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Newton Roofing Contractor Guide

How to Choose a Newton Roofing Contractor

A customer review form a job we did as a Newton roofing contractor.

Are you a Newton, Massachusetts resident looking for a roofing contractor? Fortunately, you are in the right place. Newton roofing contractors are all across town and homeowners have so many options to choose from! For a large investment like a roof replacement or even a small investment, like ice dam removal or roof repair, you must educate yourself on those Newton roofing contractors to not end up with a bad installation and a worse headache. Other factors in choosing a roofing contractor in Newton include knowing your intended architectural style, if you require financing, how soon you need the roofing project completed, and more. In the article below, you will be provided with the outline to guide you in making that important decision in selecting a Newton roofing contractor.A Newton home with a slate roof and copper gutters and downspouts. We are your local Newton roofing contractor.

While you may think the first step is to choose a contractor based on the type of work you need, for instance, an asphalt roof replacement. But you will be surprised to know that the first step in choosing a roofing contractor is based on the inspection they provide and their reputation. At G.F. Sprague, we have experts who give a certified and in-depth inspection of your entire roofing system to ensure there aren’t any missed spots. We not only look at what you want to have done but take the time to let you know what needs to be done. This is why researching a roofing contractor is the most crucial step before considering what service you need. Here are the top aspects of a roofing contractor in Newton you should look out for.

NEWTON ROOFING CONTRACTOR BUSINESS REPUTATION

Our business reputation as a Newton roofing contractor.

  • One of the most important steps you should take before selecting a roofing contractor in Newton, MA, is to look at their reviews on various websites to see what your neighbors are saying. You can find reviews for a  roofing contractor on any of their business profiles, but more predominantly, Guild Quality, BBB, Google, and Facebook. Based on previous customer reviews, you can get a feel for a roofing contractor’s reputation and how the whole experience will go. Some reviews will just be a 5 star, while others describe the entire experience and how working with this specific Newton roofing contractor either went positively or negatively.

NEWTON ROOFING CONTRACTOR AVAILABILITY

  • Newton homeowners who urgently need a roof replacement or roof repair will be best suited with a roofing contractor available within the immediate future. Roofing contractors in Newton often provide emergency services to customers whose needs are critical. 
  • If a non-urgent roof replacement or roof repair, how soon would you like to begin that project? Most roofing contractors in Newton, MA, have schedules that can become busy very quickly. For a large project, such as a slate roof installation, calling ahead of time and setting a date is recommended. Slots fill up, and the last thing you need is a delayed project and the risk of further damage. 

NEWTON ROOFING CONTRACTOR CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS

An example of our Newton roofing contractor options for asphalt shingles and slate roofing.
Customer picking out brand new asphalt shingle color.
  • We have a wide variety of roofing materials so that every one of our customers has the chance to pick a style and material that will match their style while defending their home from the elements. As your local roofing contractor, we can also help our customers select roofing in Newton to work well with their home’s style and neighborhood’s style. Ideally, you want to pick shingles that flatter your home without overwhelming or detracting from other architectural features. Traditional shingles produce a beautiful roof for a Colonial house, slate tiles are the ideal foil for the extensive trimming on a Victorian home, and your cabin in the woods will look wonderful after our roofing contractors in Newton install cedar wood shakes. We can also show you photographs of several styles of roofing Newton homeowners have had installed by our team to give you some idea of how each complete job will look.
  • One of the most current advancements in roofing materials in Newton has been the demand for dimensional shingles. These feature layering, staggered widths, and other components that combine dimension and depth to the roofing. Newton homeowners are frequently opting for dimensional shingles rather than the more conventional three-tab shingles that have been popular for many years. Recently popular, dimensional shingles are available in an impressive palette of colors and blends of color. Some of them even look remarkably like organic materials such as slate or wood. Newton’s roofing companies suggest these durable, affordable shingles as an attractive alternative to slate tiles or wood shakes.

The style of your home and the neighborhood’s architecture:A Newton home with a slate roof and copper gutters. As your local Newton roofing contractor, we offer services in roofing, gutters, windows, and siding.

  • In Newton, Massachusetts, you will see various roof types as it is a geographically and economically diverse town. Asphalt shingle, Spanish tile, slate, copper, and more line the roofs of homes across Newton. Whether you’re in Newton Centre, Newtonville, Newton Highlands, or Waban, your roofing needs could depend on your neighborhood’s architectural style or home’s historical nature. For example, Waban is predominantly adorned with slate roofs on brick homes. As a Newton homeowner, if you are looking to maintain your home’s beautiful curb appeal, it is important to choose a roofing contractor who offers services in that type of roofing. Keep in mind matching your neighborhood’s style won’t just give your home a great aesthetic, but that type of roof was chosen for a functional reason in the first place.

