How To Find Reliable Roofers Near You

When the time comes to replace or repair your roof, choosing the right roofing contractor for your project is an important decision. Searching online for roofers near you will likely bring up dozens, if not hundreds, of results.

How can you quickly narrow down your list to the most trusted, reputable roofing companies in your area? Read on to learn more about what you can do to help streamline the process of finding and hiring a trusted roofing contractor for the job.

WHAT IS A ROOFING CONTRACTOR?

Unlike a home renovation or general contractor, a roofing contractor is a professional who specializes in repairing, replacing, or installing new roofs. Sometimes also referred to as roofers, they are trained to work with different roofing materials, such as shingles, underlayment, ventilation, and other roofing system components. A great roofing contractor can handle various types of roofing projects, from small repairs to total roof replacement.

Typically roofing contractors run their own crews and jobs directly with homeowners but sometimes they are hired (or sub-contracted) by other contractors or builders to install their roofs. In some cases, roofing contractors also utilize sub-contracted labor based on the volume of their workload or on their business model. In this case, it’s important to understand the level of oversight your contractor will provide to sub-contracted crews. The contractor you hire is ultimately responsible for your roofing job regardless of the type of installers he has. Be sure to ask questions before you sign the contract.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING A ROOFING CONTRACTOR

While many factors go into choosing a roofing contractor, here are a few basic considerations:

Ratings and Reviews

Start by checking a roofing contractor’s ratings and reviews. Ask around. Ask your neighbors, friends and family members who they’ve used for roofing work in the past.

You can also check out online reviews, such as:

• GuildQuality
• Better Business Bureau (BBB)
• Google Reviews
• Facebook Reviews

Pro Tip: Find independent roofing contractors near you in the Owens Corning Roofing Contractor Network on our contractor listing page where you can easily filter results by average rating or sort by review count or star rating.

Manufacturer Network Membership

Determine if the roofing company belongs to a manufacturer’s network. Most roofing manufacturers have multi-level, or tiered, professional networks or membership programs that contractors can join if they meet certain criteria.

Benefits

If you hire a roofer that belongs to a manufacturer’s program, then you may have access to additional benefits, such as extended warranties, in addition to some reassurances about their business practices.

Learn more about the Owens Corning Roofing Contractor Network.

Physical Address and/or Commitment to Service Area

A roofing company may have a physical address locally, or they may serve a larger area outside of their main office.

Is the roofer you’re thinking about hiring going to be in your area one year or more after the work is completed?

Who will you call if there is a problem in the future?

Find out how long the company has been in business, and if they don’t have a physical location in your area, check the BBB and other trusted references to see if the roofing company is a legit operation in good standing. This can help you to avoid scammers and questionable companies that pop up after a severe storm.

Insurance

Make sure the roofing contractor you choose is adequately insured. Ask the roofer how their insurance protects you and your property. Individual states and counties require different insurance coverage.

A roofing contractor should explain the differences in their coverage/policies, for example, Workers Comp vs. General Liability.

References

Ask roofing contractors if they have references, including names of past customers.

Credentials

Requirements vary by location, so make sure the roofing contractor you choose has all the proper licensing and permits required to perform the work in your area.

Pro Tip: Download our Contractor Checklist, which includes 13 questions to ask before hiring a roofer to help you find and choose the right contractor for your roofing project.

What Is the Owens Corning Roofing Contractor Network?

Owens Corning has been a well-recognized and trusted leader in the building industry for more than 75 years. The company developed its Roofing Contractor Network to help you access quality roofing contractors with expertise in their field.

The Owens Corning Roofing Contractor Network (OCCN) has three contractor tiers:

• Owens Corning Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractors
• Owens Corning Roofing Preferred Contractors
• Owens Corning Roofing Contractor Rewards

All three contractor levels have access to training and education through Owens Corning University (OCU). Each level has a unique set of standards and brings particular benefits to the roofing contractor and their customers.

Owens Corning’s network of established contractors helps make it easy to choose a local contractor that you can depend on. And, when you opt for an Owens Corning Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractor, you can be assured they’ve met the high standards developed by Owens Corning for installation, financial stability and customer service.

What Does Independent Roofing Contractor Mean?

While Owens Corning does the tough job of initially vetting the roofing contractors in its network, each roofing contractor or company is an independent entity and not affiliated with Owens Corning in any way.

Make sure you do a thorough job evaluating each contractor before you hire.

Should you have a concern or a problem with a roofing contractor, you need to bring it up with the roofing contractor rather than Owens Corning.

Owens Corning Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractors

Roofing contractors at the Platinum Preferred level are top-tier, independent roofing contractors in the Owens Corning Roofing exclusive network of building professionals. Every Platinum Preferred roofing contractor meets strict standards for reliability, professionalism and craftsmanship.

Only Platinum Preferred Roofing Contractors can offer Owens Corning’s exclusive Platinum Protection Limited Warranty*.

If you purchase a laminate shingle like Oakridge® or Duration®, the benefits to this warranty are a 50-year TRU PROtection Period and a Lifetime workmanship period as long as you own your home(workmanship coverage reduced after 25 years).

Certifications / Qualifications

To reach the Platinum Preferred Contractor level, applicants must do the following:

• Pass an installation workmanship inspection
• Carry a minimum of $1 million in general liability insurance
• Demonstrate financial stability
• Showcase exemplary customer service
• Have been in business for three years (under the same name)

Owens Corning Roofing Preferred Contractors

Owens Corning Roofing Preferred Contractors are independent roofing contractors “who meet high standards and strict requirements for professionalism and reliability.”

Additional qualification for Preferred Contractors include:

• General liability insurance (at least $1 million)
• Fully licensed and insured by state, local and federal law (as required)
• Approved business credit rating

Owens Corning provides Preferred Contractors with full marketing support. Additionally, roofing contractors at this level can offer their customers two warranties:

• System Protection Limited Warranty* and
• Preferred Protection Limited Warranty*.

Pro Tip: Learn more about Owens Corning warranties on our Warranties 101 page.

Contractor Rewards

Contractor Rewards is the foundational or entry-level tier of OCCN and helps assure you that the roofing contractor is permitted to sell Owens Corning products and has enrolled in its contractor rewards program.

Roofing Contractor Ratings and Reviews

As part of the Owens Corning Roofing Quality Assurance Program, we work with an independent third party, GuildQuality, to collect the data for Ratings & Reviews via homeowner surveys.

Surveys are conducted for every extended warranty* registered, including the Owens Corning Platinum Protection Limited Warranty, the Preferred Protection Limited Warranty and the System Protection Limited Warranty. The results of this survey are automatically uploaded and posted on the Find a Contractor page.