How to choose a roofer in Maine: 5 questions to ask
Your roof is one of the biggest investments you’ll make in your home, and the person who installs it matters just as much as the materials. A great shingle installed carelessly will still fail. A careful crew with the right process can help an ordinary roof outlast its warranty.
From the street, most finished roofs look about the same. The difference is in the details you’ll never see from the driveway. The best way to choose a roofer is to ask a few honest questions up front, and know what good answers sound like.
1. Are you insured, and will you put everything in writing?
Every roofer you consider should carry general liability insurance and workers’ compensation, and give you a written contract.
Maine doesn’t issue a state roofing license, which makes insurance and paperwork even more important. If an uninsured worker is hurt on your property, or your home is damaged during the job, you could end up responsible. Maine law also requires a written contract for home repair and improvement work over $3,000.
What a good answer sounds like: “Here’s our certificate of insurance,” with no hesitation. If someone says “we’re covered” but can’t show you proof, keep looking.
How we handle it: We’re fully insured, and we’re happy to send documentation to anyone who asks. We’d rather you ask than assume.
2. What does your estimate include, and what doesn’t it?
A good estimate spells out every step and names the exact materials.
A low price can look great until you learn it doesn’t include tearing off the old roof, replacing damaged roof boards, ice-and-water shield, or hauling away debris. The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest job once the extras add up.
What a good answer sounds like: A written, line-by-line estimate that covers:
Tear-off
Inspecting the roof boards (decking) and repairing them if needed
Underlayment and ice-and-water shield
New shingles or metal, by manufacturer, product line and color
Flashing and drip edge
Cleanup and disposal
It should also explain what could change the price, such as finding rotted decking once the old roof is off.
How we handle it: Every estimate we write lists the full scope, the specific products (like Owens Corning or CertainTeed), the timeline, the warranty and the total cost. If something could change the price, we tell you up front what that would look like. Our guide to reading a roofing estimate walks through each line.
3. Who’s actually doing the work?
You should know who will be on your roof, and who’s responsible for the work.
Some companies sell the job and hand it to a crew you’ve never met. That isn’t automatically a problem, but you deserve a clear answer about who’s doing the work and whether the company you hired stands behind it.
What a good answer sounds like: A straight answer about who’s on the crew, and who’s overseeing the project day to day.
How we handle it: When you hire Maine Coast Roofing, Larkin is on the job. He’s not just the person who writes your estimate. He’s the general contractor overseeing your project, with nearly two decades of experience.
4. What does your warranty cover?
Ask about two warranties: the manufacturer’s product warranty and the roofer’s workmanship warranty.
The product warranty covers the materials. The workmanship warranty covers the installation, and it tells you how much the roofer trusts their own work. Manufacturer certifications matter here too. Certified installers can offer enhanced warranties that others can’t.
What a good answer sounds like: Exactly what’s covered, for how long, and what would void it, in writing. “We stand behind our work” doesn’t mean much without paperwork.
How we handle it: Most of our roofs come with the manufacturer’s lifetime product warranty and up to a 5-year workmanship warranty from us. As an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor and a Brava Preferred Contractor, we can offer enhanced warranty options. Here’s more on what a roof warranty actually covers.
5. Will you be here if I need you next year?
A warranty is only as good as the company behind it, so look for a roofer with real local roots.
After big storms, out-of-town crews sometimes knock on doors, push for a quick signature, and move on once the work is done. If something goes wrong six months later, there’s no one to call.
What a good answer sounds like: A local address, a phone number someone answers, reviews from your neighbors, and finished jobs you can drive past. Ask friends and neighbors who they’ve used, and how it went.
How we handle it: We’re Kayla and Larkin Campbell, at 7 Front Street in Belfast. Our kids go to school here. We’ve completed over 300 roofs across the Midcoast and beyond, and we have a 4.9-star Google rating from homeowners in the communities we’re part of. We’re not going anywhere.
The details a quality roofer won’t skip
A good roofer can make a roof look right. A great one gets the parts you’ll never see right, and in Maine, those are the parts that decide whether a roof lasts 15 years or 30.
Ice-and-water shield (a sticky waterproof layer under the shingles) along all eaves, in every valley and around chimneys, vents and skylights, going beyond the code minimum because Maine winters demand it.
Careful flashing (the metal that seals where the roof meets chimneys, walls and vents), cut and woven into the shingles. It shouldn’t be bent metal covered in caulk.
Drip edge (the metal strip along the roof’s edges) installed straight and in the right order with the underlayment, so water runs into the gutter, not behind it.
Correct nailing, with nails exactly where the manufacturer specifies. Nails placed too high are invisible once the next row goes on, but those shingles are the first to lift in a storm.
Balanced ventilation, checked on every job, because poor attic airflow is one of the main causes of ice dams.
Freeze-thaw cycles, ice dams and coastal wind find every shortcut. A detail that might hold for a decade somewhere milder can fail in Maine in two or three winters.
How they treat your home tells you a lot
You can learn as much about a roofer from how they treat your property as from their flashing. A good crew:
Protects your landscaping with tarps over plantings and boards over walkways
Cleans up every day, including sweeping for nails with a magnet, so you don’t find them in your lawn a week later
Talks to you when something unexpected comes up, like rotted decking, before it shows up on the bill
Walks the finished job with you and makes sure you’re happy before calling it done
“Leave it better than you found it.” These are words we live by, and we mean more than the roof.
Red flags to watch for
Large upfront payments. A deposit for materials is normal. Asking for 50% or more before work starts is not.
No written estimate or contract. If they won’t put it in writing, walk away.
Pressure to sign today. “This price is only good today” is pressure, not a deal.
No local references. A reputable roofer will happily connect you with past customers.
Door-knocking after a storm. Not every door-knocker is a scam, but take your time and get your own inspection from someone you trust.
Frequently asked questions
How many estimates should I get before choosing a roofer?
Two or three is usually enough. More than that tends to make the decision harder without making it clearer. What matters most is that each estimate is detailed enough to compare line by line.
Should I go with the cheapest roofing estimate?
Not necessarily. A low estimate may leave out ice-and-water shield, new flashing or decking repairs. Compare what’s included, not just the total. Here’s the real cost of hiring the cheapest roofer.
Does it matter if a roofer is certified by a manufacturer?
Yes. Certifications like Owens Corning Preferred Contractor or Brava Preferred Contractor mean the manufacturer has vetted the installer’s work and trusts them to offer enhanced warranty coverage. Non-certified roofers can do good work, but they can’t offer the same warranty options.
Do I need a licensed roofer in Maine?
Maine doesn’t issue a state roofing license, so focus on insurance, a written contract and a local track record instead. Maine law requires a written contract for home repair and improvement work over $3,000. Some towns also require a building permit for a roof replacement.
Can I replace my own roof?
You can, but we don’t recommend it for most homeowners. Roofing means working at height with heavy materials, and small installation mistakes can cause leaks and void the manufacturer’s warranty. A professional installation also comes with a workmanship warranty, which a DIY roof doesn’t have.
Choosing a roofer comes down to trust, and trust comes from honest answers to straightforward questions. The right roofer won’t mind you asking. They’ll welcome it.
If you’d like to hear how we’d answer these questions for your project, we’d be happy to talk it through. Feel free to reach out or give us a call at (207) 200-1053. The inspection and estimate are free, with no pressure.
