Everything You Need to Know About Roofing Contracts
Roofing contracts protect your rights as a customer. It ensures your roofer fulfills all their responsibilities and sticks with your stipulated budget.
The contract must set everyone's expectations, set the working hours of roofers, achieve the objectives stated in the contract, and more.
Here's everything you need to know about roofing contracts.
What You'll See
A well-written contract includes the address, phone number, and email address of your contractor. Furthermore, it will state the project's overview (the problem they've found on your roof) and the scope of work or the details of the solutions they would implement.
Next, the contract should show the roofing materials they'll use, their roofing license number, and liability insurance provider and coverage. It must also include the start and finish dates of the roofing project, penalties for the deadline, payment terms and schedule, payment methods, termination clauses, and warranties.
Be aware that there are two types of roofing contracts:
Fixed-Price Contracts: Reputable roofers and homeowners prefer fixed-price contracts because it's cost-effective and sets definite times. It is a contract that includes all the estimated costs of the entire project. The amount you see in this fixed-price contract is what you pay – anything else not stipulated but paid for by your roofer is their responsibility.
Time-and-Materials Contracts: In this contract, homeowners will have to pay for the amount of time and materials the roofer spent throughout the project. The contract is typically undesirable because homeowners are uncertain about the final price of the service.
Contract Counsel has an in-depth post about roofing contracts. Read more below.
What Should Be in a Roofing Contract?
Every roofing contract should contain the following components:
Business Details
Every contract should have basic information about the roofing company's business, including the license number, insurance information, and physical address. This information assures the homeowner about the legitimacy of the business. The contract should also include the name, address, phone number, and email address for the homeowner, as well as where the work will be done if the location is different from the property owner's home address. Every roofing contract should also come with copies of proof of insurance, including:
Bonding (if applicable).
Worker's compensation insurance.
Liability.
Roofing companies should also provide proof that they are in compliance with local codes and state laws and ordinances, including:
Licenses, required permits, zoning notices, and inspections.
Legal jurisdiction governing contract.
Scope of Work
The scope of work defines what exactly the roofer will be doing and the labor and materials necessary to complete the job. If the homeowner ordered a complete roofing system, the contract should specify the accessories that will be used for installation. For example, there may be components on top of the shingles, including ridge cap shingles, leak barriers, vents, roof deck protection, and starter strip shingles.
Duration of Project
Homeowners generally expect the work to start anywhere from two to six weeks after the contract is signed. However, this can vary depending on the time of year and whether the contractor has a backlog of jobs. Regardless of when they can start, the contractor should be straightforward about their availability so that the homeowner has a reasonable expectation. After the contractor begins working on the roof, the job should not be interrupted by anything other than the weather.
While the length of time it takes to install a roof can vary depending on the size of the home, an asphalt shingle roof typically takes approximately one week to complete. Adverse weather conditions can also create unexpected delays that can affect the project duration. In general, though, an experienced roofer should be able to give an accurate timeline for the project. There may be a "no later than" clause required by some jurisdictions. In the event that the contractor failed to start the project on time, this clause would render the contract null and void.
Materials and Services
A roofing contract should list all materials and services included within the scope of the job, in addition to the basic roofing and labor required. If not mentioned in the contract, permit acquisition fees and cleanup and disposal services are topics you should discuss with the contractor. The contract should also include the specific product names and information about manufacturer warranties for those products (Continue reading here to learn more).
At Slavin Home Improvements, you get the best residential and commercial roofing contracts that take care of your current problems. We make sure we get the job done properly before the deadline. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
