Choose a roofer who holds an Arizona contractor's licence, shows you photos of your own roof, and puts every item in writing. The Scottsdale Roofing Company is licensed and insured, and we expect you to check.
How do I choose a roofer?
To choose a roofer, check the licence, ask for proof of insurance, read the written quote line by line and talk to recent customers with the same roof type as yours. Tile, foam and shingle are different skills. A roofer who is good with shingles is not automatically good with a tile lift and relay or a foam re-coat. Pick the one who explains what they found and why, not the one with the lowest number.
What questions should I ask a roofer?
- What is your ROC licence number, and is it in the same name as the contract?
- Can I see a current certificate of liability insurance and workers' compensation?
- Who will be on my roof: your employees or a subcontractor?
- What underlayment will you use, and how many layers?
- Are flashing, valley metal and pipe boots new or reused?
- What does decking cost per sheet if you find damage?
- What is your workmanship warranty, in writing?
- Will you send photos of the deck and underlayment before they are covered?
How do I check a roofer's licence and insurance?
Check the licence on the Arizona Registrar of Contractors website, roc.az.gov, using its contractor search. It shows whether the licence is active, the classification, and the complaint history. Make sure the name matches your contract. A ROC licence means a bond is on file, but it does not prove liability insurance. For that, ask the roofer's insurance agent to send you a certificate directly.
How much deposit is normal?
A modest deposit is normal, and the balance should follow the work. We did not find an Arizona statute that caps a roofing deposit at a set percentage, so we do not quote one. What Arizona law does require, in A.R.S. 32-1158, is that a contract over $1,000 states the dollar amount of any advance deposit and of each progress payment, with the stage at which it is due. The Arizona Attorney General's advice is that a reasonable down payment may be requested but full payment should wait until the work is complete and verified.
Is a 50% deposit normal?
A 50% deposit is on the high side for a roof. It is not illegal as far as we could find, since we found no Arizona cap. But half up front leaves you with little hold over the job if it stalls. A smaller deposit that covers special-order materials, with the rest paid at clear stages, is the safer shape. Be most careful when the remaining balance falls due on delivery of materials, before any work is done.
What should the contract say?
By Arizona law, A.R.S. 32-1158, a contract over $1,000 must include at least:
- The contractor's name, business address and licence number
- Your name and mailing address and the job site address
- The date of the contract and the estimated completion date
- A description of the work
- The total price, including all taxes
- The amount of any deposit and of any progress payments, and when each is due
- A notice, in bold type, of your right to file a complaint with the Registrar of Contractors
Both sides sign it and you get a readable copy. For a roof, add the material and underlayment by name, the handling of damaged decking, clean-up, and the warranties.
What are the red flags of a roofing scam?
- Someone at your door after a storm who wants a signature today
- An offer to pay or waive your insurance deductible, which Arizona law forbids
- No ROC licence number, or one that belongs to a different name
- A demand for full payment or a large sum in cash before work starts
- Out-of-state plates and no local address after a monsoon storm
- A quote with one line and one price
- Damage you are shown only in photos you cannot match to your own roof
What is the difference between a material warranty and a workmanship warranty?
A material warranty comes from the manufacturer and covers defects in the product. A workmanship warranty comes from the roofer and covers how it was installed. Most leaks in the first years come from installation, at flashing and penetrations, so the workmanship warranty matters most. Get both in writing, with the length, what voids them and whether they pass to a new owner. Ask us for our terms when we quote.
What is a lien waiver and should I ask for one?
A lien waiver is a signed statement that the contractor, a supplier or a subcontractor has been paid and gives up the right to claim a lien on your property for that payment. Yes, ask for one. Arizona's lien laws can let unpaid suppliers and subcontractors make a claim against a property even after the owner has paid the contractor, with some protections for owner-occupants. Ask for a waiver with each payment and a final one at the end. For how the law applies to you, ask an attorney.
The roofer will not come back to fix a problem. What can I do?
If your roofer will not come back, put the problem in writing with photos and a date, and give a reasonable deadline. If that fails and the contractor is licensed, file a complaint with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. The ROC says a complaint about repair or remodel work must be filed within two years from the date work was last performed. The ROC assigns an investigator to the complaint. Its Residential Contractors' Recovery Fund can pay up to $30,000 per residence when a licensed residential contractor does not make it right. For fraud, the Arizona Attorney General takes consumer complaints.
