Most of what separates a good roofing contractor from a bad one can be checked before you meet them. New Jersey requires every home improvement contractor to hold a registration in the form 13VH plus eight digits, and the register is public; the certificate of insurance names the carrier and the limits; GAF and Owens Corning both publish their certified contractors. These eight tips are the checks in the order worth doing them, and where each one is verified.
1. Look for Local Experience
Local experience is not a slogan, it is knowing what is under the shingles on your street. Morris County housing runs from 1910 Hapgood stucco houses in Mountain Lakes with a median build year of 1949, through 1950s and 1960s stock in Dover and Rockaway Borough, to 1980s colonials in Chester Township. A contractor who works here knows which of those will have two layers on the deck and which town’s construction office wants what. Ask where their last five jobs were.
2. Check for Proper Licensing and Insurance
Verify the registration yourself rather than accepting a number on a business card. New Jersey home improvement contractor registrations look like 13VH followed by eight digits and the register shows whether one is active – ours is 13VH10877700, registered to Boundless GC LLC of Rockaway. Then ask for the certificate of insurance: it should name the carrier, the policy period and the limits for general liability and workers’ compensation. We carry general liability at $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate.
3. Ask About Warranties
There are two warranties and they are not the same. The manufacturer warranty covers the materials, and where a certified installer has fitted a complete system it covers the system; the workmanship warranty is the contractor’s own promise and is worth exactly what the contractor is worth. Ask which one you are being offered, for how long, and what voids it – inadequate attic ventilation voids more manufacturer warranties than anything else.
4. Get Multiple Quotes
Get three quotes and make them comparable, which means itemised: tear-off and disposal, the deck-repair rate per sheet, drip edge, ice-and-water membrane at the eaves and valleys, underlayment, starter, shingles, new flashing at every wall and chimney, pipe boots, ridge vent and clean-up. A quote thousands below the others is usually missing three of those rather than being a better deal. Ask each contractor how many layers are already on your deck too – under New Jersey Residential Code R908.3.1 a recover is not allowed over two existing layers, so that answer changes the job.
5. Read Reviews and Testimonials
Read the reviews rather than the rating. Look at the recent ones, look at whether the owner replies, and look for a review that describes something going wrong and how it was dealt with – that tells you more than ten that say ‘great job’. Boundless is 5.0 from 99 Google reviews and the replies are on them; check the BBB listing too, where we are Accredited with an A+ rating.
6. Inspect Past Work
Ask for addresses, not photographs. Any contractor can show you pictures; a contractor who has worked your town can tell you which street and what the roof was. If your house is in a historic district – and Morris County has several, including Mountain Lakes, the German Valley district in Long Valley and Mount Tabor in Parsippany – ask whether they have worked inside one before, because the rules and the detailing are different.
7. Ensure Effective Communication
Effective communication is key to a successful roofing project. From the initial consultation to the final inspection, your contractor should be open and responsive to your questions and concerns. A reliable contractor will take the time to explain the project, discuss any potential challenges, and keep you informed throughout the process. If a contractor is difficult to reach or fails to provide clear answers, it might be best to look elsewhere.
8. Avoid Storm Chasers
Storm chasers arrive within days of hail or high wind, knock doors, offer to handle the insurance claim and want a signature the same afternoon. The tells are an out-of-state plate, no New Jersey 13VH registration number on the paperwork, and pressure to sign before you have a second quote. A local contractor is still there in three years when the workmanship warranty matters; a storm chaser is in another state.
Conclusion
Run all eight on us. Boundless GC LLC has roofed New Jersey homes since 2012 and holds New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor registration #13VH10877700, which anyone can look up on the state licence register. We are a GAF Certified Contractor and an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor, BBB Accredited with an A+ rating, and carry general liability insurance at $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate; the certificate goes out before work starts if you ask for it. Our Google rating is 5.0 from 99 reviews. We work out of 9 Stony Brook Road in Rockaway and a second office in Flanders, and 973-960-7921 is answered 24 hours a day, every day. Free itemised written estimates for roof repair, roof replacement and roof inspection.
