A few things should go without saying.  

• Licenses -  Make sure the contractor you choice is fully licenced.   A contractor should have state issured roofing license.     Keep in mind that ONLY license roofing contractors can complete re-roofing in the state of Florida.   General Contractors may install roofing only on new homes and/or additions.   If you would like to verify a companies license you can go to myflorida.com .  You may also call the Pinellas County Licensing Board, to make sure they are current in the County and can also inquire about complaints that have been filed against a contractor.   
• Insurance -  There are two types of insurance that is required by the state of Florida.   Liability Insurance and Workers Compensation Insurance.    Both are very important to you.    Liability protects everything on your property throughout the project and even after the project has been completed.    Workers Compensation, protects the workers that our on your property for the project.   Be aware, If you hire a contractor who doesn't have workers compensation, you could be sued by an employee who gets hurt while working on your project.    A Contractor should be willing to show proof of insurance.  Also, call the insurance company and verify it.   Insurance policies are for 1 year;  and unscrpulous contractors have been known to modify the dates.  Check carefully the dates on the insurance policy.
• Permits -   A permit is neccasary for all new roofing projects.   Don't let a contractor tell you he can do the project without a permit or that he can save you a lot of money by not getting a permit.   Permits in general are one of the cheapest items for a roofing project.  Certain City's are less expense but generally they range from $80-$200.  If they tell you they can do the job for a lot less without a permit, that's a huge warning sign.   Either they are not licensed/Insured, or they are going to cut many corners in order to bring their costs down.   Sure you may save a few dollars up front, but cutting corners is sure way to cost you a lot of money in the long run.   Another warning sign is if a Contractor asks you, the homeowner, to pull the permit.   This generally means that they are not licensed/insured or are not allowed to pull permits in the city you live in.    The bottom line is that even the best contractors are going to make mistakes from time to time, it's best to have the work double checked by an Inspector then to find out when it's too late.    PLEASE NOTE:   There are jobs where permits are not needed, like small repairs etc.  

We know that pricing is very important to all us, especially with the current state of our econemy but all roofing projects and all roofing companies are not the same.   Just like with most things in life you get what you pay for.    We are very up front with our customers, if you are soley looking for the lowest price then we are not the company for you.   You wouldn't pick a surgeon or a day care provider by price alone, so why would you with one of, it not the most important investment of your home?    THe saying "You get what you pay for", is very telling in the roofing industry.   

• Low Ballers -   This is a problem in many contruction fields.   Companies that come in with prices that are far below the avg. roofing price.    It not only hurts the industry but hurts the consumer in the long end.   Let's say you get 5 estimates,  4 of them are close in pricing, maybe $300-$400 a part.   Then the 5th estimate is $1,200-$1,000 cheaper (sometimes even more).    Some questions need to be asked

 1.    Are they using the same materials, I.E.  Shingles, Underlayment, Valley Metal, Drip Edge, Ridge Vents, Flat roof Materials.  etc. etc.     If they are using different products that may be part of the cost cutting savings.   Using cheaper grade metal, drip edge, ridge ventts, shingles or underlayments can reduce the price, but at what cost?    If they are using the same materials then something doesn't add up.    Material pricing from company to company is not a big difference.   Larger companies may buy many products in bulk but even at that the market is very competitive and the percentages are minimum on average sized jobs.   

2.    Are they licensed and Insured?   We discussed this above but this can be a huge cost cutting effect on bids.   You may be able to save some money up front, but if there is a problem, you will pay greatly on the backend.   Hiring a licensed contractor doesn't eliminate all the problems that may occur with your project, but it does eliminate a lot.   When you are licensed and insured you are accountable and accountability should be a major concern for any homeowner.   A tell-tale sign that a contractor is uninsured or underinsured is the low bid.    Insurance is there to protect the workers and your property.   Typically workers compensation premiums add no less then 20% on top of a workers pay and can go as high as 100%.   A contractor working without insurance can save between 20-100% of his labor cost but puts you at a greater risk.   A contractor without insurance, generally has no assets and nothing to lose, so you as the Owner, are totally exposed to any losses. 

