You’re not sure why but water has started to leak into your commercial building. You’re guessing it’s coming from somewhere on the roof. So, you’re wondering: what should you do?
Well, you’re going to need emergency commercial roof leak repair. But how do you go about finding it? We will cover that in detail below, showing you exactly what to do when dealing with a leaky roof on your commercial property.
Make Sure Its Actually an Emergency
First, you should make sure it’s actually an emergency. Not all roofing problems need to be fixed as soon as possible. By waiting for standard roofing services, you can save money.
Let’s get this out of the way first: roof leaking is always an emergency. If you have a leaking roof, you need to call up your local commercial roofer as soon as possible. The quicker you fix the leak, the less damage it will do to your commercial property.
Now, what types of problems can get by with standard roof repair? A few (though not over 5) missing shingles, small roof cracks, and light physical trauma.
Note, however, that if, for example, a large branch fell down on your roof, you need to call an emergency roofer as soon as possible. The weight of the falling branch could compromise the structural integrity of your building and needs to be dealt with swiftly.
Search Online For Commercial Roof Leak Repair Companies
Once you’ve decided it’s an emergency, you should utilize Google to search for prospective roofing repair companies. Type in something to the effect of “emergency commercial roof repair” or “leak roof repair for commercial building”. This will provide you with a range of companies in your area.
Next to each prospect, you’ll see a star rating. You should use this star rating to gauge the prospect’s quality. You should then compile a list of 3 to 5 prospects for further comparison.
It’s best to only choose prospects with 4-star overall ratings or higher.
Ensure the Prospect Has Worked With Your Roofing Material Before
There are all sorts of commercial roofing materials out there. These run the gamut from modified bitumen to built-up asphalt to EPDM and more. Regardless of the material you have, you need to make sure you choose a roof repair company with experience in repairing it.
Some companies specify this information on their websites. Other websites provide only generalized information on their websites. For the latter group, you’ll just need to call them up and ask.
Never choose a repair company that hasn’t worked with your material before. If you do, you’ll essentially serve as a Guinea pig for that particular roofer. In other words, their lack of experience in repairing such a roof risks causing it further damage.
Check for Insurance
When hiring a roofer to work on your property’s roof, you risk damage being done to the roof in some way. In fact, there’s a small chance of the roofer damaging other parts of your property as well.
This can happen with any company and has little to do with incompetence. Even seasoned roofers make mistakes. The important thing is that the roofer’s mistakes are covered by insurance.
Therefore, before hiring your emergency roofer, you need to check for insurance coverage. You should not only check for general liability insurance but for workers’ compensation insurance as well. The former will protect you financially in the event of damage; the latter will protect you financially in the event of a roofing employee being injured on your property.
Make sure to see official proof of both of these policies before signing any contracts.
Ensure that the Roofer Is Licensed
Not only should the roofer have insurance but the proper licensure as well. Licensure shows that the roofer is legitimate and that they’re being regulated by an overseeing body. This protects you, the customer.
In the state of Massachusetts, roofers need to have contractor licenses, in particular. You can check whether a specific roofer has this license by using the Massachusetts license lookup tool. Enter the roofer’s name and see if the required license pops up.
Ask for Estimates
You should also ask for estimates. This way, you’ll have a general idea of how much money you owe after services are provided. If you don’t get estimates, you risk receiving an exorbitantly high bill.
How do you go about getting an estimate? Call the prospect up and explain your roof problem. They’ll assess the situation and provide you with an itemized estimate. If a roofer is hesitant to give you an estimate, they can’t be trusted and should be passed by.
Once you’ve obtained a few estimates, you should compare them. When doing this, make sure not to put too much stock into particularly high or particularly low estimates. High estimates don’t always indicate high quality. Conversely, low estimates don’t always indicate low quality or a good deal.
You have to lump cost formation in with all of the other selection criteria. Then, you can determine whether the company’s other qualities justify its cost.
On the Hunt for Emergency Commercial Roof Leak Repair in Massachusetts?
Is your commercial property in need of roof leak repair? On the hunt for emergency commercial roof leak repair in Massachusetts? If so, look no further than Eagle River Roofing Services Corporation.
We’ve repaired leaky roofs on countless New England buildings. Regardless of the cause of the leak, our team will have you covered.
Contact us now to schedule an emergency appointment!