Every homeowner in Eden Prairie likes to have options when they are searching for a roofing contractor to replace their roof.
But how many roofing contractors does a homeowner need to meet with when they are searching for a new roof?
The simple answer:
3.
Why?
For starters, if you only get one estimate, then you don’t know what other options are available to you in the marketplace (assuming this is the first time a homeowner is getting a new roof).
Inversely, it is excessive if a homeowner gets 8 or 9 estimates because they will then have to spend time meeting with several roofing contractors, when they could otherwise be spending time with family or planning their next vacation.
“I think 3 estimates is a really good number for homeowners,” says Grussing Roofing owner Guy Grussing.
“If this is your first time buying a new roof, I wouldn’t advise only getting 1 or 2 estimates, but I also wouldn’t advise getting 7 or 8. Getting 3 estimates will allow you to meet with a variety of roofing contractors, and then make an educated decision.”
Still, there are some homeowners who want to meet with half a dozen roofing contractors.
In most cases, this is because a homeowner believes this is the best strategy to determine who is the best roofing contractor, but if they’re employing this strategy, they’re likely only focusing on price, as opposed to the quality of work a roofer does, or how they treat their customers.
“Every once in a while, I will meet a homeowner who has already met with six other roofing contractors,” Grussing shares.
“And when I ask them what the most important factor is for them when it comes to choosing who to work with, they often will mention price.”
But it’s not like Grussing is advocating for homeowners to work with a roofing contractor just because they’re the most expensive bid either.
“For the record, being diligent and conscious of price is important. You certainly don’t want to work with a roofing contractor who is overcharging you,” he adds.
“That’s why it’s important to research roofing contractors before setting up an appointment.”
As part of the research process, Grussing recommends that homeowners conduct a simple Google search of prospective roofers in their area.
For example, if a homeowner types in “Eden Prairie roofing companies” on Google, several businesses in the local area will appear.
Also, Google places the best local roofing companies at the top of their searches because they don’t want homeowners to be shown subpar roofing companies who have poor reviews and may not perform a quality roof replacement.
“The roofing companies with the best reviews and a track record of good service are at the top of Google searches,” Grussing says.
“In order to keep people using their search engine, Google is going to recommend quality roofers.”
Another way to vet the roofing contractors, even if they appear at the top of a Google search, is by looking at their reviews on Google.
Since Google reviews can’t be edited or deleted by business owners, the reviews page is a way for homeowners to get a true look at the types of roofing contractors in their area.
“Google doesn’t lie, and for homeowners the reviews are a great resource because they can see the quality of work a roofing contractor will do, as well as how they treat their customers.”
Once a homeowner finds 3 roofing companies who have good reviews, and who they believe are worthy of an in-home consultation, then it’s best to call each company and set up an appointment.
“At that point, I recommend meeting with all 3 companies in-person before making a decision,” Grussing notes.
“The reason that is important is because you want to see how the roofing company presents themselves in real life, and not just on Google. Some roofers will have good Google reviews, but then when homeowners meet them in-person, sometimes the perception doesn’t meet reality.”
Grussing says that some roofing contractors have sales reps who are extremely pushy when it comes to closing deals, or a company may not provide enough information about the services they offer, two things that can make homeowners uncomfortable.
“Grussing Roofing has been in business for 52 years [as of 2023], and the reason is because we are in the relationship business as much as we are in the roofing business,” he explains.
“That means we don’t try to sell homeowners services or products they don’t want or need. Our focus is more on bringing as much value and information to the client as we can, and hopefully that makes us uniquely positioned to solve whatever issues they may be having.”
As for which roofing contractor a homeowner should select, it’s always best that they choose a roofer they are comfortable working with, who they believe will promptly and accurately perform the scope of work, and one who fits their budget.
“Of course, price is important, but there are also other things to take into consideration,” Grussing says, such as asking a roofing contractor if they stand behind the work they do.
At Grussing Roofing, they offer homeowners a 10-year workmanship warranty, so if a homeowner has any issues with their roof years later, Grussing Roofing will happily remedy those issues, at no cost to the homeowner.
“We offer the 10-year warranty to give homeowners peace of mind, but in all the years I’ve been roofing, there have only been a handful of houses that we’ve had to go back to and make a small repair,” he says.
“Here’s the thing though: the reason we offer the 10-year warranty is because that’s how strongly we believe in the work that we do, and how committed we are to doing things right the first time so that we don’t ever have to come back to fix something.”
Therefore, if a roofing company in Eden Prairie doesn’t offer homeowners a 10-year workmanship warranty, homeowners may want to ask themselves if that roofing company will be around if they have problems with their roof.
“It’s also key to ask how long a roofing company has been business. For example, a company that has only been in business for two years, even if they offer a 10-year workmanship warranty that is completely valid, you don’t know if they will have your back because they may go out of business in 2 years,” Grussing explains.
“That’s one advantage we have as a roofing company, is that we have been in business for so long [52 years], that when we tell homeowners we stand behind our work, it’s not something we just say; it’s something that we have proven consistently over many years.” QS