Expert Insights on Roofing NWA FAQs: Clear Answers

After a hailstorm, doors get knocked and flyers show up. Some of those roofers are legitimate and some are not, and from the curb it is hard to tell which is which. Here is a plain checklist for choosing a roofing company in Northwest Arkansas.

The short answer to how you find the best roofing company in the region is this: look at experience, reputation, licensing, insurance, warranties offered, materials used and customer reviews. Then get references and quotes from more than one company. Here is how to do each properly.

1. Experience and reputation

Ask how long the company has been doing this work and where. A local company that has been around for years has a reputation to protect in the same towns where its customers live. Check the review pages you can verify, and read the actual text rather than the star count. Look for specifics: did the crew show up when they said, did they clean up, did someone come back when something went wrong?

Midcon has been in business since 2018 and holds a 5.0 rating on Google from 481 reviews, along with BBB accreditation. Those numbers are worth checking for yourself, and you should hold every other contractor to the same standard.

2. Licensing, and how to check it

Do not take anyone's word on licensing. Arkansas contractors are listed on the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board register, and you can look a company up by name. When you do, check four things:

• The license is currently valid and the expiration date is still in the future.
• The name on the register matches the name on your proposal and contract.
• The classification fits the work, for example building, residential or commercial.
• The company's address and phone number on the register are real and reachable.

We hold a Commercial Level Contractor's License through the board, which requires bonding and an independent review of company finances, and we include our license and insurance documents with every project proposal. You should expect that from anyone you hire.

3. Insurance

Ask for proof of general liability and workers compensation coverage, and ask for it in writing. If a worker gets hurt on your property or something goes wrong, an uninsured contractor leaves you exposed. We carry $2M in general liability and $1M in workers comp, and those documents go with the proposal.

4. Warranties, and what they really cover

A warranty is only as good as the company that stands behind it. Watch out for what we call the tail light warranty: the moment the crew drives away, so does your coverage. Ask two questions. What does the manufacturer cover, and what does the contractor cover on its own workmanship?

As an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, an invitation-only program, Midcon offers the Platinum Protection Roofing System Limited Warranty, a 50-year non-prorated warranty on labor and materials, plus an additional 25-year workmanship warranty. Ask any roofer to show you the actual paperwork.

5. Materials

Every roofer in NWA buys from the same four supply houses, so ask exactly which shingle is going on and what sits underneath it.

6. Local crew or storm chaser

After a big storm, crews from out of town arrive with trucks and a pitch. Some do good work. The problem is structural: when the crew leaves the region, so does anyone you could call about a leak next spring. A local company with a real office has to answer the phone next month.

Midcon works out of offices in Lowell and Gentry, and we are not storm chasers from out of town. That is one of our stated commitments, along with being transparent, prompt and professional, and fixing our mistakes well when they happen.

7. Reviews, and how to read them

Read the negative and mediocre reviews first, then see how the company responded. One review on our Google page came from a homeowner whose rep concluded the existing roof still had life left. A contractor willing to talk you out of a sale is usually one worth talking to.

What a complimentary evaluation should include

A free inspection should not be a thirty-second walk and a number. A real evaluation looks like this:

• Safe access with the right equipment, and photos or video of every concern.
• Checks of shingle condition, flashing at valleys, walls and chimneys, vent and pipe boots, attic ventilation and gutters.
• Weather data, so storm-related damage is documented and validated.
• A reasonable method of repair in line with building codes and accepted industry standards.
• A detailed written report and a game plan with repair options, whether that turns out to be a repair, a replacement or nothing at all.

Our process has three steps: evaluation, strategy and installation. The first one is complimentary. The second is where we help you decide on a reasonable plan, schedule it and present quality options with an installation quote. The third is the work itself, with a safe site and a tidy finish.

Getting quotes you can compare

Get at least two or three quotes, with the shingle, underlayment, valley treatment and warranty in writing. A quote that only lists a total cannot be compared.

The takeaway: check the license, the insurance and the warranty on paper, then judge the roofer on how they handle questions. If you are in Lowell, Rogers, Bentonville or anywhere in NWA, a free inspection from our team is a low-risk way to see how we work.