Signs a Roofing Contractor Is Scamming You
Sep 24, 2022
Unfortunately, not every roofer is trustworthy. It’s important to learn what to look out for so you can avoid falling for a roofing scam. The following are signs that a roofing contractor could be scamming you.
Sign #1
The Roofer Knocks on Your Door After a Storm
The process of going door to door after a storm and offering to make repairs on your roof is known as storm chasing. While your roof may legitimately have been damaged during the storm, you should instead seek out a known reputable contractor to repair your roof instead.
Legitimate roofers will be too busy making repairs after a storm to be seeking out new business door-to-door.
Sign #2
The Estimate Is Very Low
Any offer that seems too good to be true probably is. It’s always a good idea to shop around when it comes to estimates for roof repairs. If an offer is much lower than the others, then it’s probably a sign of a scam. Scammers will lowball an estimate to get you to make a downpayment and then disappear with the money without doing much, if any, work on your roof.
Sign #3
They Demand a High Up-Front Payment
If a roofing contractor offers a low price overall but the up-front payment is higher than those requested by other roofers, it’s likely that it’s a scam. This is so that they can run away with the money without actually having to finish the job.
Sign #4
They Add on Extra Expenses
Some roofing scammers will try to pull a bait-and-switch on their customers. They’ll give a low estimate to get you to sign the contract but then start adding on extras to make you pay more money.
Sign #5
They Make up Nonexistent Problems
One of the reasons why you should always get at least a second opinion if not a third or more is that scammers may make up problems that don’t exist to inflate an estimate. Your roof may not be damaged at all after a storm or, if it is, it may not be damaged as badly as the scammer claims.
Sign #6
The Roofer Pressures You to Sign Quickly
If you feel like the roofer is putting a lot of pressure on you to quickly sign a contract before you’ve had a chance to think about it or get a second opinion, it’s likely a scam. A scammer won’t want you to do more research or have a chance to talk to a legitimate roofer because then they’ll miss out on an opportunity to take some of your money.
Sign #7
The Roofer Wants to Deal Directly with Your Insurance Company
If a roofer offers to handle dealing with your insurance company for you, that’s not a good sign. This may be a part of a roofing insurance fraud scam. Another possible way a scammer may try to commit insurance fraud is to reduce costs or waive the deductible after you’ve already filed the insurance claim.
