How to Choose a Roofer in New Jersey

Start by confirming the roofer is registered as a home improvement contractor with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs (look them up at newjersey.mylicense.com/verification), then compare written estimates. Avoid anyone who wants cash, asks for more than a third up front, skips the written contract or has no registration number.

Step 1: Look up their registration

New Jersey's Contractors' Registration Act requires home improvement contractors, including roofing and siding contractors, to register with the Division of Consumer Affairs. You can check any company's status for free on the Division's license verification portal (newjersey.mylicense.com/verification). Choose the home improvement contractor category and search by name or number.

Registered contractors must display their registration number in their ads, on contracts and correspondence, and on their work vehicles. If you can't find a number anywhere, ask. Registration is not an endorsement, but an unregistered contractor can't get municipal construction permits.

Step 2: Get it in writing

For any home improvement over $500, New Jersey requires a written contract. According to the Division of Consumer Affairs, it must include:

• The contractor's legal name, business address and registration number
• A start date and a completion date
• A description of the work and the total price

The contractor also has to give you a copy of their commercial general liability insurance policy and the insurer's phone number. Make sure warranties are in writing, and that the contract names the brands and grades of materials, such as the exact shingle line.

Step 3: Know your rights

• You can cancel a signed home improvement contract for any reason before midnight of the third business day after you receive a copy. Put it in writing.
• Contractors can't demand final payment before the job is complete.
• Ask for a lien waiver so suppliers and workers can't come after you once you've paid.

Red flags

The Division warns homeowners to be wary of a contractor who:

• Asks for more than a third of the total before work starts
• Says you don't need a written contract
• Demands cash
• Has only a P.O. box for a business address
• Has no registration number
• Shows up uninvited after a storm, saying they're "in the neighborhood" with a deal

Questions worth asking

• Who will be on my roof, your crew or subcontractors?
• What happens if you find rotted decking, and how is it priced?
• How do you handle ventilation, flashing and clean-up?
• What does your workmanship warranty cover, and for how long?

Get two or three written estimates and compare the scope line by line, not just the bottom number. At All In Roofing our registration number is 13VH13268100, and we're happy for you to look it up before we ever set foot on your roof.