Why this trade rewards asking questions
A waterproofing membrane spends its life hidden under tiles, soil or gravel. Nobody sees it after install day, and most failures don't show for three to seven years, long after the invoice was paid and the phone number changed. That gap is where bad contractors live. The questions below close it.
The ten questions
- 1. Who will actually do the work? The person quoting, or a subcontractor you'll never meet? Ask for names. At Top Torch the answer is Zach or Chris, every job, because they own the company.
- 2. What membrane, by name, and how many layers? "Premium membrane" means nothing. You want a manufacturer, a product and a layer count. Ours: two-layer torch-on from SOPREMA, Sika, Ardex, Enduroflex, Fatra or Bayset.
- 3. Is it installed to the manufacturer's full specification? The same membrane carries a 10-year or a 20+ year warranty depending on how it's installed. Manufacturers only honour warranties on spec installs.
- 4. Do you flood test? On balconies, planters and anywhere tiles go back down, a flood test before reinstatement is the only proof the membrane holds. If the answer is no, walk.
- 5. What's the warranty, who backs it, and is it in writing? A contractor's own "10-year guarantee" is worth exactly as much as the contractor's likelihood of still existing in year nine. You want a manufacturer-registered warranty plus the installer's, both in writing, before work starts.
- 6. Are you licensed and insured for this work specifically? Ask for the NSW licence number and current public liability certificate. For torch-on work, ask about hot-works certification and fire-watch procedure.
- 7. Will you show me what you find? Photo documentation at inspection and at every stage is standard for a contractor with nothing to hide.
- 8. Is the quote fixed and itemised? Strip-out, preparation, membrane, detailing, testing, reinstatement, each as a line. Beware the one-line quote; that's where the variations hide.
- 9. Can I see work you did five years ago? Any waterproofer can show you last week's job. Ask for one that's been through five Sydney winters.
- 10. What would you do differently if it were your own roof? The answer tells you whether they're quoting the right job or the cheap one.
Red flags
A price per square metre over the phone without an inspection. "We can do it without lifting the tiles" on a balcony with a failed membrane. No mention of flood testing. A warranty with no manufacturer behind it. A quote from an estimator for work by a crew you haven't met. And the classic: the quote that's half everyone else's. It isn't magic. Something was left out, and you'll find out what in year four.
What owner-operated actually buys you
Accountability with a face on it. When the people who quote, install and warranty the work are the same two people who own the company, there's nobody to blame, nowhere to hide, and every incentive to do it once and properly. That's the whole reason Top Torch is built the way it is. Read more about Zach and Chris, look at the work, or just call 0427 207 670 and ask them the ten questions yourself.
