Whether it’s storm damage, new construction, or wear and tear on an existing building, Advantage Construction has seen it all. If you need a roofer, your biggest question is whether to hire one of the big national roofing companies, a larger regional roofer, or a local roofing company like Advantage Construction.
Here are a few reasons you should consider hiring a local roofing company.
Better Customer Service
Roofing is a popular enough construction need that word of mouth plays a major part in a roofer getting a call to do business. Because of that, reputation in the community where the roofer operates is vital. The better the reputation a roofer has in the community, the more likely someone will recommend them to someone looking to hire.
The best way to earn that referral is to be laser-focused on customer service. Returning phone calls promptly, answering customer questions, billing fairly, finishing jobs on time, and explaining building plans are all something that successful local roofers make a habit of doing.
Knowledge of Local Laws, Rules, and Regulations
It seems every community across the nation has different rules and zoning regulations. Those can include, but are not limited to:
- Permitting processes
- Required permits
- Safety requirements
- Building codes
- Cleanup and disposal requirements
- Environmental mitigation, including storm damage response
- Materials codes
- Locality driven rules
- Fire codes
- Zoning codes
- Work hours rules and other HR-related requirements
- Required quality standards
A local roofing company will have a strong knowledge of local building codes and standards because they work in that area. A larger regional or national roofer will probably know all the rules, but do you really want to rely on “probably” when the price for non-compliance could result in fines, suspension of permits, or having to replace work that is already completed?
Strong, Open, and Frequent Communication
Just like customer service is paramount to the local roofer, so is active communication with anyone associated, even loosely, with the work being done. Open and frequent communication whenever needed or could facilitate a project is as important to a local roofer’s success as it is to the customer’s comfort level.
Communication can suffer when workers are not local and have little interest in talking to “the locals.” They want to get the job done and move on to the next cookie-cutter roofing job. Your local roofing professional will explain things, answer questions, and talk through issues much more easily because their livelihood depends on it.
Community Ties
Local roofers are attached to the local community. Even if they do not live close by, the business is local and depends on local goodwill to excel. In most cases, that means the owner will take the time to develop relationships with the community.
If for no other reason, those relationships give the potential customer a way to verify the reputation of the business.
Quick Response to Storm and Hail Damage
If you rely on a roofing contractor located more than 5 miles away, there is no guarantee that the roofer will even be aware of weather events that cause damage.
Your home could experience a violent thunderstorm, while their home could be bright and sunny. Because of that, the more local a roofer is, the more likely they will understand your concern and urgency.
The downside to being known and respected locally is that a local roofer might be very busy after a major storm, but the upside is you will get someone who wants to do a great job as quickly as possible.
Quality Services
Because of their reputation and the importance word-of-mouth plays in securing customers, local roofers will usually provide higher-quality services. That is not universal, of course, but a bad reputation translates into less and less business for most local roofers. Because of that, it is easy to emphasize the quality of work they do and their superb customer service.
Local Roofing Contractor Know the Neighborhood
Neighborhood knowledge has two parts: Knowing the best deals for quality building supplies, which is critically important, and understanding what works best in your neck of the woods.
Vendor Knowledge
Much like understanding zoning and permitting laws is something only locals will understand, the same can be said for knowing local vendors. That is important because knowing where the best deals that do not sacrifice quality are located can save hundreds on a job.
Additionally, most vendors only sell products that work in your area. That ties into the second part of this point: Understanding the local environment.
Weather and Seasons
If your roofer is unfamiliar with the weather and seasons you experience, they might go with materials that do not hold up well over time. Not having hurricane-proof shingles in Florida, for example, is a risk every hurricane season. Putting shingles made for hot, dry weather in cold, wet New England is a prescription for early wear and tear.
A local roofer will know both which vendors to trust and what materials they will need to make sure you have the best roof possible.
References are Easy
Local roofers have more easily contacted references. Plus, if you want to see firsthand what the roofer is capable of, you can travel to a job site without much problem. With some roofers, references are legitimate, but a ways away, meaning you likely will not go and see their work, even if you can discuss the roofer with a reference. Seeing is always a better option.
Insurance and Licenses
A local roofer will usually have the appropriate licenses and be insured because the stakes if they are caught are not just fines or a license suspension. It could mean they lose customers that learn of non-compliance issues and do not want to bother with them.
Hire a Local Roofing Company Today!
A local roofer will almost always do a better job. Advantage construction is a local roofer that offers free consultations on your next roofing job. Committed to providing quality services and securing happy customers, Advantage Construction brings all of the above to the table.
Contact us today to speak with our expert roofing team!
