Roof Replacement

[Jay Porras]

I need to replace the roof on my three flat rental building in Chicago and I'm looking for a roofer that I can rely on for good work at a fair price.  Also, what are some of the main points that should be considered when searching out a roofer (what to look for & ask, square foot rate expectations, etc.)?  Also, any recommendations of any roofers that anyone has worked with in the past would be helpful.  I am not planning to get the job done until spring 2015 at the earliest but think that getting it scheduled now is important.

[Eric S.]

the most important consideration when it comes to roofing work is work comp insurance.  most investors do not know this, but if you hire a company to do work at your job site, and someone is injured and does not have work comp insurance, YOU are responsible for their injuries.  this happened to an investor friend of mine in illinois.  he hired a roofing company to do a replacement, and one of the roofers fell off the roof and was permanently paralyzed.  the company he hired did not have work comp insurance, so he was sued by a personal injury lawyer representing the injured worker.  

most roofing companies (really most contracting companies) do not carry work comp because it is very expensive and adds a pretty significant cost to each job and is not required by the city to be licensed-only liability insurance is required.  

make sure you consult your atty on this to develop the best plan of action to address this reality.