How to Choose the Right Roofing Contractor in Palm Beach County

Ten questions to ask before you hire a roofer, with the answers

Checklists tell you what to ask. This one also tells you what a good answer sounds like in Palm Beach County, and how Molsbee Roofing answers each question. Molsbee has roofed Palm Beach County homes since 1975 and works from an office in Lake Worth Beach. Use these questions on every contractor you interview, including us.

Question 1: What license do you hold, and where can it be checked?

A good answer: a license number you can check on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation site, in the same company name that appears on the proposal. A certified roofing contractor can work anywhere in Florida.

Our answer: Florida certified roofing contractor, license CCC1327429. The permit is pulled under that license, never as an owner-builder permit in your name.

Question 2: Which office issues the permit for this address, and who books the inspections?

A good answer: the contractor names your office without looking it up. The county is split among many building departments: Civic Access in West Palm Beach, Boca eHub in Boca Raton, JCDS in Jupiter, ProjectDox in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, and the county's own ePZB portal for unincorporated areas.

Our answer: we file the permit, book every inspection and meet the inspector. The inspection sequence varies by town. West Palm Beach inspects as the City requires for the job, and in some cases it may accept inspector-approved affidavits or photographs. Greenacres accepts no affidavits on roofs. We schedule the work around the inspections so the roof is dried in and ready each time.

Question 3: Will the new roof need a secondary water barrier?

A good answer: yes, and the scope names the method. The Florida Building Code sets secondary water barrier requirements on re-roofs and allows more than one compliant method; we specify a self-adhered secondary water barrier over the deck. It is the layer that keeps water out if wind strips the covering during a storm.

Our answer: it is on every re-roof proposal we write, named by product.

Question 4: Should this roof be repaired or replaced?

A good answer: it depends on the condition of the underlayment and the deck, not just the surface, and on one code rule. Florida's quarter-roof rule: when more than a quarter of a roof system or section is repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period, the roof covering across that entire system or section must be replaced or recovered to meet current code requirements. An exception applies if that system or section was built, repaired or replaced in compliance with the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition: only the portion being repaired, replaced or recovered must meet applicable current code requirements. Our inspection helps determine which applies to your roof.

Our answer: we tell you which side of that line your roof is on at the inspection. Many North Palm Beach, Lantana and Boca Raton homes date to the 1970s, so the rule comes up often. Our guide on when to replace your roof goes deeper.

Question 5: What can your inspection see, and what can it not?

A good answer: an honest limit. An inspector can see tile, shingles, flashing, roof-to-wall joints, edge metal and penetrations, and the attic where it is accessible. The underlayment beneath intact tile and the deck beneath that are only fully known once the roof is opened.

Our answer: our roof inspection is free, and you receive photos of the findings so you can see each issue yourself.

Question 6: What happens if you find rotted decking during tear-off?

A good answer: the process is written into the proposal before work starts. Work pauses on that section, the damage is photographed, and the repair is priced as its own line for you to approve.

Our answer: exactly that. You approve extra work from photos, not from a surprise on the final invoice.

Question 7: How is the roof fastened for this wind zone?

A good answer: the contractor knows your design wind speed. Palm Beach County runs from 150 mph inland to 160 mph on most of the mainland and 170 mph on the barrier islands and some waterfront strips, and the whole county sits in the wind-borne debris region. Fastening follows the product approval for that band.

Our answer: we check the parcel, not the ZIP code. In Palm Beach Gardens, for example, the city straddles the 160 and 170 mph lines.

Question 8: Does anyone besides the building department need to approve the roof?

A good answer: possibly. Inside PGA National the Architectural Review Committee approves a re-roof before the permit. In historic districts such as Old Floresta in Boca Raton, El Cid in West Palm Beach or Lake Worth Beach's six districts, a certificate of appropriateness comes first. On the island of Palm Beach, a change of material or appearance goes before the Architectural Commission.

Our answer: we identify these at the inspection and prepare the photos and material details the reviewer needs.

Question 9: How is the property protected during the job?

A good answer: specific steps, not a promise to be careful. Debris goes straight to a dumpster, the yard and driveway are cleaned at the end, and tile roofs are walked with care.

Our answer: our crews wear protective, safe footwear on tile roofs. On sound clay barrel tile we can detach and reset: lift the tile, replace the underlayment and reset the same tile, which keeps the look of the house.

Question 10: What paperwork does the homeowner get at the end?

A good answer: more than a receipt. You should receive the warranty documents, a closed permit with a passed final inspection, and the documentation your insurer may ask for.

Our answer: you get our lifetime workmanship warranty and the manufacturers' product warranties in writing, the final inspection record, and a roof certification letter for your insurer when they ask for one.

Red flags when you ask these questions

• The contractor cannot name your permit office or your wind band.
• There is no written scope, or it lists a total with no materials or underlayment.
• They ask you to pull the permit or pay in full up front.
• They appeared at your door right after a storm and want a signature today.

Why homeowners choose Molsbee

We are a GAF Certified Contractor and an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor, licensed as CCC1327429, and we have been roofing this county since 1975. Our process is the same on every job: a free roof inspection, photos of what we find, and a written scope with the price before any work begins, so you decide with the facts in front of you.

Ask us all ten

Call (561) 318-8624 or request a free roof inspection, and bring this list. We will answer every question for your address.