3.    Who do they have doing the job for them?   I've seen other prices on jobs we've bid on and when I run the numbers it just doesn't make sense.    Some of the pricing I've seen would barely cover the price of labor and materials.   That doesn't include the cost of licensing, insurance, general overhead, advertising etc. etc.    Many companies hire day labor, or what many refer to as rent a' drunks or they hire illegal aliens.    Again this comes down to accountabiliy and workmanship.   Do you want employees who are underpaid and unhappy, or employees who make a good wage and take pride in the work they do?     I've seen other companies, who put 20 people on your roof and have the job knocked out in less then a day.   This tells me they are more worried about quantity then quality.   There is no way a foreman/supervise can keep an eye on the work of that many employees in a fast moving process.    Other companies pay there employees by the square.   This means they get paid more by the more work they do.     This is not always a bad thing, but it can be.   Our employees are paid hourly and given bonuses for quality performance, not quantity.    There are detail jobs on a roofing project that need to be done correctly, not quickly, like properly sealing and weaving a valley, cleaning/replacing flashings and replacing/sealing vents/boots.    Many companies go out of business because they don't know how to properly bid on a job.   They think they are making money on jobs, but in the end they are losing money because of improperly bidding jobs.    So let's say you saved $1,000, by choosing the cheapest contractor.      How good is that warranty if you have a problem a year down the road if that contractor is out of business?      You'd be amazed how many calls we get to repair roofs that have been done within the past 5 years.    When we ask why the roofer who did the job doesn't fix the problems, we usually get two answers.   A.   They went of business or B.  They keep calling the contrators but either they don't call back or don't show up. 

4.   What's there reputation in the community?   Do they have multiple complaints with the licensing board and BBB?   What's there warranty policy or do they have one?     Be careful some companies warranties are only good for as long as you can see there taillights. 

5.  Are they giving you a full written estimate?   Sounds funny, but I have had customers tell me another guy gave them a price of such and such.    I asked to see the estimate to see if we were comparing apples to apples.    Only to find out he just recieved a verbal price.   I've seen estimates written on napkins and on the back of business cards.    Estimates should be written on some type of business form with Company Letterhead, that includes the Companies Address, Phone Number and License Numbers.   It should also include your name, phone number, address.    It goes without saying that all the work to be completed should be on the estimate. 

1. We are family owned and operated company.   That means we put our family name and reputation on the line with our business.    One of the owners, supervise the job from start to finish.   Roc or Chirs Spadaccino, will be on the jobsite throughout each day of the project.   Coordinating with our foreman and the homeowner should any problem or question arise on the project.   We also inspect the job throughout each phase of the project. 
2. One Crew, One job at a time.    When we start your project, it will be our only project.   We will be at your property daily until the project is finished (weather permitting).   We only have one roofing crew so that we don't get spread out and can inspect jobs or be availible if problems occur.  
3. No Subcontractors -  Only Oakhurst Contractors Employees will perform the job we contract with you.   Again this is an accountability issue.   We interview, train, test, hire and fire all of our empolyees.  We do not want to be accoutabie for employees of another company.    
4. Approximately 80% of our business is generated through past customer referrels.   We take pride in our workmanship and will treat your home as if it were our own.    We have a long list of referrals and have never had a complaint filed against us with the Better Business Bureau.  We also recieve reccommendations from building officials, which is the highest compliment a company can recieve. 
5. No corner cutting -  We only use the best products availible.   While it generally costs a little more for project, it's well worth it.   Why put a top of the line Shingle with a 130 MPH wind rating, and then install inferior valley metal or cheap aluminum ridge vents?   Your roof is only as strong as it's weakest components. 
6. Locally owned and operated.   We only work in Pinellas County, our office is centrally located in Largo.   The majority of our work is done in Clearwater, Largo, Seminole and the surrounding beaches.   Again, this is mainly because we want to be near to the jobsite at all times. 
7. Should a problem occur -   If any company tells you they never have any problems or leaks after a job is completed they are lying to you.  Every company is going to have issues from time to time.   It's not about problems, it's how they are handled.   If for some reason a leak occurs, we are generally there the same day or att the latest the day after we find out about the issue.  I've heard that many companies don't even get back to you for a week.   That will never happen with us.   We stand behind our workmanship and our warranties. 
8. Specialization -   Instead of doing everything, we choose to specialize in Residential Roofing and in Shingle, Tile and Flat roofing.   We do some smaller commercial work but 95% of our business is residential work.  
9. Our employees are paid hourly, not by the piece.   This assures jobs are done correctly, not quickly.