Choosing a new roof can seem like quite the process, and frankly – anything that you don’t do very often can seem overwhelming. Today, we’ve got a simple step-by-step plan that can walk you through the process. In doing things this way, you’ll have more confidence in your decision and just as important – in your investment. 

Our biggest word of advice is to follow the right steps to a decision yourself as opposed to having your contractor do it. Because if you’re going the contractor’s way, you will arrive at their decision. Not yours. 

Here’s the process and how everything works. 

What you need vs. what you want

Anything you do with a home should have this be the first thing you do. Whether it’s buying a home, remodeling a space, building an addition or even roofing – you need to process what you need vs. what you want in a roof. Stick as closely to the ‘need’ as possible. 

Choose your product. 

The next step is to find the kind of roofing material that you want to use. There’s all sorts of choices out there, and it really just comes down to what you want to spend. Metal roofs obviously will last longer and on the whole, are more cost-effective roofsl but they’re also pretty expensive up front. Slate and asphalt roofs are 100% fine, but they won’t have the lifespan of a metal roof.

Then it’s a matter of color, style and the like. There’s a lot of great manufacturers out there as well. Don’t be afraid to fall back on some builder’s associations for advice on what materials are best for your home. And speaking of which…

Make sure it works for your home

Not every product will work with every home. Make sure you send photos of your home to the manufacturer to make sure your product is suitable for your home. Don’t get stuck with a good product with the wrong application. Request the manufacturer’s input. No one will know better than them as to how to use their products. 

Get help finding a contractor

Ask your manufacturer for the names of contractors who not only have experience installing their products, but whom they trust and have observed as reliable and dependable. Most won’t have a problem pointing you in the direction of some good contractors in your area. 

Meet with the contractor

This one could be a blog unto itself; but the next step will be to finally meet with the contractor. Make sure you get an idea of the following:

When you get those questions answered, it’ll help bring your decision as to whom to go with into clearer focus. Again, make sure you stick to the guns and make decisions on your terms, not theirs. 

Hopefully this plan will help make the process a little bit less overwhelming. Good luck!