Oklahoman & NewsOK.com Syndicate David Locklear and Arrowstar Story

We were lucky enough to receive a telephone call yesterday afternoon from Richard Mize, Real Estate Editor from the Daily Oklahoman, who was interested in reprinting an article recently penned by David W. Locklear, owner of Arrowstar Roofing & Construction. Most of our post, Property owners urged to be ‘Patient’, says Oklahoma City roofing contractor, was included on the back page of the Business section.

Here’s the link:

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-roofer-urges-patience-caution/article/3373423?custom_click=headlines_widget

For the original post, visit:

http://oklahomacityroofing.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/property-owners-urged-to-be-%e2%80%98patient%e2%80%99-says-oklahoma-city-roofing-contractor/

Arrowstar Roofing & Construction is an Oklahoma City based roofing contractor, bonded and insured with over 35 years experience and a family tradition in Oklahoma roofing since 1942. Specializing in commercial and residential roof repair and maintenance, Arrowstar is also qualified in the application of full-scale new roofing and re-roofing products including built-up, single-ply, TPO, PVC, EPDM, hot tar, Modified Bitumen, composition and wood shingling, tile roofs and more. For more information, visit www.arrowstarroofing.com or call (405) 365-6577.

Property owners urged to be ‘Patient’, says Oklahoma City roofing contractor

Arrowstar Roofing & Construction - Oklahoma Tornado and Storm Damage Experts

By David W. Locklear
Owner, Arrowstar Roofing & Construction

Due to the recent extreme wind and hail in various sections of the Metropolitan Oklahoma City area, Arrowstar Roofing would like to remind property owners to be patient in getting roof estimates from local contractors.

Our city has be inundated with out-of-town and ‘fly-by-night’ roofing companies, some from as far East as New Jersey.

These companies specialize in hailstorms around the United States. Some have unlimited advertising dollars, and many even rent local offices to provide more local legitimacy.

It’s important to deal locally, particularly when severe weather has residents in their most vulnerable, emotional states.

Key giveaways for spotting these ‘hail jumpers’ include out-of-state license plates on their vehicles, companies you’ve never heard of or companies in ‘close partnership’ with more local corporations, and – obviously – estimators’ accents that don’t quite seem to be Oklahoma native.

Most out-of-state companies will give from 3 to 5 year warranties, just like local companies. However, an important fact to remember is… when another hailstorm hits elsewhere in our great nation… these fly-by-nights will likely be gone upon hearing that first Weather Channel report.

What’s the downside to all this? You’re left with a worthless warranty… and often times a job that has used substandard (or used) materials or unqualified labor.

Remember to never pay more than one third to half of the total estimate as deposit prior to the work being started. Another good tip is to check area telephone books… a technique that allows you to assess whether or not the corporation has an established presence in the state of Oklahoma. Fly-by-night roofers almost never have Yellow Page or Business Directory ads.

Beware of Storm Damage Roofers

By Dave Locklear, Owner
Arrowstar Roofing & Construction

Arrowstar Roofing would like to remind home and business owners to beware of ‘fly-by-night’ or door-to-door roofing companies. These companies travel to hail storms around the country and present themselves as being a local company. Most will do a substandard job with their only intention being to get your money as fast as possible, then moving on to the next storm.

Some ‘fly-by-night’ roofing companies do acceptable work, however, if you have a leak or warranty issue 2 to 3 months down the road, the company can rarely be found as they have moved on to another location.

One giveaway of ‘fly-by-night’ salesmanis that they usually have an out-of-state phone number or an out-of-state tag. However, this may not always be the case as some large storm-chasing companies have the means to furnish their salesman with local phones as soon as they hit town.

Oklahoma is a key state for ‘fly-by-night’ companies because we do not require roofing companies to be licensed. Even though local companies have lobbied our state legislature to make roofing licensing mandatory just like plumbers, electricians and heating and air companies, the fact remains that Oklahoma has yet to act in this important matter. The sad part is, roof licensing in Oklahoma would eliminate homeowners from being taken advantage of.

