

If you need to schedule any roofing service or need any gutter, window or siding replacement services, contact us today.

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