How to Choose a Roofing Contractor in Connecticut

Start with registration and insurance

Connecticut home improvement contractors must register with the state. Ask for the registration number and verify it — it takes a minute and it filters out a surprising number of operators. Then ask for proof of liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage, and confirm they're current. Roofing is dangerous work; if an uninsured worker is hurt on your property, the liability conversation gets very uncomfortable very fast. Proof, not assurances.

Get itemized quotes, and compare them line by line

Two or three quotes, each itemizing tear-off and disposal, decking terms, underlayment and ice-and-water shield, shingle line and color, flashing scope, ventilation work, permit fees, and cleanup. Same scope, same comparison. A quote that's dramatically cheaper than the others almost always omits something — usually flashing, ventilation, or decking — and you'll discover the omission when it rains. Ask the cheap bidder what they left out; the answer is informative either way.

Check real work, not just reviews

Online reviews help, but they're easy to game and hard to interpret. Stronger evidence: addresses of recent local jobs you can drive past, and a roofer willing to give them. Look at the finished roof from the street — straight courses, clean valleys, no visible patchwork — and ask the homeowner, if the opportunity arises, whether the crew cleaned up and whether the roofer came back for anything. Also ask how many standing-seam or specialty jobs they've done if you're considering metal; an asphalt crew is not automatically a metal crew.

Read the contract before you sign

• Deposit. A deposit is normal; full payment before work starts is not. Progress payments tied to milestones are the fair structure.
• Scope. Materials by brand and line, flashing and ventilation details, decking terms, permit responsibility, cleanup, and disposal — all in writing.
• Timeline. Start window, expected duration, and what happens with weather delays.
• Warranties, separately. Manufacturer material warranty and roofer workmanship warranty, each with its term and what it covers. Know which is which.
• Change orders. How extras are priced and approved — in writing, before the work, not after.

Red flags that end the conversation

Door-to-door solicitation after a storm with pressure to sign on the spot. A demand for full payment upfront. No permit, no registration, no insurance paperwork. A quote with no line items. And any roofer who won't put the warranty in writing. Any one of these is enough to move on — Hartford County has no shortage of roofers, and the good ones don't need these tactics.

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