Remember that Arrowstar Roofing is a family owned and operated company, with a continuous lifelong commitment to quality roofing in Oklahoma since 1942.

No Major Posts Today; Oklahoma City Yellow Pages; Artwork

Well, it’s been a rather dreary day here on the Web end of Arrowstar Roofing & Construction. Though I had intended to pen posts on shingle replacement, a new winter roof maintenance package here at Arrowstar (Stay Tuned for Details!) and commercial flat roofing, several other things popped up and I was not able to write our morning post. Here are a few random Arrowstar thoughts for the day!

Fortunately, however, I was able to meet with a fabulous representative named Diane Young from the User-Friendly Phone Book, the OKC Metro’s second-largest home and business directory with a distribution of 561,000… and from looking at the ads in the business section, one of the hottest ad buys on the market. I strongly recommend this publication, and can happily put any OKC business owner in touch with Diane if they wish to check into advertising for their own company. Just e-mail me for the information.

It was through her that I also learned about a great new Web site… oklahomacity247.com. I highly recommend checking it out.

Without giving too much away, I can only say that I walked away with an excellent ad package that I personally believe will bring about fantastic ROI. Be sure to look for your copy in March 2009 and check out our ads in the “Roofing” section.

From there, I spent most of the day drafting artwork ideas for our purchased space… wishing the whole time I would have bought a bigger ad. From what I have so far, however, I am more than optimistic that we will have one of the best ads in the book!

Despite hard economic times due to the smarty-pants on Wall Street, calls seem to have picked up here over the past couple days. Many thanks for that goes to the great Oklahoma City community newspapers that we regularly advertise in. When I was not busy with the marketing end of things, I was overwhelmed answering the phone. I personally look forward to a full economic recovery for our great nation by next year, but am pleased that Arrowstar is swamped with work even in the economic crisis of recent weeks.

Am also pleased that we have been working on even material certifications today, making a lot of progress in the products we will be able to offer to our commercial roofing customers.

Stay tuned. Tomorrow I plan to work much of the day on our Web site and you will undoubtedly see a lot of great roofing content.

I will be updating our LiveJournal, Twitter, Myspace and Facebook profiles, groups, and blogs shortly.

Marketing Staff
Arrowstar Roofing & Construction

Consumer Beware: Oklahoma Roofing Licensing Myth Busted

As our business has grown, and as we have spent time researching the Oklahoma City roofing market and local contractors, and our own Arrowstar Roofing & Construction Web site, an alarming trend has caught our attention… prevalent among a minority of smaller contractors. It all boils down to a single statement:

“Oklahoma Licensed Roofing Contractor”

While verbiage and usage of the term may differ from contractor to contractor, there is a simple truth behind any person claiming to be a licensed roofing contractor in the state of Oklahoma… there is no licensing requirement to establish or operate a roofing company in Oklahoma.

Arrowstar Roofing & Construction strongly advocates further regulation of the Oklahoma roofing industry. Because of Central Oklahoma’s unpredictable, damaging weather patterns, many unknown, out-of-state contractors and “fly-by-night” roofers magically appear around town during and after storms. Cheap signage, business cards, an easy-to-acquire local telephone number and a big smile can often sway trusting consumers to disingenuous roofing contractors. Licensing in our industry is needed, but the Oklahoma Department of Commerce clearly spells out the non-licensing requirement for roofing contractors here: http://www.okcommerce.gov/index.php?option=com_busli…

Verbatim (from Okla. Dept. of Commerce Web site):

Oklahoma Business Licensing System
Business Type: Roofing Contractor
This activity is considered as a General Contractor, for which there is not a specific State license. Out-of-State contractors must contact the Tax Commission at 405-521-3279 to register and pay a bond (if working on commercial properties). They must also contact the County Clerk where the work is located and register the starting and ending dates for project.

Make no mistake: there is no such thing as an Oklahoma Roofing License. That’s the state’s words, not ours.

