Way Up on the Roof

Though the terms may be synonymous to many people, there's actually a great deal of difference between a roofer and a roofing contractor. Roofers are the people you see climbing up on your roof with a load of shingles on their back, while roofing contractors are most likely on the ground supervising the process (although they may be up on the roof as well). Roofers have spent time learning their craft, while roofing contractors normally start as roofers, but receive additional formal training to become contractors. Knowing the difference between them is important to making sure you contact the right person for your roofing project.

So how do you know if you need a roofer or roofing contractor? Below are a few questions to ask yourself to help you make the right decision.

How Big Is the Project?

As mentioned above, roofing contractors usually oversee any form of roofing project, no matter the size. The larger the scope, the more important a roofing contractor is to your project. If you're working on a brand new commercial roofing installation, you'll need somebody to not only oversee the process, but make sure it's up to code and that it's done with limited headache to the business owner, especially if the business plans to stay open during the renovation.

How Specialized Is the Project?

Roofing contractors have licenses, certifications, and advanced training in a variety of different areas, ranging from differences in materials (such as solar panels) to installation types. While most residential homes have a very similar look to them, multilevel apartment complexes and commercial structures require a different level of expertise, which means you need a roofing contractor to oversee the process. Not only will they be able to ensure that everything will pass inspection, but they can also assist the initial planning stages of the project as well, offering their guidance on which type of roof would function best.

Do You Already Have a Team?

A roofing company can send individual roofers out to handle a variety of tasks, only some of which will need to be overseen by a roofing contractor. If you already have roofers on the project but are looking for an outside manager to come in and supervise the project, roofing contractors can fill that slot for you. Contrary to individual roofers, they can also act as independent consultants, so even if you've already hired a roofing company, you can also bring in an additional roofing contractor to consult on various stages of the project.