Roof Scam Examples

Roof scams are usually initiated by a ’salesmen’ going door to door offering to do roofing repair for a low price. He may even say the crew has leftover material from a nearby job they just finished allowing them to pass some savings on to the next customer. The ’contractor’ will typically ask for cash up front, and will not leave legitimate contact information, references, or even show a business license. The roof will be sloppily finished or left unfinished as the person or crew leaves before the homeowner realizes what has happened leaving the victim with little or nothing to go on.

How to Avoid Being taken in a Roof Scam

Warning Signs:

• You are being pressured to hire the company because of a great price that is a “limited time offer”. Particularly if there has been wide spread damage in your area you should be wary of someone pushing a cheap rate.
• You are asked to pay for a significant percentage or all of the job in advance.
• The roofers are not from your local area. Storm chasers (Travelers) will follow the most recent damage looking to make some quick money with the opportunity brought by hail and thunderstorm damage, etc…



Tips to Avoid Being Scammed:

• Never agree to pay cash up front before the job is completed. This should be a strong indicator as legitimate contractors will not usually ask for cash up front.
• Make sure they have their contractor license and insurance up to date. Always verify a contractor’s license number. If you’re particularly suspicious, call the company and confirm the person at your door works for them.
• Be patient. Reputable contractors are very busy, and scammers will take the opportunity to pressure someone who thinks their roof needs to be repaired right away. Request a written contract with the details of the work to be done as well as the agreed price.
• Call the Better Business Bureau for your area (or the area of the company) to check if there have been any complaints against them.
• Written Contract – Get a detailed written contract. Everything that is agreed upon verbally should appear on the written contract. Ask contractors to justify their bids listing what work/materials it includes. This will allow you to make valid comparisons between any estimates.
• Ask for references. Avoid any roofing company that cannot or will not provide you with references.