Hiring a roofing contractor is one of the bigger purchases most homeowners make. A typical North Georgia roof replacement runs $12,000-$24,000 — comparable to buying a used car, except the work is less standardized and the quality differences between contractors are dramatic.
This guide is written from the contractor's side of the table, with the goal of helping you ask the questions that actually separate good roofers from bad ones. We're a North Georgia roofer ourselves, so naturally we have biases. But everything below is honest professional advice — even when it would lead a homeowner away from us toward a different qualified contractor.
The 7 questions to ask every contractor
1. Are you licensed and insured in Georgia?
Georgia requires roofing contractors to hold a state-issued license for residential work over a certain threshold (currently $2,500). All legitimate contractors carry liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance. Ask for both license number and insurance certificates — you can verify the license at the Georgia Secretary of State website.
What to listen for: a confident, immediate yes with offer to email certificates. Hesitation, deflection, or "we use subcontractors who handle that" are red flags.
Why it matters: if a worker gets injured on your property and the contractor doesn't carry workers' comp, you can be liable for medical costs. If they damage your home and don't carry liability insurance, you're paying out of pocket for repairs.
2. Are you certified by your shingle manufacturer?
Every major shingle manufacturer (GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed, Atlas) has installer certification programs. Certified contractors have completed training, passed quality audits, and qualify their customers for the manufacturer's strongest warranty terms.
An installer can technically buy and install GAF shingles without being certified — but the warranty drops to the basic limited warranty rather than the Golden Pledge or Silver Pledge upgrade. The difference can be 25 years vs 50 years of coverage.
What to listen for: a specific certification level (e.g., "GAF Certified" or "Owens Corning Platinum Preferred"). Ask for the warranty paperwork that comes with their certification level — it's a real document, not a verbal claim.
3. Will you pull the permit?
Roof replacements require a permit in most North Georgia jurisdictions (Forsyth, Hall, Gwinnett, Fulton, Jackson, Barrow counties all require them). The contractor should pull the permit in their name — not yours.
Why does this matter? When the contractor pulls the permit, they take responsibility for code compliance and inspection passing. When you pull the permit yourself (often called "homeowner permit"), you take that responsibility. If the work fails inspection, you're stuck dealing with the city, not the contractor.
What to listen for: immediate "yes, we pull all permits in our company name." Any version of "you'll need to pull your own permit" is a hard red flag.
4. What underlayment system are you installing?
The shingles are the visible layer, but the underlayment beneath them is what actually keeps your home dry. A premium architectural shingle installed over a budget underlayment will leak in 5-10 years.
A proper underlayment system in Georgia includes:
- Synthetic underlayment across the entire roof (not 30# felt — felt is outdated)
- Ice and water shield in valleys, around penetrations, and at the eaves
- New starter strip at all eaves (not cut-down field shingles)
- New ridge venting (most older roofs don't have proper ridge ventilation)
- New flashings at chimneys, walls, and roof intersections
- New pipe boots on all penetrations
What to listen for: a contractor who can name each component and explain why it's used. If they say "we just install whatever shingle you choose" without mentioning the underlayment system, they're either uninformed or planning to skip it.
5. How long have you been in business at this location?
Roofing has high contractor turnover — many contractors operate for 2-3 years and disappear, leaving warranty issues unresolved. Look for contractors with:
- 5+ years of operation in your geographic region
- A permanent business address (not just a P.O. box)
- Local references you can call
- An active web presence with reviews dating back several years
- Trade group memberships (BBB, GAF, etc.) with longevity
Bishop JD Roofing has operated since 2014 from our Braselton, GA address. We're not the oldest contractor in North Georgia, but we're past the "fly-by-night" risk window.
6. Can I see local references and recent project photos?
Every reputable contractor can provide:
- Names and phone numbers of 3-5 recent customers (with permission to call)
- Project photos from the last 6 months
- Reviews on Google, BBB, or similar third-party platforms
Walk by recent project addresses if you can. Drive by while the work is in progress. Look at the cleanliness of the job site, the organization of the crew, the safety practices visible from the street.
What to listen for: immediate, specific examples — addresses or names with permission to share. "I have lots of happy customers but I can't share their info" is a way of saying "I don't actually have references."
7. What's your written warranty, and what does it cover?
You want two warranties:
- Manufacturer warranty — covers the shingle materials. 25-50 years depending on shingle line and installer certification level. Read the proration schedule carefully — many "lifetime" warranties prorate aggressively after year 10.
