Vancouver roofing companies are numerous in numbers, actually there are over 400 registered roofing companies in Vancouver which brings me to tip number one. Don't hire a roofing crew but rather stick with a registered company. There are several reasons not to hire a crew of men or your best friends brothers uncle , there probably no liability insurance, workman's compensation or the ability to get a real warranty. Unless you okay taking a gamble with your property, safety and your roof with high cost consequences then go ahead and hire Joe shmo.
Hiring a roofer is obviously not something you do very often so knowing what to ask you think about is usually not on your radar. Most folks I meet just want a new roof and are not really thinking about many other aspects that might become a real problem. I always state that one should get at least three estimates, so when it is your homes turn for a new roof listen to see if the roofing company mentions the following, if they don't you can bring it up and judge by there response whether they seem like they care or even know what you are talking about. There are only two issues but they say a lot for the whole job and with these two issues at bay you can relax and let the roofers work
Your property is currently undisturbed, big dogs and kids have nothing on a roofing crew that has to remove the top of your home remove it and then replace it. Plant, garden furniture even your lawn will be bombarded and destroyed if a roofing crew do not pay attention to protecting your property. I have seen roofing crews work in extremely difficult properties in the Greater Vancouver region. When I say difficult I mean the were state of the art beautiful properties where it was clear the owner cared for their space and the roofing crew leaving the property with the home owners totally satisfied. It is very important to note that if a roofing crew is ignoring the state of your property then this company is doing the same on your roof. It is very difficult to clean properly with thousands of nails flying off the roof.
Flashing is key to protecting the inside of your home from the elements of outside. Flashing is a difficult subject because there are a few homes in the Greater Vancouver region that are very old and have roof flashing installed under the siding that is impossible to replace. All other flashing though must be replaced and is often ignored by some roofers because it is tedious and a difficult part of roofing. There are many places flashing goes so bringing it up with a Vancouver roofing company and you should get the list of places from them, the list should be the same all the way round.
I know this seems silly basing your whole roofing experience on these two issues but I have targeted the two issues that cause a home owner the most grief from the thousands of roofing projects I have seen