Calgary & Southern Alberta · Made in Canada

How to check a roofer is really local to Alberta

Some roofing websites are lead-generation sites or call centres, not roofing companies. Eight checks a homeowner in Calgary & Southern Alberta can do in ten minutes.

Get a free quote (587) 317-6517

Why it matters

Some roofing websites aren't roofing companies. They collect your details and sell the lead to whoever will pay for it, sometimes to a contractor you have never heard of, sometimes to one from another province. Others are call centres answering for several brands at once. The site looks local; the company behind it may not be. Ten minutes of checking before you book a visit tells you who you are actually dealing with.

1. Find a real Alberta office, not a call centre

A local company can tell you where its office is. Look for a street address in Calgary, Edmonton or your own town, not just a list of cities it "serves", and look it up on a map: is it an office you could walk into, or a mailbox? Ask who answers the phone and where they sit. A toll-free number and a contact form with no address are a reason to ask more questions.

2. Look at the phone number

A roofer working in Calgary & Southern Alberta will usually answer on a local Alberta number. A toll-free number on its own doesn't mean anything is wrong, but it doesn't tell you where the company is.

3. Search the company in Alberta's Corporate Registry

The Government of Alberta says anyone can request a search of Corporate Registry records through a registry agent, for a government fee and a service fee. A search can show when the company was registered, its directors and its registered address. Search the legal name on the quote, not the website name.

4. Check the prepaid contracting licence

A business that signs contracts with you in person away from its own place of business, at your home for example, and takes money before all the work is done must be licensed by Service Alberta as a prepaid contracting business. Search the legal name in Service Alberta's Find a Licensed Business tool before you pay a deposit.

5. Read the company's BBB profile

The Government of Alberta suggests checking a contractor's complaint history with your local Better Business Bureau. In Calgary and Southern Alberta that is the BBB serving Southern Alberta and East Kootenay. A BBB profile shows how long the business has been listed, its rating, and every complaint and how it was answered.

6. Ask for a WCB clearance

The Government of Alberta advises making sure the contractor and its workers have Workers' Compensation Board coverage and asking for the WCB number. WCB-Alberta lets you search the clearance status of any company registered with it, and clearance letters can be emailed or printed online. Ask for the legal name so you can match it.

7. Ask where their recent jobs are

A company with a real install record in Calgary & Southern Alberta can name the towns, show you photos of finished roofs near you, and put you in touch with past customers. The Government of Alberta says the best way to find a home improvement contractor is through other satisfied customers. Stock photos and reviews with no town attached tell you nothing.

8. Get it in writing, from the company that does the work

Always insist on a written contract. The quote, the contract and the warranty should all name the same legal company, the one that installs the roof, and the contract should state your cancellation rights. Read the warranty's exclusions before you sign.

Our answers

Legal name: Interlock Metal Roofing (Alberta) Ltd. Office: 210, 3750 46 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2B 0L1, our only office, serving both Calgary and Edmonton. Phone: (587) 317-6517. In business in Calgary & Southern Alberta since 1999. BBB rating: A+. Ask us for our WCB clearance and insurance certificate, and ask any other roofer for the same. Check our corporate registration and BBB profile yourself. Our job book lists every completed Alberta roof by town.

Product engineering, colours and test reports are the manufacturer's to explain: interlockroofing.com ↗

Questions, answered

How can I tell if a roofing website is a real local company?

Look for an Alberta street address you can find on a map, a local phone number, a legal name you can find in Alberta's Corporate Registry, a Service Alberta prepaid contracting licence if it takes deposits on contracts signed at your home, a BBB profile, a WCB clearance, and finished jobs in towns near you. A lead-generation site usually can't show them all.

Do roofers need a licence in Alberta?

Roofer is an optional certification trade in Alberta, so a roofer doesn't need a journeyperson certificate to work. A business that signs you up in person away from its place of business and takes money before all the work is done must hold a prepaid contracting business licence from Service Alberta. Also check WCB coverage, liability insurance, and get a written contract and warranty.

How do I check a contractor's licence in Alberta?

Use Service Alberta's Find a Licensed Business search at servicealberta.ca, with the legal name from the quote or contract.

Who am I dealing with at Interlock Metal Roofing (Alberta) Ltd.?

An Alberta company, in business since 1999, with one office at 210, 3750 46 Ave SE, Calgary, serving all of Alberta. We install one roofing system, the Interlock® aluminum roof, made in Canada by Interlock Roofing Ltd. Call (587) 317-6517.

A fixed price, in writing, after one visit.

Interlock Metal Roofing (Alberta) Ltd. · 210, 3750 46 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2B 0L1