Your home is where your heart is; but it’s also where your family is, where your possessions are, and where you’re supposed to feel more secure than anywhere else in the world. And when your roof starts to go bad, and it’s time for a replacement, you’re faced with an enormous decision. It’s a big financial commitment, and how can you know who you can trust to do a quality roofing job? Unfortunately, contractor scams are all too common in this day and age, and falling victim to roofing scams can be traumatic. It can drain you financially and make you that much more insecure about trying again to find a roofer who can get the job done right.

You should know about the most common roof scams and how you can protect yourself against them. Don’t worry, if you call Elite roofing contractors you’ll be in the care of roofers you can trust.    

The Storm Chaser

Storm chasers are some of the more common crooks pulling off roofing scams; if you live in an area that’s prone to inclement weather, then you definitely need to be on the lookout for these bozos. These guys track major storms that have caused property damage, and they’ll go knocking on doors in unsuspecting neighborhoods.

They make boisterous claims of damage that you can’t see, but they swear it’s there. They put the fear into you that if you don’t act now, and hire their services, you and your family could be in grave danger under that unsafe roof.

And, it’s not always that simple. A storm chaser won’t necessarily present himself as an honest roofing contractor. They like to put on the guise of a housing inspector or an insurance specialist. You know, a real expert who’s looking out for your best interests and watching your back, right? Wrong.  

What can you do? Well,  contractors who do great storm damage repair constantly have phones ringing off the hook after major weather events. If some clown knocks on your door spinning a tale of tragedy, keep your wits about you and be vigilant; don’t fall for the classic ruse. Don’t let someone you don’t know go poking around up on your roof. Having good roof insurance, and only working through your insurance company, is a good way to avoid roofing scams like this one.

The False Bid

This is one of many underhanded contractor scams that, unfortunately, appears in many different fields where workers bid on jobs. You’ve been offered a bid for your contract that is far more attractive than all the rest, and you know how expensive a roofing job is going to be. The attractive price sucks you in, but you’re about to learn the hard way that the old adage is true: you get what you pay for.

A low-bidder will often greet you with a ready smile and set right out to work… until the “unexpected” problems start to arise. Suddenly, the cost of materials has skyrocketed. Then, there’s been a spike in labor costs. And the roof is much more complicated than you originally detailed to the contractor, and it’s going to take almost twice as long to complete the job. And because it’s going to be so much longer, you’re going to pay the crew so much more to show up and get it done! Nevermind that low bid, you’ve already sunk thousands more into this job.

What can you do? The safest course of action is to simply get multiple estimates for the job you want done. Getting four or five quotes may take extra time, but it’ll help you get a good sense of the average cost of the job so that you know how much you should really be spending. Discuss this with your contractor of choice in advance. Roof insurance generally can’t protect you from paying too much, even if a contractor scams you this way.

The Job Half-Done

This is another plague in the contracting world; you’ve sent your check, and the laborers have come out to begin the job. They tear your roof to shreds, lop up some new shingles, and on their way they go.

But just a day later, there’s a leak in the attic! What gives?

Then, you get up on the roof and you find that the roofer hasn’t finished the job. There are shingles missing or coming loose already! The edges and corners aren’t sealed! There are even extra parts laying around from the job!

Unfortunately, too many contractors know that homeowners can be lazy, inattentive, and uninformed just like anyone else. Don’t let them get away with not finishing the job and leaving you to spend even more money having it fixed.

What can you do? Before your work is done, do some research so you know what goes into a finished roofing job, and ask the contractor questions all along the way. Any honest roofer will be happy to explain what they’ve done and why. It can be very difficult to prove roofing scams and malicious intent, so you won’t always have recourse for a bad roofing job.

There are a lot of dishonest contractors out there; don’t fall victim to roofing scams. To get an inspection and an estimate you can trust, call us at Elite Remodeling Services. We’ll make sure you can rest easy knowing you’ve gotten a fair deal at the right price.