Roofing

Key Takeaways

  • Ask for the EMR and compare it to 1.0. The Experience Modification Rate industry average is 1.0. Contractors with above-average workers’ compensation claims land higher, those with better records land lower. KPost’s rate at the time of writing was 0.56 across a workforce of more than 320 employees.
  • An empty OSHA search result is a good result. Look the company up on OSHA.gov. If the name returns nothing, it has no recorded violations. Fewer violations feed directly into a lower EMR, so the two checks confirm each other.
  • Workers’ compensation is optional in Texas. The state does not require it, which makes offering it a deliberate choice that says something about how a company treats its crews. It also shields the property owner from liability if someone is injured on the job.
  • Branded trucks and uniforms signal permanence. Much of the commercial roofing field runs unmarked white and black trucks. A company investing in branding its vehicles and its crews is signaling it plans to be around, which matters when a warranty claim surfaces in year eight.
  • Ask to see the crew’s badges. Some contractors issue employee badges carrying a photo and a summary of completed training and certifications, which might include OSHA, CPR, or forklift qualification. References should also come without hesitation, since a good subcontractor is proud of past work.

It’s commercial roofing contractor’s dream. Our skylines are morphing; our cities are growing at unprecedented rates.

Frisco city officials refer to the stretch of land along the Dallas North Tollway between Plano and Frisco as the ‘5 BILLION DOLLAR MILE’ thanks to the extensive building projects happening there. The Dallas Cowboys franchise, BMW, Lexus, as well as scores of retail and restaurants have rushed onto the burgeoning scene. Not far from the Tollway, Toyota is setting up its new corporate campus to the tune of $350M and Nebraska Furniture Mart is bringing scores of assets to The Colony.

This is a great time to be in the construction and commercial roofing business, but the poseurs and profiteers will also be coming out in droves to cash in on the prosperity and land work. Now, more than ever, it’s important to separate the wheat from the chaff.

“Massive building developments are going up all over DFW and we are proud to be at the center of so many of them. No one wants their project to serve as this community’s cautionary tale. The most important aspect of a new build or repair decision is who gets hired. The general contractor matters. The architect matters. The subcontractor matters,” says Steve Little, President of KPost Company, a Dallas-based commercial roofing company specializing in leak detection, lightweight concrete, and building portfolio management.

The Litmus Test: 3 Steps to the Best

Read on to discover the simple litmus test topics that can help property owners distinguish a marginal commercial roofing company from a truly great one, sparing themselves the costly mistakes and setbacks that sideline companies.

1. Positive Company Culture?

Good Tools and Attitudes
Does the roofing/waterproofing company’s employees carry quality tools? Quality equipment reflects the company’s devotion to safety and respectful attitudes toward employees. Is the overall attitude one of calm and kindness? Beware of stressed out or impatient demeanors, which indicate a dysfunctional workplace.

Great Safety Rating
A company that values and protects its employees is a sure bet. Check the company’s safety ratings. How does it stack up against peers on the OSHA.gov website? If a company’s name search returns no results here, it has had no violations. The fewer violations, the lower the Experience Modification Rate (EMR). Always ask for it. KPost Company’s EMR is .56, which is an extremely low and attractive rating, especially since KPost Company has over 320 employees. The EMR industry average is 1.0, but those with claims above industry average will see their EMR rise above 1.0 and those with a history of below-average claims will see their EMR below 1.0.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Also ask if the company provides Workers’ Compensation Insurance to its employees. This insurance is not required in the state of Texas, but its presence speaks volumes about the company and its attitudes about its workforce. This insurance protects the property owner and the individual worker from liability in case of an accident. It also provides lost income for a worker, should he sustain an injury on the job.

2. Distinctive Company Branding?

Trucks
So much of the commercial roofing industry consists of cookie-cutter black and white trucks driving around town. If a company makes the effort to brand its trucks and employees’ uniforms, this indicates the company’s commitment to the long haul. Branding symbolizes an all-in approach to running the business. It is a truly important indicator of company health, pride, and success.

Badges
Does the employee wear a badge featuring his picture and a synopsis of the trainings and completed certifications? Again, great sign. Always ask to take a look. Certifications might include OSHA, CPR, forklift training, etc. When in doubt, ask. The commercial roofing company should always send trained, qualified professionals to meet with customers. A trained employee provides better quality work!

3. Legitimate References?

Check
References should be offered without hesitation. Subcontractors should feel proud of their past work and eager to share it with new clients. Companies should always call the references and ask questions.

Assess Responsiveness
“I always believe the differentiator happens not when everything is going great, but when there is a problem. How do we manage it? This is construction. This is service maintenance. We are working on top of living, breathing buildings,” says Little, whose own workforce processes over 100 projects and 10,000 work orders per year and is adept at problem-solving thanks to extensive training.

“There is going to be a problem, that’s just the odds. It’s not if you will have a problem. It’s how you manage it. So ask about those things. Find out how the company resolved issues for past clients.”

Hire a great company that will protect your assets, and you are home free. Partner with a company hyper-focused on the bid and not the client, and there is no telling what level of calamity awaits.

KPost Company stands ready to partner with clients on small and high stakes jobs alike, offering an unequivocal guarantee that work will be completed to code and completed safely, on time, every time.

“At KPost Company, we do it right. Clients never need to worry that we have unskilled, unsafe, unknowledgeable workers on their roofs. This is an important time in DFW as tower cranes once again are changing the city’s skyline. We are excited to lead the way with innovative and amazing roofing projects that will stand as a testament to Texas and its work ethic for decades to come,” says Little.

Worried that your commercial building may be ailing? Take the KPost Company building assessment for access to helpful tools and information related to maintaining optimum commercial roof and building health. Take the quick assessment now!

FAQs

General liability with limits appropriate to your project, workers compensation, auto liability, and usually an umbrella policy. Two details matter beyond the limits themselves. Your entity should be named as an additional insured, which extends the contractor’s coverage to claims made against you. A waiver of subrogation prevents their insurer from turning around and pursuing you after paying a claim. Request the certificate directly from the agent rather than accepting a copy from the contractor.

It is the document set an owner or general contractor requires before allowing a contractor to bid. It typically includes financial statements or a bonding letter, safety metrics including experience modification rate and incident rates, insurance certificates, license and certification records, a project list with references at comparable scale, and current backlog. The point is to confirm the contractor can absorb the size of your project, since a firm that is technically capable but overextended is still a risk.

Ask directly and ask who carries the workers compensation coverage for the people who will physically be on your roof. Self-performing contractors employ their crews, which means the training records, safety program, and quality control apply to the people doing the work. Brokered labor means the company holding your contract may not employ anyone who touches the building. Neither is disqualifying on its own, but you should know which one you are buying.

Roofing manufacturers authorize specific contractors to install their systems, and on commercial work that authorization is usually a condition of issuing the long-term system warranty at all. It generally requires training, a track record with the product, and a manufacturer inspection at completion before the warranty is released. A contractor without that status can install the same materials, but the warranty you were expecting may never be issued, which is worth confirming before award rather than after. Our commercial roof installation team confirms applicator status against the specified system before bid.

Bonding capacity is the total value of work a surety will guarantee for a contractor at one time, and it is a third party’s assessment of financial strength. Payment and performance bonds are standard on public work and on many large private projects, and they protect the owner if the contractor fails to complete or fails to pay suppliers. Even where a bond is not required, asking about capacity tells you whether your project is routine for that firm or unusually large for them.

Large commercial projects live or die on coordination, and here is what that looked like on the Canvas Hotel:

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