If you've never put a roof on a house before, you might think it's a quick process from the estimate to the final inspection. Sometimes, that might be the case, but it's also possible you'll encounter delays. For that reason, don't put off calling a roofing contractor to give you a quote for a new roof to get the process started. Here are some things the roofing contractor needs to do before getting started on your roofing job.

Select Roofing And Give You A Price Quote

You'll have a meeting in your home so the roofer can explain the types of roofing you can choose from, their prices, good points, and bad points. Once you've selected your materials, the roofer will give you a price quote. They'll examine your roof first to determine all the work that needs to be done.

You don't have to accept the quote right away, but be sure to ask the roofer how long the price will be honored. Once you've decided to accept the price, the roofer will draw up the contract for you to sign and order the supplies.

The roofer might come to your home within a couple of days after you call. However, roofers have busy seasons, and when they're busy, it could take several days to have your initial appointment. Keep that in mind if you want time to think about their quote.

If you call the roofer back later to work on the contract, you might have to wait several more days or even a few weeks before the work can be scheduled. However, the roofer should give you an anticipated start and completion date with your contract.

Get A Permit From The City

Rules for permits vary by city. Your roofer will know if a permit is needed. It might not be necessary if the roofer will put a new layer of roofing over the old layer. However, if the roofer repairs the deck or does other additional work, a permit might be needed.

Your roofer typically gets the permit and adds the cost to your estimate. They have to apply for the permit and give the city time to process it. This might cause a slight delay, but if your city is slow to approve permits, you might be waiting several days to get your permit approved.

Arrange For The Equipment Rental

When your work date approaches, your roofing contractor will probably have your shingles delivered to your home. The roofer may need to rent a crane or other equipment to lift the shingles to your roof where they will be safe until the crew is ready to work.

The roofer also has to rent a dumpster. This may be brought to your home a day before work begins. You'll need to clear space on your driveway or near your house for the dumpster to be parked.

When all of these prep steps are done, work should begin on your home shortly afterward as long as there are no weather delays. 

Contact a local roofer for more information.