When you’re getting work done on your roof, you might be feeling a bit lost or unsure how to tell if it’s going well. Roofing naturally is a bit of a messy project, so if you’re not a roofing expert, it can easily be unclear if things are progressing as they should.
Here at RoofSmart, we have completed thousands of roofing jobs, meaning that we have guided customers through their questions about how work is going on their roofs thousands of times.
This article will explain to you the communication methods that we will use to update you so that you know how the roof project is going from start to finish.
How will RoofSmart communicate with me?
What scheduling updates do customers receive?
The first step in our official communication process with you begins after you have signed your proposal and it becomes the contract. Within a week of signing, you will be placed on our schedule with a tentative start date.
Once that happens, you’ll receive an email from us that gives you instructions on how to sign into the customer portal to see your scheduling information. Our Production Coordinator will also call you on that same day to let you know that you’re on the schedule and when work will begin on your roof.
The spring and fall are our busiest times of year, so you will most likely be scheduled a couple of months out. In that case, we will give you a call a week before your scheduled date to check in and remind you that we’ll be there soon. Sometimes the schedule will shift due to weather or something causing a delay.
What does regular communication during the roofing job look like?
It isn’t always easy to tell if your roof job is going well. When pieces of the roof are being torn off or the roof is in the middle of being replaced, it can be difficult to know if things are still going smoothly.
That’s why we like to communicate with you regularly to confirm that we are on track and to notify you if any changes need to be made.
The main way that we will update you on the project is by calling you.
We will call you if a major change needs to be added to your contract. For example, if we discover a new issue with your roof while we are working on it, then we will reach out to you immediately to inform you of the issue.
Our Production Manager and our Production Coordinator are the ones who will typically give you a call about these changes. They are the ones who are in charge of making sure that the crews are prepped for each job and checking in with them to see how each job is progressing. Then, they’ll reach out to you if a big change is needed.
Another method of communication that we use is placing door hangers on your front door.
The door hangers tell you:
- How many more days the project will take
- What the crew worked on that day
- How much material was used (this is mainly for sheets of plywood)
The door hangers are convenient for when you are out of the house all day and you cannot be reached by phone.
What do we do when we find issues on your roof?
When the Production Manager or the Production Coordinator calls you, they will describe the issue that was found on your roof and discuss how much it will cost to fix it. Typically, it will be a simple fix.
Sometimes, when we run into an issue there isn’t any option other than to fix it. For example, when we discover that your roof has rotting wood, we have to install new sheets of plywood. There isn’t anything else that can be done. That is the only solution, and it must happen so that the rest of the roof work can continue.
Rotting wood is not structurally sound and is not a good foundation for shingles. If you let rotting wood continue to rot, it will continue to weaken until it gives out, which means you’d have to pay to get your new roof redone again.
If the issue is more complicated than that, they will explain what needs to be done to fix it and what your options are. We want to be clear with you about how much it will cost and how much time it will add to the project.
Before we make any major changes that were not included in your proposal, we will use this phone call to get your permission to do it.
Once we get your permission, these changes will be added to the project via change order. You will see these change orders reflected in the final invoice that you’ll receive once the roof is finished.
We understand that getting work done on your roof, especially when it’s a replacement, is already an expensive process. We advise that you plan for the potential of these issues arising by setting aside a few thousand dollars for unexpected costs.
This way, you’ll be prepared both mentally and financially if something does come up. It isn’t always necessary, but it can be helpful if we do call you about a change that needs to happen.
How to get started with RoofSmart
Now that you know the best ways to check in on the project and who will be contacting you, you no longer need to feel lost or unsure of what to expect. You can approach the roof repair or replacement process with confidence knowing that we will keep you informed every day.
If you like what you read, and feel like we’re a good fit, the next step is to schedule an inspection with our team. Give us a call at (206) 487-4877 or fill out this short form to contact us and get started today. We look forward to hearing from you!
