Find a contractor that is licensed to do roofing in your state. Roofing is considered a "habitability" necessity for homes in every state throughout the country. Habitability concerns generally dictate that your home must be weatherproof and waterproof. The roof is your first defense against rain, so it is important that you only hire licensed roofing contractors.

Get an estimate from the contractor before you hire him or her. If possible, you should get estimates from many different contractors. This way, you will have a wider range of prices and contractors to choose from. Just about any contractor will be able to give you an estimate for your roofing job after a look at the job. The estimate will also help you keep your contractor reasonable on the price. If the job starts to become ridiculously expensive, then you can use the estimate to keep him or her on track.

Your contractor might ask you for a deposit on the work before he or she starts. This is a normal request that you should feel comfortable complying with. However, you should never be willing to provide more than 25 per cent of the total estimated cost of the project. 25 per cent is enough to show the contractor that you are a responsible client. It is also more than enough to get the contractor motivated to work on your project.