Part 1 - How to Hire a Commercial Flat Roofing Contractor

A leaky roof can be the cause of major headaches for facility managers, tenants and property managers, but hiring the wrong roofing contractor can make things even worse! The purpose of this article is to provide guidelines for hiring the right commercial roofing contractor. Follow these steps and your roofing problems will disappear. (Of course, if you are located in California, Nevada or Arizona, you can just contact me - what could be easier?!!)

The best way to protect yourself and those you represent is to insist on working only with a professional. What is a professional roofing contractor? A professional generally is recognized as a person who has hands-on experience, specialized knowledge and received intensive training. So how can you tell a qualified contractor from an unqualified one? There are no foolproof methods, but there are some important things that you can do to help make the best possible decision.

License and bond

Most states have licensing requirements for Roofing Contractors. In California, where I live, the law requires roofing contractors be licensed and bonded. Check to see if a prospective roofing contractor is properly licensed and bonded by visiting www.cslb.ca.gov

There are a three ways to check the status: by Contractors license number, by Contractor Company Name, by Contractor Personnel Name.


You should check all three!! Check for any disciplinary actions that have been filed against the contractor. Determine if the qualifying partner or qualifying individual listed on the license is involved with other entities and investigate those entities too. Oftentimes a clever but shady contractor can make minor changes to a business name and hide a disreputable or problematic past. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions! Professionals will appreciate your diligence and attention to detail while undesirables will run and hide.

Performance Bond
You may also want to consider a Performance bond when working with a contractor for the first time. A performance bond adds roughly 1-2% to the cost of the project and ensures that the contractor will complete the job in accordance with the specifications and schedule. A professional Roofing contractor will not have any problem obtaining a performance bond.

That wraps up Part 1 - but remember, these are only the BARE Minimum requirements. You should stay tuned for Part 2 to for more sophisticated advice and tips that can really save you from trouble!

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