NEWTON ROOFING CONTRACTOR’S WARRANTY OR NOT

Our G.F. Sprague warranty.
Our Forever, Whoever Warranty.
  • No matter how solid the materials are, if your roofing contractors utilize shingles that don’t offer a reliable warranty, you aren’t protected against potential difficulties with product flaws. Since every brand uses a somewhat different method to produce their Newton roofing materials, you should always ensure a good warranty is in place. In most cases, the safest warranty will be the one found on the best components. At GF Sprague, we offer shingles for roofing Newton homes that carry some of the best warranties in the business, and we back up our own workmanship with our Forever Whoever Warranty. Our warranty protects your home against problems related to workmanship for an unlimited time and for an unlimited number of owners throughout the useful life of the product or system that was installed.

NEWTON ROOFING CONTRACTOR MAINTENANCE SERVICES

  • Our warranty includes regular warranty inspections to check in on the roofing system to ensure it is structurally sound and that nothing needs maintenance. This allows you to either get a clean bill of health on your roof or we can catch a small issue before it becomes a big headache. In an emergency, we also provide you 24-hour emergency services. No matter the weather or condition, we will be out there to make sure you can sleep sound at night without worrying about your home or family. 

NEWTON ROOFING CONTRACTORS USING TRUSTED BRANDS

A variety of high quality products that we use.
Some of the local products we use for installation.
  • The products used are just as important as the craftsmanship. That’s why, as a Newton roofing contractor, we use local and the best brands in the industry. Unlike other roofing contractors, we don’t use box store brands found at a local Home Depot. Instead, we order from reputable manufacturers of asphalt shingles, slate, copper, and more. Ensuring that the product is properly made and properly installed is vital in creating a roofing system that withstands the elements.

 

 

OUR STORY IN NEWTON, MA

Did you know that there have been literally hundreds of Newton roofing contractors that have come and gone since we opened our first office working here in Newton over 50 years ago? Many of them were unqualified to put a roof on a dog house, let alone a home. And that continues today, but now they’ve managed a virtual internet presence. How, because our roofing trade is unlicensed and under-regulated. It’s just easy to call yourself a roofing contractor because there are few entry requirements. As a result, many homeowners became victims to unscrupulous and untrained contractors.

Newton roofing contractor roof.

 

A few years ago, we got a call from a Newton couple who had to move out of their home after a storm literally destroyed the inside of their home in Newton. When we arrived to inspect the damage we could hardly believe what we saw. Water had leaked in from the roof, destroying ceilings, walls, floors, and everything in its path. So everything had stripped back to the wall studs and down to the floor joists. This couple and their family were forced to move from their beautiful home in Newton and into a rental for well over a year, causing much stress and loss of the enjoyment they had known in their home for over 20 years. They had insurance to cover the actual damage but nothing to compensate them for the incredible pain, suffering and disruption this had caused in all of their lives. The wife said, “I never want to go through this again. Can you help us? What caused this needless waste of money and chaos?”

 

Quite simply, it all stemmed from a poorly designed and poorly installed roof that could not withstand our New England winters. That substandard or “cosmetic” roof had been installed just 6 months before that horrific event. Why is this called a “cosmetic roof”? Because it looks perfectly fine from the ground view, but if you peel back the layers as we did, it revealed a multitude of deficiencies resulting in a colossal breach in protection.

 

Now the couple were knowledgeable folks but who relied on a contractor friend to recommend the roofing contractor. They didn’t know the right questions to ask, so they could not do their own due diligence. And so they spent lots of money on a roof that would fail them when the performance of that roof was crucial…during a storm. When asked, “Can you help us,” we said yes, and we did. It’s now been 5 years since we designed and installed their new roof, gutters, and downspouts. It’s stood the test of time. Not a single drop of water has leaked.Newton roofing contractor copper roof installed.

 

Unfortunately, most homeowners don’t know what critical questions to ask. They may ask the usual list of questions, which, although important, shouldn’t be the first questions to ask.

Here are the 3 insider questions that we ask when we need a contractor. These questions will significantly lower the risk of choosing the wrong roofing contractor.