- Contractor workmanship warranty — covers installation defects. Typically 5-25 years. The contractor warranty is what you'll actually use if anything goes wrong, since most failures are installation-related, not material defects.
Ask to see both warranties in writing before signing the contract. If the contractor can't produce them on the spot, they don't have them.
Red flags that should make you walk away
Some warning signs are bad enough that we'd recommend not even getting a second meeting:
1. Door-knocking after a storm
Reputable contractors don't go door to door soliciting work, especially after major storms. Storm-chasing contractors often:
- Pressure you for an immediate signature
- Offer to "negotiate with your insurance company" (meaning: take a percentage)
- Disappear before warranty issues arise
- Have out-of-state addresses or phone numbers
2. Promising to "waive your deductible"
This is illegal in Georgia. A contractor offering to absorb your insurance deductible is committing insurance fraud — and asking you to commit it with them. Walk away immediately.
3. Demanding payment upfront in cash
Standard practice is a small deposit (10-25%) at contract signing, balance upon completion. Cash-only demands or full payment upfront mean the contractor is desperate, fly-by-night, or both.
4. No physical address or website
Legitimate contractors have a permanent place of business and an established online presence. A contractor whose only contact info is a personal cell phone is a high risk.
5. Pressure to sign immediately
"This price is only good if you sign today" is a sales tactic, not a real constraint. Material costs don't fluctuate that quickly. Pressure to sign on the spot is almost always a sign that the contractor expects you'd find issues if you took time to evaluate.
6. Estimates without an inspection
A contractor who quotes a price over the phone or from photos alone hasn't actually evaluated your roof. The quote will inevitably go up once they get on the roof and "find issues." Real estimates require a real inspection.
7. Significantly lower price than competitors
If you have three quotes and one is 30%+ below the others, that contractor is cutting corners somewhere. Common cuts: cheaper underlayment, fewer crew members, generic flashings, no ridge venting upgrade, no permit. The savings show up as failures 3-5 years later when the contractor is long gone.
Getting multiple quotes
We recommend getting 2-3 written estimates before signing. To compare them fairly, make sure each contractor is quoting:
- The same shingle product line (not just "architectural" — the specific product, like GAF Timberline HDZ vs UHDZ)
- The same color (some lines have surcharges)
- The same underlayment specifications
- The same scope of additional work (decking replacement allowance, ventilation upgrades, gutter work)
- The same warranty levels
Apples-to-apples comparison is the only way to evaluate price fairly. If contractors are quoting different products, you can't compare prices directly.
The bottom line
The right roofing contractor for your home is licensed, insured, manufacturer-certified, locally established, and willing to give straight answers. Price matters, but it's not the only factor — and it's rarely the most important one. A good roof installed properly will outlast a great roof installed poorly.
Whatever you do: don't rush, don't take the lowest bid blindly, and don't sign anything you haven't read. A roof replacement is a 25-30 year decision. Take a few extra days to get it right.
Frequently asked questions
Should I always go with the lowest bid? +
No — and any contractor will tell you the same. The lowest bid usually means cheaper materials, fewer crew members, less experienced installers, or skipped steps (no ice and water shield, generic underlayment, reused flashings). The middle bid is usually the safest choice. The highest bid sometimes reflects premium quality but can also reflect padded margins.
Is it okay to hire an out-of-state contractor that came to my area after a storm? +
Generally no. Out-of-state 'storm chasers' often disappear after the work is done, leaving no recourse for warranty claims or callback issues. Georgia has plenty of local contractors with permanent addresses, local references, and ongoing accountability. Use a local contractor.
What does 'GAF Certified' actually mean? +
It means the contractor has met GAF's training and quality requirements and has been authorized to install GAF roofing systems with the manufacturer's strongest warranty options. There are tiers — Certified is the entry level, Master Elite is the highest. Bishop JD Roofing is GAF Certified. Other manufacturers (Owens Corning, CertainTeed) have similar certification programs.
Should the contractor pull the permit, or should I? +
The contractor should always pull the permit. Homeowner-pulled permits in Georgia transfer liability to the homeowner if the work fails inspection. A contractor who tells you to pull your own permit is trying to shift liability — that's a red flag.
Is paying upfront ever appropriate? +
A small deposit (10-25%) at contract signing is normal. Anything more than that, especially the full project cost upfront, is a major red flag. Reputable roofers operate on standard payment schedules: deposit at contract, balance due upon completion. For insurance claim work, the structure is usually deposit + balance after carrier release of depreciation.