It’s important, however, to understand that there are licensed roofers in our great nation following strict regulations. In Louisiana, for instance, a state contractor’s license or registration is required for commercial projects over $50,000, all residential repair/remodeling projects over $7,500, projects using hazardous materials, or projects addressing mold issues. Various other states have similar regulations.

Some Oklahoma roofing contractors may hold licenses if they regularly operate out of state. In addition, some local roofing contractors may be members of any number of private professional organizations, or may hold certifications for installation of specific roofing products. All are certifications that we strongly believe add to the credibility of any roofing contractor.

But again, if someone tells you they hold their Oklahoma roofing contractor’s license… ask to see it! It will be a historic moment, as you will be gazing upon a document that no other Oklahoman has ever seen.

With the lax requirements for establishment and operation of a roofing company in Oklahoma, consumers should be very diligent and ask plenty of questions when choosing a contractor to repair or roof their home or business. Here are a few tips:

INSURANCE

Whomever you choose to repair your roof, make sure that they are insured through a reputable insurance agency for any unforeseeable damages that could be caused by the work being performed. Make sure that all subcontractors have indemnified both the contractor and property owner from accidents, and that any regular employees are covered by workman’s compensation.

REFERENCES

Go with your gut instinct. If you’re talking to a potential contractor and find yourself questioning his or her work ethic or abilities, don’t be afraid to ask for two or three references. Experienced contractors will have no problem giving them to you. Get addresses if you like… drive by these past jobs and check out their work. Contact the property owners. Be reasonable with your requests and expectations, however, and give contractors a day or two to provide this information for you. Many contractors may wish to ask permission of past customers before providing their information to a third party. However, if days pass with no references being given, it’s safe to assume the potential contractor is having trouble on this front.

JOB SCOPE VS. SIZE OF COMPANY

How big is your job? How big is your potential contractor’s company? You should weigh the risks of job size versus company infrastructure in all projects. Obviously, you wouldn’t want to hire a one-man crew to roof a large factory… but on the same note, you might not get good results trying to get the largest roofing company in the state to come and fix one single leak on your home. Make sure the size of your job fits the size of the company. Make sure your contractor has the crew and resources to get the job done. But if your project is small, or a simple leak repair, make sure you’re choosing a contractor that won’t hit you with a high minimum charge… or put you at the bottom of the list… due to other, more lucrative projects.

EXPERIENCE

There’s no replacement for experience. Period. How long has a potential contractor been in business? How long has he or she been personally involved in the roofing business? More importantly, how long has the crew doing the type of work you need done? What similar projects has your contractor completed recently, and what were the results? You don’t want to hire a life-long electrician to completely replace your roof, just like you wouldn’t hire a mailman to fix your sink. Make sure your contractor–and his or her crew–is qualified to do the work.

WARRANTIES

Now that you’ve finally been convinced of a company’s stability, legality, reputation and ability, and you’re ready to make a decision… make sure your contractor is willing to offer you a written warranty for his or her work. Nobody’s perfect. We’re all wrong from time to time. You may choose the wrong contractor, or the contractor may have misdiagnosed the problem. Be sure you are protecting yourself from the unknowns of the future by getting a written guarantee of the work that will be performed. Don’t get caught holding the bag when a contractor has done sub-par, inadequate work… or when perfect work has simply missed the problem.

Like it or not, there’s no such thing as an Oklahoma Roofing License. Unlike some states in the U.S., Oklahoma homeowners and business owners cannot be assured that their state government has pre-qualified a contractor to complete roofing projects.

However, with some consideration, diligence and a little bit of questioning, home and business owners in Oklahoma City can be confident in choosing a great contractor according to the size of their project and material application needs.

Arrowstar Roofing & Construction is an Oklahoma City based roofing contractor, bonded and insured with over 35 years experience. Specializing in commercial and residential roof repair and maintenance, Arrowstar is also qualified in the application of full-scale new roofing and re-roofing products including built-up, single-ply, TPO, PVC, EPDM, hot tar, Modified Bitumen, composition and wood shingling, tile roofs and more. For more information, visit www.arrowstarroofing.com or call (405) 365-6577.