Henry Staggs, Owner of Roofix, llc

Should I hire the largest company?

The size of the company does not necessarily reflect the quality of the company’s craftsmanship. Ask for recommendations and find out what other people who have hired the company say about their work.

Should I hire based on price?

Do not base hiring a contractor on price alone. If you hire the lowest bidder you may get what you paid for. Hiring the highest bidder may also not be the correct choice. Sometimes the middle guy tends to be the guy with an honest price. What is most important is that the price should include the cost of the job with a reasonable profit for the tradesperson. A great company with a reasonable price is Melvin Belk Roofing, you can Learn More about their prices and contractor services by visiting their website.

Will every contractor that bids include the same items?

The answer is no. Make sure that you compare apples to apples. Read each bid to see if all are offering to do the same thing. It is really hard to know if it is fair price or not, if you do not know what they are proposing to do and why. If need be, there are consultants who can help you compare bids for a fee.

Are the BBB and Yelp the only places to check out a contractor’s reputation?

The answer is no. Although it is certainly good to check out your contractor on the BBB and Yelp, remember that anyone can post just about anything online.

Ask the contractor for their ROC (Arizona Registrar of Contractors) number, then go to the ROC web site (azroc.gov) and look them up. The ROC investigates complaints to make sure they are legitimate so if you see one listed it is serious. The site shows you how long the company has been in business (under that license) or if they are not licensed at all. You can also see their license classification to determine if they are licensed to do the work they are proposing to do for you.

ROC’s “recovery fund” helps homeowners in case a licensed contractor fails to do their job correctly. If you file a complaint against a contractor it will be investigated and the job may be fixed using money from the recovery fund.

The ROC is totally funded by contractors and no tax money is used to run it; 10 percent of the money that the ROC raises is sent to the State General Fund.

Is it a good idea to hire a contractor who does not have a license?

No. Your investment is much safer if you hire a company with a license.

Henry Staggs owns Roofix, llc and has worked in the construction industry for over 20 years. Roofix can be reached at 480-265-1613.