An informed homeowner is our best customer
That sentence is not new here — it already heads our guides library, and it is the reason this section exists at all.
Roofing is a trade with a serious information asymmetry problem. The buyer purchases once or twice in a lifetime, cannot inspect most of what they are buying, and cannot verify the work after it is covered. That asymmetry is what makes storm-chasing viable, and it is what makes a five-figure decision turn on which salesperson was most confident in the driveway.
We would rather compete on the other side of that. If you can read a scope and tell whether the ice-and-water membrane covers your eaves, whether the intake matches the exhaust, whether the ridge cap is a real product — then a good contractor becomes easy to identify and a bad one becomes obvious. We are content to be judged on that basis, and we would rather you brought these questions to us than didn’t ask them of anyone.
One thing we will not do here: use education as a pretext. There is no quiz that ends in a phone call, no gated PDF, and no scare copy. If your roof is fine, the honest answer is that your roof is fine — that is also what our inspectors are instructed to say, in writing.
Questions about these guides
Do I have to give you my email to read these guides?
No. Nothing on these pages is gated, there is no download to unlock and no quiz that ends in a phone call. There is a form at the bottom of each guide if you want a free inspection, and ignoring it costs you nothing. The reason to publish this openly is straightforward: a homeowner who can read a roofing scope buys a better roof from whoever they hire, and we would rather compete in that market than in one where the most confident salesperson wins.
Are these guides specific to Maryland?
The building science is general, and the local detail is not. Where code matters we describe what the model residential code Maryland builds from requires, and we tell you to confirm the adopted edition and local interpretation with your own jurisdiction, because that part is set county by county. Where climate matters — freeze-thaw cycling, ice damming at the eaves, humid summers, the wind and hail this region actually gets — the guidance is written for the Mid-Atlantic. United Developers serves Maryland only.
Can I use these questions on a quote from another contractor?
Yes, and that is the intent. Every guide ends with a section showing the exact phrases that indicate a corner is being cut and what to ask instead, and none of it is specific to us. If a competitor answers all of it clearly and in writing, you have found a good contractor. If a quote will not name the underlayment product, the fastener count, the flashing components or the workmanship term in years, that is useful information regardless of who wrote it.
Where should I start if my roof is leaking right now?
Start with flashing and penetrations, because most active leaks happen where the roof plane is interrupted rather than in the field of the shingles — walls, chimneys, valleys, pipes and skylights. Then call, because a live leak is a timing problem as much as a repair problem. Calls are answered and appointments booked 24 hours a day at 240-880-2108, and inspections are typically scheduled within 24 hours. Crews work normal hours; the phone does not.