Hiring a Roofer in Utah County? Ask These 5 Questions Before You Sign Anything
The most expensive mistake Utah County homeowners make with their roof isn't picking the wrong shingle. It's picking the right shingle and the wrong company. The good news: you don't need to know anything about roofing to protect yourself. You just need five questions and the patience to hear the answers before you sign.
Who owns this company, and will they be involved in my job?
Start here, because it predicts everything else. When the owner's name is on the work, the work tends to hold up. Ask who owns the business, whether they'll see your roof personally, and who you call if something looks off after the crew leaves. At Epic, the answer is short: Cody Love owns the company, and he's on every job. Not every good roofer works that way — but every roofer should be able to tell you exactly who is accountable, by name, before you sign.
“Here's the owner's name, here's when he'll be on site, and here's the number that reaches a person, not a call center.”
Can I verify your license and insurance myself, today?
Every contractor says “licensed and insured.” The question is whether you can check. Utah makes it easy: the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) has a free online lookup that shows whether a contractor's license is active and in good standing, in about two minutes. Then ask for a current certificate of insurance — general liability and workers' comp — sent to you from their insurance agent, not a photocopy. If someone gets hurt on your property and the coverage isn't real, that problem can become yours.
Our license is #12540185-5501. Look it up on DOPL right now — that's what the number exists for.
“Here's the license number, and I'll have our agent email you current certificates today.”
Is your workmanship warranty in writing — and does it transfer?
Two different warranties protect a roof. The manufacturer's warranty covers the shingles. The workmanship warranty covers the installation — the flashing, the nailing, the details where most leaks actually start. Here's what most homeowners don't know: the industry standard for workmanship coverage is one to two years. There's nothing wrong with that — plenty of good roofers stand behind it — but it means the warranty protecting you from installation problems usually expires long before installation problems show up. Whatever a contractor offers, get it in writing, as part of the contract: what it covers, what voids it, how long it lasts, and whether it follows the house if you sell.
This is the question we most want you to ask, because it's where Epic is hardest to match: our workmanship warranty is written, lasts as long as you own your home, and transfers to the next owner. We're also a certified Malarkey installer — and manufacturer certification is worth asking any roofer about, because certified installers can qualify homeowners for warranty options that aren't available otherwise.
“It's printed in the contract. Here's the page.”
What exactly is in this bid — and what happens when there's a surprise?
Two bids on the same roof can be thousands apart, and the difference is usually what's not written down. Before you compare prices, make sure each bid answers: Is full tear-off included, or is this an overlay? What underlayment is being installed? If the decking underneath turns out damaged — the most common surprise in a re-roof — what's the replacement cost per sheet, in writing, before work starts? And what does cleanup include? (Ask about nails specifically. We finish every job with a magnetic sweep of the whole property, because a roof isn't done while there's a nail in the lawn.)
“Tear-off is line one, the decking price is in the contract per sheet, and change orders get signed, not spoken.”
What happens after the job — in year one, and in year five?
Anyone can be responsive the week they want your signature. The question is who answers in year five when a wind storm lifts a shingle. Ask what the warranty-service process actually is: who you call, and how fast someone comes. Then ask how long the company has operated under the exact name on your contract, here in Utah County — because the name on the contract is the name that owns your warranty. Epic has been Epic since 2017, serving all of Utah County. Same name, same owner, same phone number.
“Call the same number that's on your contract. It'll still be us.”
The pattern behind all five
Notice that none of these questions require roofing knowledge. They require a contractor willing to slow down and be verified — and how a company reacts to being asked is often the most honest answer you'll get. A roofer worth hiring won't just tolerate these questions. We'd rather earn the job through them, because the companies these questions filter out are the ones giving good roofers a bad name.
If you want to start with a company that welcomes all five — license posted, warranty in writing, owner on the roof — the inspection is free and comes with a written photo report, whether your roof needs work or not.