Roofing companies in Fort Collins: how to choose one

What a good Fort Collins roofing company does

It inspects before it quotes. Every estimate should come from the roof and the attic. If a roofer prices your replacement from a satellite measurement and never opens the attic hatch, they haven't seen the decking, the ventilation, or the ice-dam stains along the eaves — and you'll find out on invoice day.

It builds for the Front Range. Class 4 or heavy architectural shingles with six nails each, synthetic underlayment, ice-and-water membrane at the eaves and in every valley, new flashing, and a ridge vent with real soffit intake. A roof that would be fine in Kansas City isn't good enough at 5,000 feet under this sun.

It tells you when you don't need a roof. If a $350 pipe boot fixes it, that's the quote. If your hail damage is a few scuffs on a 20-year-old roof, a good roofer says so rather than encouraging a claim that gets denied. The best roofers in Fort Collins are the ones who'll tell you not to buy a roof yet.

It puts everything in writing. One page, itemized, with how long the price holds. Materials named, manufacturer and workmanship warranty terms in years, and who pulls the permit.

Choosing a Fort Collins roofing company

Fort Collins roofing companies multiply after every hailstorm and thin out by fall. A search for "roofer near me, Fort Collins" the morning after a storm returns plenty of names you've never heard of, and some of them won't be here next year. Whether you're comparing roofing companies in Fort Collins, CO or other Northern Colorado roofing companies in Loveland, Windsor and Greeley, the checks are the same:

• A local address you can drive to, and a phone number that answers in the off-season
• A written, itemized price with the shingle line named
• A certificate of liability insurance, and whether they carry workers' compensation for their crew
• A city license number, which you then check yourself
• No pressure to sign the same day, and no offer to cover your deductible

A roofing company in Fort Collins, CO that has been through a few hail seasons will hand all of that over without being asked. A Fort Collins roofing contractor who hesitates on any of it is telling you something. The post on questions to ask a Fort Collins roofing contractor gives you the full list to read from.

Licensing and insurance: what to check

Colorado has no statewide roofing license, which is why the week after a hailstorm brings a flood of out-of-state trucks to Larimer County. The City of Fort Collins licenses roofing contractors — check a roofer's license with the City of Fort Collins (or your town's building department) before you sign. Other towns and Larimer and Weld County set their own rules. Colorado law sets rules for residential roofing contracts and deductible waivers — check with the Colorado Attorney General or an attorney for how they apply to your job.

Roofing contractors, Fort Collins or anywhere else, should have the license, the insurance certificate and a written contract in hand before the ladder goes up. The rule this guide follows for referrals: We only use roofers licensed by the City of Fort Collins — ask to see their license.

Residential and commercial

This guide is mostly about houses — single-family homes, townhomes and the rental properties around CSU. For commercial roofing, Fort Collins businesses with low-slope TPO or modified bitumen roofs should look for a contractor that does flat roofs every day; the checks above still apply. The low-slope roof repair guide covers hail, wind and drainage on those buildings.

Areas this guide covers

Fort Collins — Old Town, Campus West, Midtown, the Harmony corridor, Fossil Creek, Rigden Farm, Laporte — and nearby Northern Colorado: Loveland, Windsor, Timnath, Severance, Wellington and Berthoud.

Getting a price

Call, text or request an estimate. Repair and replacement estimates are free, and there is no obligation to hire. If you're comparing companies after a storm, read the hiring questions above first — it'll save you a bad afternoon and possibly a denied claim.

Red flags after a hailstorm

The week after a big storm is when the worst decisions get made, because everyone on the street is calling at once and the knock on the door feels like help. Slow down if you hear any of these:

• "Sign here so we can talk to your insurance." That paper is often a contingency agreement. Read every word, and don't sign before you've seen a written price.
• "We'll take care of your deductible." Colorado law bars a roofer from paying, waiving or rebating your deductible. Never accept an offer to cover it.
• "Your whole neighborhood is getting new roofs." Maybe. Your roof still needs its own inspection and its own photos.
• "The price is only good today." A real estimate holds for weeks.
• A truck, a phone number and nothing else. No street address, no license number, no certificate.

How to check a license and an insurance certificate

For the license, ask for the number and look it up yourself with the city, or with your town's building department outside city limits. Make sure the name on the record matches the company on your contract.

For insurance, ask the roofer's insurance agent to send the certificate to you directly, rather than accepting a photo of one. Check three things: the company name matches, the dates cover your job, and the policy type is liability, with workers' compensation listed separately if they have it. It takes one email and a few minutes.

What the contract should say

Before work starts, you want one document that states:

1. The scope: tear-off, underlayment, membrane, flashing, ventilation and the named shingle line
2. The price, and the per-sheet decking price beyond any allowance
3. Approximate start and finish dates
4. How payments are staged. A large deposit before materials arrive is a red flag
5. Who pulls the permit, if one is required
6. Manufacturer and workmanship warranty terms, in years
7. Cleanup, including the nail sweep
8. The company's legal name, address and phone number

If the paper in front of you is missing most of that, it isn't ready to sign.

After the job is done

Keep the contract, the invoice, the permit record if there is one, and photos of the finished roof in one place. Register the shingle warranty if the manufacturer asks you to. Note the install date somewhere you'll find it in 15 years. And when the next storm comes through, you'll know exactly who to call and what you paid for. If a leak shows up in the first year, call the installer first and point to the workmanship term on your contract.

How estimate requests are handled

Calls and requests through this site are handled by an independent local roofing contractor we work with in Fort Collins, who provides the written quote and performs the work. We only work with roofers licensed by the City of Fort Collins — ask for their license number. Prices on the site are typical Fort Collins ranges, not a quote.