Guide
What to ask before you sign anything
Ask all three contractors the same list. Comparing the answers is far more revealing than comparing the totals.
Get it looked at
Three questions, and up to three Gardena contractors. Free either way.
You are on the list.
No provider in Gardena is taking requests through this service yet. We are lining them up, and yours is kept until one can.
- Nobody gets your details yet. Your request stays with us and is not passed to any company.
- One email when someone can help. When a provider covering your area can take it on, we email you once and ask whether you want that company, by name, to contact you.
- Deleted after 90 days. If nobody can take it on, or you do not say yes, your contact details are deleted 90 days after your request.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
Nobody will call you about this request unless you say yes to a company by name.
"Can I see a job you finished five years ago?"
Recent work shows tidiness. Older work shows competence. Ask for the older one.
"What does your workmanship warranty cover, and for how long?"
Material warranties come from the manufacturer and are conditional on correct installation. The workmanship warranty is the contractor's own promise, and it is worth exactly as much as the company behind it.
"What happens if the decking is rotten?"
The right answer is a specific price per sheet, written into the contract before work starts. A vague answer here is how a fixed price stops being fixed on day two.
"What is your licence number, and who holds it?"
The follow-up matters more than the answer: does the entity on the licence match the entity on the paperwork, and is it active today?
"Who is actually doing the work?"
Ask how long this specific crew has worked together. Roofing companies keep their name and change their hands more often than most trades.
"What underlayment, and how are the valleys done?"
This is the question that reveals whether you are comparing the same roof. Underlayment, ice-and-water placement, drip edge and valley treatment are where quotes quietly diverge.
In short
Six questions, three contractors, one afternoon. It is the cheapest insurance available on a job this size.
Related questions
Why three quotes and not one?
One quote is a number with no context. Three gives you a range, and the conversation about why they differ is where you learn what you are actually buying.
Can I just put a new roof over the old one?
Often you legally can, and it is usually a poor idea. Overlaying hides the condition of the decking, adds weight, shortens the life of the new shingles by trapping heat, and doubles the cost of the next tear-off.
How long does a re-roof take?
Two days is typical for asphalt. Add days for steep pitch, multiple layers to strip, tile work, or a roof with a lot of valleys and penetrations.
What is it going to cost?
No cost. We email you once when a provider near you can take it on.