 

Competence

The first thing to determine and maybe the most difficult to determine is competence. Is the roofing contractor committed to excellence? Does he know what he’s doing? Fact-Did you know that neither the city nor the state requires that the contractor pass a roofing specific test, either written or “hands-on,” to work on your home? That’s right, all that he’s required to have is a Home Improvement Registration and a construction supervisor’s license, which means he passed a test based on new construction, not a roof repair or replacement on your home. With the repair or replacement of old or defective roofing, they more than meet the eye. For example, there are related flashings along the walls, fascia and rake boards, hips, and ridges to consider. There’s also penetrations like plumbing and kitchen vents, chimneys, skylights to inspect. Also, there’s a variety of woodwork, some hidden, which you want to address before starting your project. What about the condition of the adjoining siding, chimneys, skylights, dormers, windows, and doors that directly impact the integrity and water tightness of your roof?

 

That’s a boatload of things to check on before proceeding, but few roofing contractors will address them, fearing that they’ll lose the job if they give you the truth. At G.F. Sprague it’s in our DNA to tell you everything, full disclosure at the front end even when it’s not pleasant to hear. We believe that we have a responsibility to let you know. After all, you have the right to know what we know before you commit to a project. Our competence began with Jerry, our founder, who first learned the roofing trade starting at the age of 10, who, along with brother Mac after school fabricated the metal work required on his Dad’s roofing projects. Yes, back then, they had a sheet metal shop out back of their home. On weekends and vacations, he’d actually watch and listen to their master craftsmen as they’d carefully remove the old, decayed, defective materials. Only then did these craftsmen begin installing new underlayments, replacing rotted insulation, roof rafters, roof, and trim boards. Little by little, Jerry became a craftsman himself. He’s carried on the skills of the old master craftsmen with G.F. Sprague’s training programs where each crew member goes through rigorous in-house training and gains ongoing hands-on job practical experience under the watchful eye of our project managers. We call this our “Green to Gold” program, where the trainees (Green) are mentored by our master craftsmen (Gold). This training has led to G.F. Sprague having the most qualified craftsmen in New England.

 

Trust

How do you know that what he’s diagnosed and prescribed is accurate? Will it lead to good use of your money and provide you with the peace of mind that your home will be protected? Will it be an investment in the long term wellness of your home or just an expense that you’ll have to repeat over and over again?

 

Why G.F. Sprague?  We are the only New England residential roofing contractor certified to work on your home town’s municipal properties like the Newton Library. Our work has stood the test of time. It’s been 30 years now since we installed the original slate roofs and membrane roof. We also fabricated then installed both the copper gutters and copper downspouts on the library. To increase the trust and lower the risks of what we designed and installed, we recruit, train, and retain the business’s best talent. In return, they take care of you and your home. This means that you’ll get 5-star treatment from the inspection to the design to the installation. If we’ve kept your best interest at heart, we hope that in return that you trust us with future projects and that you refer us to your family and friends.

 

Reliability

Ask if the roofing contractor is looking after your best interests. Is he there when you need him both now and in the future? Does he stand behind his work? For how long? Does his warranty have real value, or is it just a marketing tool? Is the warranty just a manufacturer’s limited warranty? Does it cover workmanship defects?

Why G.F. Sprague? We’ve served your community now for over 4 generations of Spragues’ from Barny to Mac to Jerry and Jake as local roofing contractors. We’re so sure that you’ll never have a problem that we made this over the top promise to you. Our warranty is unique! It’s called the Forever Whoever Warranty as mentioned above. And we’re still very local! Come by and visit us anytime. Very close to Newton at 45 Kearney Road in Needham. We also train both our designers and our craftsmen here. It’s where we fabricate many of the roof components in our modern, fully equipped shop. Yes, we control the quality of the roof assembly’s most elements and pass on the savings to you.

 

Our mission: to deliver the most affordable, high-value projects in New England

 

So you have a choice when selecting a roofing contractor. In fact, you’ve got many choices. But buyer beware, buying replacement roofs and roof repairs are really buying a blind item. Why? Because you can’t evaluate whether a)the offer truly fits your needs, b)whether the job will be installed properly, c) whether they select the right materials d) whether you’ll find them ever again if you do have a problem. Many folks call us year after year after they bought the cheap roof realizing that it didn’t protect their home as promised. So they end up paying twice. 

 

In conclusion, Ask the right questions. You’ll be glad that you did….A few thoughts to ponder Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. Better to spend more than you wanted to than spend less than you should have.