THE ROOFERS WHO CALL YOU BACK
How to choose a commercial roofer in St. Louis
This page is for HOA boards, building committees and property managers who have two or three roof bids on the table and need to compare them honestly. It is not a ranking. It is the list of questions we would want answered before a vote, including the ones that make our own bid easier to check.
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Start with the roof, not the price
Bids are only comparable when they describe the same roof. Before anyone prices anything, someone should walk it, photograph it and say what is wrong: wet insulation, open seams, failed flashings, ponding, a soft deck. Ask each contractor for the photos behind the bid. A number with no photos behind it is a guess. You get the photos whether or not you hire us.
- Photos of the roof, not a brochure
- A written finding: repair, recover or tear-off, and why
- Core cuts or infrared where wet insulation is suspected
- The roof inspection is free.
Check insurance before you check references
Missouri has no statewide roofing license, so a license number is not the thing to ask for. Insurance is. Ask every bidder for a certificate of insurance naming your association or owner entity, and read it: general liability, workers' compensation, and auto. A roofer with no workers' compensation can leave an injury dispute at the owner's door. Our certificate is available on request. Tell us who it should be made out to.
- Certificate of insurance made out to your entity
- Workers' compensation listed, not just general liability
- Policy dates that cover the work dates
- Certificate of insurance available on request
Ask who pulls the permit, and where
In St. Louis County the permit office depends on the address. Unincorporated areas and municipalities that contract with the county follow the county's rules. Other cities run their own. St. Louis City and St. Charles County each have their own offices. The bid should say who pulls the permit.
- We pull the permit on every job that requires one.
Make the bids say the same things
Line them up. If one bid is silent on a line another bid prices, the totals are not comparable yet.
- Tear-off or recover, and the reason
- Membrane type (TPO, EPDM, modified bitumen) and thickness
- Fully adhered or mechanically attached
- Insulation, and tapered insulation if the roof ponds
- Drains, scuppers, crickets and edge metal
- Flashings at every wall, curb and penetration
- Deck repair as a unit price or a stated allowance
- Who pulls the permit
- Phasing and staging
- Workmanship warranty term, in writing
Know which warranty you are being offered
There are two kinds. A workmanship warranty is the contractor's promise about their own installation. A manufacturer warranty comes from the membrane maker, and its terms, length and what it covers depend on the manufacturer's program and the system installed. Ask which one each bid includes, who stands behind it, and for a sample certificate.
- A written labor and workmanship warranty: 5 years on full roof replacements, siding or gutter jobs, and 3 months on repairs and roof layovers, with the details on your warranty certificate.
Plan the work around the people inside
On a condo building, a church or an occupied office, the plan matters as much as the membrane. Ask how the building will be phased, where materials are staged, which doors stay open, and how the open roof is closed at the end of each day.
Red flags
- A price before anyone has been on the roof
- An offer to cover or work with your insurance deductible. Missouri law (RSMo 407.725) prohibits a contractor from paying or rebating a deductible.
- A contractor who says they will negotiate your insurance claim for you. A roofer can document damage. The insurer decides the claim.
- Recover on a roof whose core cuts came up wet
- No certificate of insurance, or one that lists only general liability
- One lump sum for several buildings, so you cannot see which roof is which
How this works with us
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You tell us about the buildings, online or on the phone.
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We inspect each roof and photograph what we find.
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Your board or owner gets a written, itemized proposal per building: repair where repair holds, replacement where it does not.
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Work is phased and scheduled, and each building is closed out with documentation.
What you can check
- Founded 2004
- GAF Certified
- BBB Accredited, rated A+, accredited since 9/25/2015
- Google rating 4.8 from 252 reviews
- Insured: general liability, workers' compensation, commercial auto and umbrella (excess liability) coverage. Certificate of insurance available on request.
- We pull the permit on every job that requires one.
- A written labor and workmanship warranty: 5 years on full roof replacements, siding or gutter jobs, and 3 months on repairs and roof layovers, with the details on your warranty certificate.
- Inspections documented with photos of what we found.
- The roof inspection is free.
Questions boards ask
- Should an HOA get three bids?
- Most boards get two or three. More bids help only if they describe the same scope. Use the line list above to make them comparable.
- Does Missouri license roofers?
- No. Missouri has no statewide roofing license. Local permit and business-license rules vary by city and county. Ask for a certificate of insurance instead.
- Can a roofer pay our deductible?
- No. Missouri law prohibits contractors from paying or rebating an insurance deductible as an inducement.
- What should a commercial roof bid include?
- Tear-off or recover, membrane and thickness, attachment, insulation and taper, drainage, flashings, edge metal, deck repair pricing, the permit and the workmanship warranty.
- Is the cheapest bid usually the best value?
- Only when it describes the same roof. A lower total that skips wet insulation, or recovers a roof another bid tears off, is a different roof.
- Will you work with our property manager?
- Yes. One point of contact on our side, whoever coordinates on yours.
- Is the inspection free for associations and commercial buildings?
- Yes. The roof inspection is free.
Where we do this work
- Jefferson County
- St. Louis City
- St. Louis County
- St. Charles County