How to Choose a Roofer in Connecticut

1. Check the registration

Anyone doing home improvement work in Connecticut, roofing included, has to be registered with the Department of Consumer Protection as a Home Improvement Contractor. The registration number has to appear on the contract and should be on the company’s estimates, vehicles and advertising. The state’s license lookup is public and free: search the number and confirm the name matches and the registration is active.

It matters for more than paperwork. Connecticut runs a Home Improvement Guaranty Fund that can reimburse homeowners when a registered contractor fails to perform — and it only covers work done by registered contractors. Hire someone unregistered and that protection is gone. Ours is HIC.0705614.

2. Get it in writing — Connecticut requires it

Connecticut’s Home Improvement Act (General Statutes section 20-429) sets out what a home improvement contract must be. Among other things it has to be in writing, signed by both you and the contractor, and include the contractor’s name, address and registration number, the start and completion dates, and a notice of your right to cancel within three business days of signing. A contract that leaves those out does not meet the law, and that tells you something about the company that wrote it.

3. Read the estimate for what is in it, not just the total

Two quotes for “a new roof” can describe completely different roofs. A proper estimate names:

• The shingle — the manufacturer and the product line, not just “architectural”.
• Tear-off or a layover, and how many layers are coming off. The code never allows new roofing over two existing layers (IRC R908.3.1.1).
• The ice barrier at the eaves (R905.1.2) and Connecticut’s membrane strip over every deck joint (R905.1.1 as amended).
• The underlayment over the rest of the roof.
• Flashing — whether chimney, wall and valley flashing is being replaced. On a reroof, anything rusted, damaged or deteriorated must be (R908.5).
• Drip edge, required at every eave and rake (R905.2.8.5).
• Deck repair — how rotted sheathing is handled and priced if it is found.
• Ventilation, disposal of the old roof, the permit, and cleanup.

The cheapest quote is often the one that leaves the most of that out. Lay them side by side line by line. See what to expect during a roof replacement.

4. Ask for proof of insurance, from the agent

Ask for certificates of liability insurance and workers’ compensation, and ask for them to be sent to you directly by the contractor’s insurance agent rather than handed over as a photocopy. If a worker is hurt on a roof and the company has no workers’ compensation, the question of who pays can land on the homeowner.

5. The permit

A roof replacement in Connecticut needs a building permit, and the contractor should pull it. A roofer who suggests skipping the permit to save money is suggesting you skip the town inspection that checks the work — and a roof replaced without one can come up when you sell. We pull the permit on every replacement. Small repairs of up to 25 percent of the roof covering in a calendar year do not need one.

6. Understand the warranties

There are two. The manufacturer’s warranty covers defects in the materials; the workmanship warranty covers the installation, which is where most roof problems actually come from. Ask how long the workmanship warranty is, what it covers, and get it in writing. Ours is 25 years. See asphalt shingle roofs.

How to read the reviews

Reviews are worth reading, but read them properly. Look at the dates — a steady trickle over years says more than a burst in one month. Look for detail: a review that names the crew, the house, the problem and how it was handled was written by someone who was there. Read the low ratings and the company’s replies to them, because how a roofer handles a problem tells you more than how it handles a job that went smoothly. And be wary of a company whose only reviews are on its own website.

Red flags

• No registration number, or one that does not check out on the state lookup.
• A knock on the door the morning after a storm, from a company with out-of-state plates.
• Pressure to sign today, or a “price good only if you sign now”.
• A demand for most of the money before any work starts.
• Cash only.
• An offer to “handle” or “negotiate” your insurance claim. In Connecticut that is licensed public adjuster work, not a roofer’s. See roof insurance claims.
• No written estimate, or an estimate that is a single number with no detail.

Questions worth asking every roofer

1. What is your Connecticut HIC registration number?
2. Can your agent send me your liability and workers’ compensation certificates?
3. Will you pull the permit?
4. Is this a tear-off, and how many layers are coming off?
5. Which shingle line, and which underlayment and ice barrier?
6. Are you replacing the flashing, or reusing it?
7. How do you price rotted decking if you find it?
8. How long is your workmanship warranty, and is it in writing?
9. Who will be on my roof — your own crew?
10. What happens if it rains halfway through?

A good roofer will answer every one of those without hesitating. Ask us.

Common questions about hiring a roofer