Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home and plays a crucial role in keeping the weather out. When your roof needs to be repaired you want to get it done quickly. Most people have little experience when it comes to working with a roofing contractor to get their roof repaired or replaced. Unfortunately fraudulent roofing contractors have been known to prey on unsuspecting and vulnerable homeowners and over the years they have become more and more bold in their scheming and dishonest tactics.
The professionals at Nickerson Roofing list some common roof scams to give you the information you need to protect you from falling victim to unscrupulous roofing scammers.
One of the most lucrative scams in the roofing industry involves the door-to-door roofing salesman who shows up on your door step with promises of a free roof. They most often target senior citizens and immigrants but any homeowner they can trick and swindle are fair game.
Their modus operandi includes:
• Solicit door-to-door
• Friendly but uses high-pressure tactics to close the sale, such as presenting a photograph of roof damage from a different home and claim that it is from your roof.
• Reluctant to provide an up-front price or written contract, once the project has started the price will increase
• Demand payments in cash
• Use toll-free (800) phone numbers instead of local listings
• Have P.O box numbers instead on an actual street address
• Offer complimentary inspections and then offer to repair the problems
The roofing scams:
• Will claim they have materials left over from another roofing job which will be offered to you at a discounted price.
• Will claim to use a sealant when in actuality they will apply a watery liquid that is essentially useless upon your roof.
• Place a few new wood planks under old roofing planks.
Out of Town Storm Chaser Roofing Scam
One of the most publicized of all the roofing scams is the out-of-town storm chasers. These roofers travel around the country following the paths of storms looking for unsuspecting homeowners to trick and exploit. One of the most common areas of exploitation is hail and wind damage. Storm chasers pay close attention to reports from the weather bureau so they know which areas to target and which areas the insurance companies will allow roof replacements. How does the scam work? The storm chasers will cover an area hit by hail or wind damage and look for homeowners that require roof repairs. It is a common practice to hand out brochures and show up on a homeowner’s door step offering a free inspection. Unfortunately the work completed is usually substandard and the homeowner is left with a roof that is of poor quality. Once the shoddy workmanship is identified the storm chaser is long gone and can’t be found.
How to avoid being a victim of a roofing scam:
• Investigate the company’s background.
• Work with a local company. The experts at Nickerson Roofing service Truckee, California and the surrounding areas of North Lake Tahoe.
• Check the status of the roofer’s license with your local building department or licensing agency.
• Ask to see proof of insurance.
• Be aware of your rights – your contractor must notify you of your right to cancel within three days of a signing a contract.
