What if a roofing company’s work comes mostly from one builder?

Some roofing companies keep their crews busy through one home builder or general contractor. That can look steady on paper, and it can also mean the business depends on one relationship. A buyer should find out early what the relationship rests on. The whole review is covered in buying a roofing contractor in Canada. This page takes the one-builder risk by itself.

Find out who the builder actually trusts

Ask the seller how the work began and who phones whom when a job comes up. If the builder calls the owner’s mobile, the relationship may belong to the owner and not to the company. Ask who handles scheduling, warranty callbacks and complaints. The answers show whether the builder knows the crew leads and the office, or only the person selling.

Read what the arrangement is built on

Ask whether there is a written agreement, a standing price list or only a habit of repeat work. Ask how long the builder has used the company and whether other roofers get a share. Ask what would happen if the builder stopped sending work. Your lawyer can read any written terms and tell you whether they carry over to a new owner.

Plan the introduction and the handover

Many buyers ask the seller to introduce them to the builder before closing, with the seller present. A transition period in which the seller stays involved can help the builder feel the service has not changed. Ask your lawyer how that period, and any promise from the seller not to take the builder’s work elsewhere, could be written into the agreement.

Questions worth asking the builder

• What do you value most about working with this company?
• Would you keep using it under a new owner?
• Do you use other roofers, and for what kind of jobs?
• Have there been callbacks or disputes the owner handled personally?