Published: 10/19/2020

10 Best Reasons To Hire A Local Contractor

While single-ply roofing generally performs exceptionally well, some factors can compromise the integrity and affect the overall quality of the roof. They include:

1. Building regulations Local contractors are more likely to be familiar with the local building codes, including the latest revisions, so they will be able to construct a project timeline knowing which permitting or inspection steps might cause delays if they’re not figured in ahead of time. This means that your project is more likely to be completed on time, within budget and according to local regulations. You won’t be hit with extra regulatory fees, safety issues or delays in the process.
2. Cost Local contractors will typically charge you less money for a project, since the cost of transportation is all but eliminated. The tradesmen, materials and management are located in your general vicinity, which reduces the firm’s overhead costs. Those savings are then passed on to the end customer.
3. Community support Spending your money locally keeps the money in your community. Self-reliant, supportive communities help ensure that local contractors don’t have to venture out of the area looking for work. That will help keep their overhead costs, and in turn their prices down. You’re also supporting the families of local contractors, who will take your dollars and spend them with other local businesses, perpetuating the cycle.
4. Quality verification Local contractors tend to rely heavily on word-of-mouth referrals. What this means for you is that you can usually find someone in your friend or family group who has interacted with the company; they’ll be able to tell you if they recommend the contractor from their own personal, trusted experience. You’ll also be able to physically look at the company’s previous work and decide based on what you see.
5. Personalized experience When you choose a local contractor, you’re closer to the people who run the business. You have access to have a direct face-to-face interaction with the company owner or site supervisor, rather than being forced to fill out an online form and waiting for a service to call you back within 24-48 hours. Personal interaction with the contractor can also help them to provide you with custom service according to your needs.
6. Accountability Local contractors are held to a higher standard of accountability by those in their community. Unlike large national companies, a locally-owned business relies on the satisfaction of their customers, and while customer complaints don’t mean much to some large companies, local contractors take customer satisfaction very seriously. Their reputation and the success of their business depends on holding themselves accountable.
7. Familiarity with local challenges Since local contractors are experienced working in your particular geographic area, they understand the unique challenges presented by things like weather, humidity, soil stability, plant and animal ecosystems and more. Coastal Florida is at or very close to sea level and has many particular elements that inland and northern locations don’t, such as sand- or clay-rich soils, high salt content in the air, risks of hurricane-force winds and daily rain storms during the summer months. Were you to hire a Seattle-based contractor, for example, chances are they wouldn’t be as familiar with the tropical conditions and how to work around and through them, and you may not receive the right roof for your home’s conditions.
8. Professional connections Local contractors know other local contractors and can provide recommendations based on experience. For example, if your roof has a leak that went unnoticed for some time and has now damaged some electrical components, your roofer can fix the roof, but they can’t do anything about the damaged electrical. However, the roofer may “know a guy” who is licensed locally, does fantastic work at a reasonable price and is quick to turn the job around. With national companies, they’re likely to send in the first local electrician they see in the phone book (or in their Google results), even if they have a 1-star rating.
9. Emergency service If an emergency happens outside of business hours, you’re more likely to be able to reach a local contractor than a national one. With a layers-deep customer care department, a national company may not even be able to return your call before your local contractor can come out, fix the problem and be on their way. The local contractor cares more about your property and your experience than a national company because you’re a person, not a number.
10. Ease of scheduling A national roofing contractor will schedule your job based on their calendar, without regard for your convenience. In contrast, most local contractors are more than willing to work around any reasonable circumstances you may be dealing with. For example, if you teach after-school piano classes at your home, you can usually work with the local contractor to have work start early and wrap up earlier in the day to accommodate that need for a quieter space in the afternoon. Of course, your local contractor will also have a schedule of other jobs to consider, but more than likely you’ll be able to work something out that is amenable for everyone.

When you need to choose an experienced roofer for your roof installation, replacement or repairs, remember that you have options. In many cases, it’s best to hire a local contractor with roots in the Sarasota-Bradenton area for the personal touch, trustworthy recommendations and faster and better service.

To experience the benefits of hiring a local roofing contractor,
Call AKVM Roofing at 941-727-3996.