Imagine waking up on a Saturday morning to the sound of someone knocking on your door. You didn’t expect a package, so you walk downstairs, open the door and there’s a roofer who says that you have storm damage and he can get your roof replaced for a really low cost to you. You think to yourself, “How nice of him to notice my roof and help me out with such a low price!”
Slow down. The roofer may be trying to scam you.
Why would a roofer try to rip you off? Don’t they want to help you make your home a safer place?
While there are many roofers out there that inspect, quote, repair and replace roofs the ethical way, you still need to be careful. When hiring a roofer for your repair or replacement, you need to always lookout for the following 5 signs that a roofing contractor is ripping you off.
Baiting You With a Low Starting Bid
Just like a fisherman uses bait to attract fish, roof scammers are trying to reel you in with bait of their own.
When they reel you in with an abnormally small bid, they then start hiking up their price once they begin working on your roof.
The scamming roofer will begin working. About twenty minutes in, he knocks on your door and says: “Hey, I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to raise the price on your roof replacement since I just realized we need more materials.”
The roofer then goes back to work, and knocks on your door an hour later to say:
“Hi, again! Sorry, but we also need to raise the price again for your roof. We noticed we need to put more shingles on the roof than we expected.”
If a roofer does this, they are ripping you off. Don’t take the bait! Look at another roofer in your area and see how much their initial quote price is. If the prices don’t match, they are trying to rip you off.
Reducing Labor Time
Another reason a roofer is ripping you off: they’re duping you of their quality and their time.
We’ve all heard that “time is money.” If you pay thousands of dollars on a roof replacement, you expect outstanding-quality work from your roofing contractor. That takes time.
Roofers that are ripping you off don’t care how much work they put into your investment, they just want your money.
Scamming roofers don’t put in the right time it takes to install a roofing system. If you find poorly installed shingles or a thin coat of paint on top of your roof, the roofer has ripped you off.
Overpriced Materials
Besides poorly installing roof materials to save time, they will install materials that are extremely overpriced. A good way to see if a roofer is using verified materials is to see on their website what they use for roofing materials. If they use certified shingles such as IKO, GAF, CertainTeed, or Owens Corning, you’ve got a good roofer.
Roofers who are scamming you won’t tell you where they got their materials from. They don’t think you’ll ask, so please ask where their materials are coming from. If they don’t tell you where and who they got their materials from, they are trying to get the most money they can out of you.
“Knock-Knock, You’ve Got Roof Damage!”
Another thing to be wary of to prevent a roofing scam: if a roofer comes to your door and says, “Hello, I noticed you have some storm damage on your roof. Mind if I take a look?”
You need to be especially careful after a storm has hit your area. Some roof scammers will take an opportunity to scam you after a storm.
While storm damage can definitely still happen to your roof, the best way to make sure it is storm damage is to schedule an inspection. If a roofer asks you on your doorstep to look at the storm damage, they are likely only looking out for money, not for you.
Asking for a Ridiculously Large Down Payment
Another telltale sign a roofer is only in it for the money: they are asking for more than 20% of the total replacement cost on the down payment.
Most roofers charge 10-15% on a down payment to make sure they get quality materials, but that’s it.
If a roofer is asking for an enormous down payment, they are planning on simply taking your money and not performing the job they were paid to do.
“How do I Avoid Getting Ripped Off?”
Roof Pros fully believes that the customer comes before the roofer. We do not want a sketchy roofer ripping you off.
Our advice to you: research! Before you call the number you found on Google, take a look at their website. As we’ve mentioned earlier, if they don’t say what materials they use, be very cautious. Look at their reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook, etc. as well. If most of the reviews say the roofer has ripped them off, don’t take the bait.
When a roofer comes in to look at your roof for a quote, ask them how much the down payment would be. A good rule of thumb: take the full quote price and divide that by 5. If the down payment is above that number, you’re getting scammed.
If you’re looking for a roofer that won’t scam you, Roof Pros has got you covered! We have Owens Corning-certified shingles that will keep you and your family safe, as well as your wallet safe. If you want a free quote from a roofer you can trust, call 888-844-4245 or visit our website to book a free quote!