ARE YOU PROTECTED?

A few simple questions to ask your roofer.

Back in the day, roof retrofits and other construction projects were much easier to administer: Get two or three bids, award the contract to the lowest bidder, pay on completion with a 10% holdback for forty days, then on to the next problem.

To the (unpleasant) surprise of some property managers, times and circumstances have changed. With the ongoing leaking condo problem, new contractors have proliferated and some of the older ones have changed hands. In an increasingly litigious environment, more than one roofer faces bankruptcy or struggles to stay afloat, while others have lost their insurance coverage or cannot get a policy under their company name.

To weed out the unqualified bidders and avoid some potentially expensive outcomes, a few simple questions to protect yourself are in order. Any contractor who is unwilling or unable to quickly provide satisfactory answers should be eliminated as a potential supplier.

1.       May I see a copy of your insurance certificate?

Roofing companies routinely submit these with public tenders, and should have a stack of them by the fax machine. Any delay in producing a copy of insurance and one should raise a red flag.  Increasingly, insurance companies are raising their rates and eliminating bad risks, so some roofing companies have no coverage or have been forced to agree to dangerously high deductibles. A few have purchased coverage from questionable offshore sources.

2.       May I see your Workers’ Compensation Board clearance letter?

Again, this is a routine request, but may help you eliminate a questionable bid. Due to financial difficulties, or a high assessment brought on by poor performance, some firms have let their coverage lapse. The W.C.B. issues clearance letters on a quarterly basis, and if everything is in order, a copy can be readily produced. If you knowingly or unknowingly hire a tradesman with no W.C.B. coverage, you could be liable for a personal injury or property damage.

3.       What sort of safety program do you have?  Will your workers and my property be protected?

Reputable companies can quickly produce a copy of their company safety program. By law, they must have one, and many companies have been fined for non-compliance.

Vancouver by-laws (Subsection 8.1.4., VBBL) require most commercial construction projects to have an On-site Construction Safety Program administered by a certified Construction Safety Officer. Sub-contractors require a Trades Safety Coordinator.

Ask to speak to the Company Safety Officer about the steps that will be taken on your project.

4.       Why are you recommending this type of roofing?

Torch-on, built-up roofing, and cold process applications all have their advantages. Your roofer should be a manufacturer-approved applicator and have access to a range of products. Almost all roofers offer torch-on roofs, but has the risk of fire been considered?

Some recent developments in tar-applied membranes have given rise to cost-effective systems that provide the same advantages as torch-on without the application risks.

If yours is a steep roof, does the roofer have access to the products of a number of suppliers?

5.       Where is your business located? Is it okay if I drop by?

Some companies have only a residential or mailing address, and really only operate “out of the truck”. If it’s necessary to resort to your guarantee in a few years, will anyone answer the phone?

6.       Is your company a member of the Roofing Contractors Association of British Columbia (RCABC)?         

7.       Is your company a member of the Better Business Bureau?