Roofing Contractors in Overland Park: 12 Questions to Ask First
Roofing contractors Overland Park homeowners hire fall into two groups: the ones who were here last year and will be here next year, and the ones whose phone number stops working in August. After a hail event you can't tell them apart from the yard signs. You can tell them apart with a dozen questions, and none of them take long.
Paperwork
1. Can I see your Kansas roofing registration certificate?
Kansas doesn't license roofers. It registers them. The Kansas Roofing Registration Act requires every roofing contractor working in the state to hold a registration certificate from the Attorney General's office, and to get it they have to file proof of general liability insurance and workers' compensation. The AG keeps a searchable list on its website. Ask for the certificate, then look the name up yourself. A roofer who gets vague here is done — don't bother with the other eleven.
2. Can I see the insurance certificate itself?
The registration proves insurance was on file when they registered. The certificate of insurance proves it's current. Ask for it, and call the agent listed on it. Workers' comp matters most: if a laborer falls off your roof and the company has no coverage, the injury claim can come to you as the property owner.
3. Where is your office?
A street address in Johnson County or the Kansas City metro, not a PO box or a "local office" that turns out to be a hotel. Look it up on a map. Ask how long they've worked this area — not to get a sales pitch, but to hear whether they name neighborhoods and streets like someone who's been on the roofs.
Money
4. Are you going to pay or waive my deductible?
The right answer is no, and ideally a short explanation of why: it's prohibited under Kansas law, and the only way to make it work is to bill the insurer for things that weren't done. The wrong answer is any version of yes. Storm chaser roofing scams in Kansas almost all start with this offer.
The job
5. Will you pull the permit?
Overland Park requires a permit for a re-roof, and so does every other Johnson County city. It should be on the quote. A roofer who says the city doesn't require one, or that it's not worth the hassle, is either wrong or planning to skip the inspection for a reason.
6. Who will actually be on my roof?
Most roofing companies use subcontracted crews; that's normal. What matters is whether the company's foreman is on site, whether the same crew does their jobs regularly, and who you call if something's wrong at 4 p.m. on install day. "My guys" is fine. "A crew" with no name is not.
The quote
7. What exactly is in the quote?
Ask for it line by line. A real roof estimate in Overland Park lists tear-off, decking price per sheet, ice-and-water membrane and where it goes, underlayment type, drip edge, shingle brand and product name, pipe boots and flashing, ventilation, permit, cleanup, and the warranty. The cheap quote is usually cheap because two or three of those are missing. The cost page shows what each should cost.
8. Which shingle, and is it Class 4?
Product name, not just brand. In Johnson County a Class 4 impact-resistant shingle is the sensible default on any replacement — the premium is $1,000–$3,000 and most insurers here discount for it. Ask whether they'll give you the certificate your agent needs to apply the credit. See the Class 4 page.
9. What do you do at the eaves and valleys?
The answer should include ice-and-water membrane at the eaves, in the valleys and around penetrations, and new flashing. Freeze-thaw winters here put water under the first two courses of shingles every February. A roofer who reuses old flashing or runs felt to the edge is building a roof for a different climate.
10. What's the workmanship warranty, in writing?
Manufacturer warranties cover defective shingles, which is rare. Workmanship warranties cover the install, which is where roofs actually fail. Ask for the number of years and get it on the contract. Then ask yourself whether the company will exist long enough to honor it.
11. When do you want money?
Reasonable: a modest deposit when materials are scheduled, balance on completion or after the final inspection. Unreasonable: full payment up front, or a large deposit before anything is delivered. On an insurance job, the roofer should expect to be paid from the insurer's checks on the insurer's timeline, not demand the whole amount before the depreciation is released.
Afterward
12. Will you come back?
Not the warranty — the small stuff. A ridge cap that lifts in the first wind, a nail in the driveway, a downspout that got knocked loose. Ask what happens. The best roofers in Overland Park are the ones you can call in October about a roof they did in May and get a person who remembers the house.
The short version
| Ask | Good answer | Walk away |
|---|---|---|
| Registration certificate | Shown, verifiable on the AG's site | "We're getting it" |
| Deductible | "That's illegal in Kansas" | "We take care of that" |
| Permit | On the quote | "Not needed" |
| Quote | Itemized, product names | One number |
| Payment | Deposit at materials, balance at end | Full payment now |
| Office | Local street address | PO box, hotel |
Every one of these applies to us as much as anyone. Ask, and we'll answer. Our about page covers how we work, and the hail damage page covers the claim process from the homeowner's side.
Need roof work in Overland Park?
Call for a free estimate. Mon–Sat 7am–7pm.