Buyer Guide
NE has thousands of roofing contractors and a wide range of quality. Storm-chasers blow through after major weather. Sales-driven outfits run high-pressure pitches. Some legitimate operators are excellent; others are slowly going under. Here’s how to tell which is which.
Every NE state requires roofing contractor licensing. Verify the license is current (state online lookup, takes 90 seconds). Verify general liability insurance + workers’ compensation are current. Ask for current Certificates of Insurance — a legitimate contractor will provide them within a day. If they hesitate, walk away.
How long has the company been operating under its current name? (Some storm-chasers rebrand every 18 months to escape negative reviews.) Where’s the physical address? Drive by it. Is it a real shop, or a UPS Store mailbox? Search the company’s name + ‘lawsuit’ + your state — see if anything comes up.
GAF Master Elite, CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster, Owens Corning Platinum — these certifications require ongoing training, insurance verification, and customer-satisfaction tracking. Only 1-3% of US roofers carry the top-tier certification. It’s not a marketing label; it’s a real filter.
Legitimate roofers: written quote in your hand within 48 hours, walk-away friendly, no time pressure. High-pressure red flags: ‘Today only’ pricing, refusal to leave a written estimate, requirement to sign before they walk out the door, AOB (assignment of benefits) contract requests.
Ask for 3-5 references from jobs completed at least 5 years ago (not last week). Call them. Ask: did the work hold up, was the contractor responsive after the install, did they show up for warranty issues. Recent references can be staged; 5-year references are real.
If the salesperson is evasive, pushy, won’t answer technical questions, or doesn’t explain the install spec — that’s a signal. The salesperson is the company’s most polished face; if they’re not credible, the crews probably won’t be either.
Cheapest isn’t best; most expensive isn’t either. Compare: 6-nail vs 4-nail fastening, copper vs aluminum flashing, ice-and-water shield length (24-inch code minimum vs 36+ inches), ventilation calculation, manufacturer warranty registration, lifetime workmanship warranty in writing. The legitimate quotes will be within 15-20% of each other; outliers either way deserve scrutiny.
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We do this work across CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT. Photo-documented assessment, written quote, lifetime workmanship warranty.
Next step
Photo-documented assessment. Itemized quote. We’ll tell you if repair makes more sense than replacement.