With an investment as significant as a new roof, cost is typically at the top of property owners’ list of concerns. Everyone knows the expression, “You get what you pay for.” This applies to metal roofing contractors as well. It’s a dangerous strategy to make cost the determining factor in choosing your contractor.

 
Lower Price Metal Roofing Contractors Don’t Equal a Better Investment

With the growth in popularity of metal roofing, lots of companies are battling it out to get a piece of the pie. To do this, many of them are undercutting each other with pricing because they’re new to the game and have no other leg to stand on. However, at the end of the day, lower prices mean that the metal roofing contractor has to cut corners somewhere to stay in business, and you can be sure that those cuts will have an impact on the short and long term success of your project. There are several reasons why the lowest price contractors aren’t usually the best.

• Quality of Materials: There are lots of options for metal roofing materials, both aesthetic and structural. The cheapest prices are for the worst quality products, plain and simple. If you don’t mind a poor quality roof that will likely experience problems down the line, choose the cheapest option. If you’d like to view your roof as an investment that will add value to your home, opt for the contractors recommending better, more expensive materials.
• Experience: Contractors should have at least 3 years of experience because the process of installing metal roofing is very specialized. Companies with less than 3 years of experience will likely lack the knowledge to troubleshoot problems that may arise, finish in a timely manner and give good advice to property owners. Because the workers lack this knowledge, they can be paid less which affects the overall contract price. Choosing a company with less experience is a gamble, and probably one that is not advisable to take with an investment as substantial as a roof.
• Service: Service is important when choosing a metal roofing contractor because if you’re doing it right, you should be asking lots of questions. If the contractor is doing it right, they should have people who can give you answers. A company who charges the lowest price simply can’t afford to offer the best service because they can’t put those kinds of employees on their payroll. They’re just operating a barebones installation company. The problem with this is that if a property owner is not making an informed decision, the chance of making the wrong decision and paying for it further down the line is much higher.

Companies who put their best foot forward by offering a low price often do this because they can’t compete in terms of quality, experience or service. If the cheapest companies were in it for the long haul, they would be using strategies to ensure they have happy clients for years to come, not trying to get your money and get out before the other shoe drops. You need the cheapest, most inexperienced contractor like you need a leaky, rusty, metal roof.