How many quotes should I get?
Three is a good number of quotes for a replacement or a tile underlayment job. It is enough to see the going price and to spot a quote that leaves things out. Make sure all three are for the same scope: same underlayment, same flashing work, same allowance for broken tile. For a small repair, one or two is plenty.
Should I pay cash or pay in full up front?
No, do not pay in full up front, and avoid cash if you can. Pay by cheque or card so there is a record, and tie payments to stages of the work. If you do pay cash, Arizona law requires the contractor to give you a signed receipt. Hold the final payment until the job is finished, cleaned up and walked with you.
Can a roofer start without a signed contract?
A roofer should not start without a signed contract, and you should not let one. For any job over $1,000, Arizona law, A.R.S. 32-1158, lists what the written contract must contain, including the price, the work and the payment stages. Without a written contract there is nothing to show what was agreed when a dispute comes up. The one common exception is an emergency tarp in a storm. Even then, ask for the price in a text or email before the crew goes up.
I paid a deposit and the roofer disappeared. What can I do?
Act quickly and keep everything in writing. This is general information, not legal advice. Send a dated letter or email demanding either a start date or a refund. If you paid by card, ask the card company about a dispute, since there are time limits. Look the roofer up at the Registrar of Contractors. If they are licensed, file a complaint; the Registrar's recovery fund exists for owners harmed by licensed residential contractors. Licensed or not, you can also complain to the Arizona Attorney General's consumer office. For the money itself, small claims court or an attorney is the route.
The contractor took the insurance check and did not finish. What now?
Tell your insurer and your mortgage company straight away, then follow the same steps as for a lost deposit. This is general information, not legal advice. Put a written demand to the contractor with a deadline, and file a Registrar of Contractors complaint if they are licensed. Ask your insurer how unfinished work affects any depreciation still to be released. Next time, do not sign an insurance check over in full at the start. Pay in stages that follow the work, and keep the last payment until the roof is finished.
There are nails in the yard, a dented gutter and other damage. Can I hold back the final payment?
You can usually hold back a fair amount until the damage is put right, but do it openly and in writing. This is general information, not legal advice. Photograph the damage, list it in an email, and ask the roofer to fix it or agree a deduction. Then pay the rest once it is done. To withhold the whole balance over small items invites a dispute, and an unpaid contractor may have lien rights against the property. Your contract may set out a punch list or dispute step. If you cannot agree, the Registrar of Contractors takes complaints about licensed contractors.
Am I liable if a roofer is hurt on my property?
Usually not, when the roofer carries workers' compensation. This is general information, not legal advice. The Industrial Commission of Arizona states that employers must secure workers' compensation insurance for their employees, and an injured employee claims there. The gap is a sole proprietor with no employees, who is not required to cover himself, or an uninsured crew. In those cases an injured person may look to the owner's policy. Ask for a current workers' compensation certificate sent by the roofer's insurer before work starts, and ask your own agent what your homeowners policy would do.
What good is a warranty if the roofer goes out of business?
A workmanship warranty is only as good as the company behind it, so if the roofer goes out of business, that promise usually ends. The manufacturer's material warranty carries on, because it comes from the maker, but it covers product defects and not installation. That is a reason to weigh how long a roofer has held the same licence, which the Registrar of Contractors record shows, more heavily than the number of years printed on the warranty. Keep your contract, photos and receipts so a later roofer can see what was installed.
How do I know if a roofer is exaggerating storm damage?
Ask to see it on your own roof. A roofer who is exaggerating tends to show a few close-up photos with no wide shot, will not mark the spots, and pushes you to sign before the insurer has looked. Real hail and wind damage has a pattern. It shows on several slopes, on soft metal such as vents and flashing, and it is fresh. Old cracks, foot traffic breaks on tile and sun blisters on shingles are wear, not storm damage. Get a second inspection from a roofer who did not knock on your door, and let the insurer's adjuster give a view.
A free roof inspection with photos and a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your roof. Call or text (480) 442-0926.