Roofing Contractors in Des Moines: Questions to Ask First
Roofing contractors in Des Moines multiply after every hail storm and thin out by Thanksgiving. The ones worth hiring answer the same dozen questions the same way every time. Ask all of them, in this order, and the conversation will tell you what you need to know before the quote does.
About the company
1. Are you registered with the Iowa Division of Labor? Iowa doesn't license roofers. It requires contractors to register with the state and to show proof of workers' compensation and unemployment insurance as part of that. It's the minimum, and a roofer who hasn't done it isn't planning to be here long. You can search the registry on the Division of Labor site.
2. Can you send a certificate of insurance before the crew arrives? General liability and workers' comp, on a certificate that comes from the insurer, not a photocopy. If a worker falls off your roof and the roofer has no workers' comp, your homeowners policy is next in line.
3. Where is your office? An address you can drive to, with a 515 number. After the derecho, crews from six states worked the metro. Some did fine work. Most were gone when the first callback came.
4. Who will actually be on my roof? A company crew, or a subcontractor? Subs aren't bad, but you want to know whose insurance covers them and who supervises.
About the roof
5. Did you go in the attic? If the estimate came from the driveway or a satellite measurement, they haven't seen the decking, the ventilation, or whether there's frost on the nails. On a 1930s house in Beaverdale, the attic is where half the problems are.
6. Is it a tear-off? On a house with one layer, a roof-over is legal in Iowa but hides rotten decking and voids most warranties. On two layers, tear-off is required. Get it in writing either way.
7. Where does the ice-and-water membrane go? The right answer for Des Moines: from the eave edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line, which the code requires, plus every valley and around every penetration. "Along the eave" is not enough on a low-pitched roof with a two-foot overhang. This is the line the cheap quotes skip.
8. What shingle, and how many nails? A named product line with a wind rating — Class H (ASTM D7158) or Class F (ASTM D3161) — and six nails per shingle. Four is the manufacturer's minimum in calm places. Central Iowa isn't a calm place. If hail is why you're calling, ask about Class 4 impact-rated shingles and the insurance discount.
9. What's the decking allowance? A per-sheet price, $90–$150, with photos of any sheet replaced. "Decking as needed" with no price is a blank check.
10. What about ventilation? Ridge vent, soffit intake, baffles. Roof ventilation in Des Moines attics is the difference between an ice dam and no ice dam, and it's cheapest to fix while the roof is off.
About the money
11. Is the permit included, and who pulls it? The City of Des Moines requires a permit for a replacement; the suburbs have their own building departments. The roofer pulls it, not you. If they ask you to pull an owner's permit, walk away — it usually means they can't.
12. What's the warranty, in writing? Two separate things: the manufacturer's warranty on the shingles, and the roofer's warranty on the workmanship. Ask for years on each and who to call.
The questions that answer themselves
Some things you don't ask; you watch for them.
- A price that's only good today. Real quotes are good for 30 days.
- An offer to "handle" your deductible. Iowa law bars roofing contractors from paying or rebating a deductible. The offer tells you the invoice is going to be inflated.
- A contingency agreement on the doorstep. You're signing over your claim to someone you met four minutes ago.
- A quote $3,000 below the others. Something is missing. Usually the membrane or the tear-off. Compare line by line using the cost page.
- Pressure. A roof that has waited 22 years can wait a week for a second opinion.
What a good answer looks like
A one-page written scope: tear-off, decking allowance, membrane locations, underlayment type, shingle line and rating, nail count, flashing (new, not reused), ventilation, permit, cleanup, warranty, price, and a date. Photos from the roof and the attic attached. If you got that, you've found one of the best roofers in Des Moines you're likely to meet, and it doesn't much matter whose name is on the truck.
Our about page answers all twelve for us. Ask us anyway.
Need roof work in Des Moines?
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