Roofing Help....

frisco84

Hello everyone I'm new here. Ive been doing roofing for about four years for another company. I've picked up a lot of things and have moved up faster than anyone in my company. I consider myself to be good at what i do. I am now trying to start my own small residential business, but i need advice. First of all I can't seem to find out if there is a license that i am required to get in New Jersey. Also don't know what other legal things i might need to make my company legitimate. I have already done some side jobs on my own. Can anyone please assist me and give me some advice.
Please Help

Ed the Roofer

Your first homework assignment will be to use the search function on this forum and do research on the terms you want to know about.

Just start plucking away at the business and marketing forums for titles that interest you and read through them thoroughly.

After you do that, you will have a better basis for asking more specific questions.

There are a few guys on the board from your area, so they will be able to inform you about the licensing requirements and insurances needed.

Ed

frisco84

Ed thanks for your response i appreciate it. I have already started this research and will continue on searching the site. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find anything in specific. But the site is big so I'll keep searching. thanks again

Ed the Roofer

If you have any friends who are already in business who would not wind up being your direct competition, you could pick their brains for some locally correct answers.

I'm glad you are already doing the research. That shows you are sincere enough to truly want to explore the answers, and not just have them handed to you without doing any work.

Ed

frisco84

I just found a few interesting things. There seems to be no roofing license for NJ. There is a home repair and home improvemennt contractor licenses. I Have the requirements for the home repair license and am working on the home improvement requirements. I just can't figure out which would cover roofing.

Ed. My dad is a 14 year roofer and i know more about the legal aspect of roofing than he does. My other fellow roofers don't want to have legitimate companies, just under the table work. They have all taught me a great deal of roofing but when it comes to the technicalities they just tell me to get a construction permit for the property and forget about the rest. Thats good for now but i am interested in doing this for the long haul and not having to work for somebody else my whole life. The bit i know i have gotten from talking to a lot of the roof inspectors.

Ed the Roofer

Well, it sounds like you want to start off the right way, so study this forum and eliminate as much of the "School Of Hard Knocks" training as possible and keep asking other contractors pertinent questions.

Answer your phone and get back to customers and be on time and do the job correctly so it will last the entire warranty length versus less than 1/2 life.

Get copies of some other roofers proposals when you are awarded the contract and see how they phrase the contract and boiler plate general condition phraseology.

Ed