Upstate Home Pros: What to Know Before You Hire

Who Upstate Home Pros is and what they do

Upstate Home Pros is a roofing contractor based in the Upstate region of South Carolina. They handle roof installation, repair, and replacement work for residential properties. The company operates in the Greenville, Spartanburg, and surrounding areas, serving homeowners who need work done on existing roofs or new construction.

Like any contractor you might hire for roofing work, Upstate Home Pros is one option among several in your area. Before you contact them or any roofing company, it helps to understand what questions to ask, what to look for in a contractor's background, and how the hiring process typically works.

Key Takeaways

• Upstate Home Pros operates in Greenville, Spartanburg, and surrounding Upstate counties, so confirm they service your specific address before reaching out.
• Any roofing contractor you hire should carry liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage, and you should ask to see proof of both before work begins.
• Get written estimates from at least two or three roofing companies so you can compare price, materials, timeline, and warranty terms side by side.
• Check a contractor's licensing status through the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (SCDHEC) and read recent customer reviews on independent sites, not just their own website.
• A detailed contract should specify the scope of work, materials to be used, start and end dates, payment schedule, and what happens if weather delays the job.

How to research any roofing contractor before hiring

Start by confirming the contractor is licensed to work in South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation maintains a searchable database of licensed contractors. You can look up Upstate Home Pros or any other company to verify their license is current and check whether any complaints have been filed against them.

Ask the contractor directly for references—names and phone numbers of customers from the past year or two whose roofs they have worked on. Call at least two or three of those references and ask specific questions: Did the work start and finish on time? Did the crew clean up after themselves? Has the roof held up without leaks? Did they charge what they quoted?

Read independent reviews on Google, Angie's List, or the Better Business Bureau. These sites let customers post without the contractor controlling the message. Pay attention to patterns: one bad review might be an outlier, but multiple complaints about the same issue—missed deadlines, poor cleanup, billing disputes—tell you something real.

What to ask before you get an estimate

Call and confirm the contractor works in your area. Upstate Home Pros serves the Upstate, but "Upstate" can mean different things, and some contractors have service boundaries based on distance from their office or current workload. A quick phone call saves you time if they do not reach your neighborhood.

Ask whether they are currently taking new jobs and what their typical timeline is from signing a contract to starting work. Some contractors have a backlog of weeks or months. That is not necessarily bad—a busy contractor is often a good one—but you need to know if you are on a deadline.

Ask what they charge for the estimate itself. Many roofing contractors offer free estimates; some charge a small fee that they credit toward the job if you hire them. Either way, you should know upfront.

What a written estimate should include

When you get an estimate, it should be on paper or in an email you can save and compare. A vague verbal quote is not enough. The estimate should list the specific materials they plan to use—shingle type and color, underlayment, flashing, gutters if applicable—so you know exactly what you are paying for.

It should break down the labor cost separately from materials. It should state the total price, any payment schedule (for example, 50 percent down, 50 percent on completion), and what is included in that price. Does it cover removal of the old roof? Disposal of debris? Repairs to the deck underneath if damage is found? Cleanup?

The estimate should also name the warranty on materials and the warranty on the workmanship. Material warranties often come from the shingle manufacturer and last 20 to 50 years depending on the product. Workmanship warranties are the contractor's promise and typically last one to ten years. Both matter, and both should be in writing.

Insurance and licensing requirements

Before any work starts, ask to see proof that the contractor carries liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance. Liability insurance protects you if the contractor damages your property or someone else's. Workers' compensation protects the crew if someone is injured on the job. Without it, you could be held liable.

Ask the contractor to add you as an additional insured on their liability policy for the duration of the job. This is standard practice and most contractors will do it without hesitation. Get a certificate of insurance in writing before work begins.

Verify the contractor's license through the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. In South Carolina, roofing contractors must be licensed if they are doing work valued over a certain threshold. Check the status and any disciplinary history.

The contract and payment schedule

Never start work without a signed contract. The contract should include the scope of work (what exactly is being done), the materials list, the total price, the start date, the expected completion date, and the payment schedule. It should also state what happens if weather delays the job—does the timeline shift, or does the contractor absorb the delay?

Avoid paying the full amount upfront. A typical payment schedule is 50 percent down when you sign, and 50 percent on completion. Some contractors ask for a third payment at a milestone—for example, 33 percent down, 33 percent when the old roof is removed, and 34 percent on completion. That is reasonable. Paying everything in advance leaves you with no leverage if the work is not finished or is done poorly.

The contract should also state what happens if you are not satisfied with the work. Does the contractor offer a walkthrough inspection? What is their process for fixing problems? How long do they stand behind their work?

Red flags to watch for

Be cautious of a contractor who pressures you to decide quickly or claims they are only in your area for a limited time. Legitimate contractors are not running a scam; they can wait for you to get a second estimate and think it over.

Be wary of a quote that is significantly lower than others. Roofing prices vary, but if one estimate is half the price of the others, ask why. Are they using cheaper materials? Cutting corners on labor? Planning to do less work than the others quoted?

Avoid contractors who ask for cash only or who do not provide a written contract. These are signs the work may not be properly documented or insured. If something goes wrong, you have no paper trail.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if a roofing contractor is licensed in South Carolina?

Go to the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation website and search their contractor database by company name or license number. You can see whether the license is current, what type of work it covers, and whether any complaints or disciplinary actions are on file. If you cannot find them in the database, they may not be licensed, which is a reason to look elsewhere.

What should I do if a contractor finds damage during the job that was not in the original estimate?

Ask them to stop work and show you the damage in person. Get a written explanation of what they found, why it needs to be fixed, and what it will cost. You can then decide whether to approve the extra work or have a second contractor inspect it. Never agree to additional charges over the phone or without seeing the problem yourself.

Can I negotiate the price after I get an estimate?

You can ask, but roofing prices are usually based on materials costs and labor time, which do not have much wiggle room. If you want to lower the price, ask whether you can use a less expensive shingle or defer some work like gutter replacement. Asking a contractor to simply cut their price often means they will cut corners instead.

What warranty should I expect on a new roof?

Material warranties from the shingle manufacturer typically run 20 to 50 years depending on the product quality. The contractor's workmanship warranty is usually shorter—often five to ten years. Both should be in your written contract. Read the fine print, because some warranties have conditions, like requiring annual inspections or using the manufacturer's approved materials.

What if I am not happy with the work after it is finished?

Contact the contractor in writing and describe the problem. Most contractors will send someone to look at it and fix legitimate issues within the warranty period. If they refuse or you cannot reach them, you can file a complaint with the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Keep all your contracts, estimates, photos, and correspondence in case you need to pursue the complaint further.