Don’t Get Ripped Off: Understand Common Roofing Scams & How to Avoid Them

Unfortunately, we live in a world where businesses take advantage of property owners, especially regarding their roofs. Whether it’s for your home or business, your roof is a significant investment. Fraudulent roofing companies leverage their industry knowledge to con you in various ways to pay more than you should for their personal profit.

Below are the most common roofing scams, red flags to watch for, and tips on finding the right roofer for your home or property.

Exposing Common Roofing Scams & Fraudulent Practices

Did you know the Federal Trade Commission reports an average of 6,124 home improvement scams per year—and roof-related projects account for 15% of them? This report shows the most common roofing scam services were roof repairs, new roof installations, and shade roofing contractors.

Don’t fall victim to these frequent roofing fraud practices:

Storm Chasers

With climate change creating more unprecedented storms, roofing companies that prey on areas affected by them have risen. Due to extreme weather patterns, property owners with severely damaged roofing systems require emergency repairs or timely new roof installations.

Unethical roofing contractors will price-gouge standard services in an attempt to profit from vulnerable people with limited options or risk their property’s structural integrity and safety.

Upfront Roofing Service Payments

Another common roofing scam is companies that demand full payment before they start working on your property. These types of roofing contractors will take your money in advance without completing the service you paid for—or worse, at all. No qualified roof repair experts will ever request this much money from you before starting the job.

Unnecessary Roof Repairs & Services

Property owners typically aren’t experts in roofing terminology, especially when each roofing system is unique. Fraudulent roofing companies take advantage of your lack of industry knowledge to exaggerate your roof’s existing damage and inflate costs to increase their profits.

For example, you may have a minor leak due to damaged flashing, clogged gutters, or a few missing shingles. Dishonest roofers will say you must replace your roof when you only need a patch to stop the leak. A roof replacement is a significant investment of around $11,500 for the average home, whereas a patch can fix existing damage below 30%.

Reputable roof repair experts won’t recommend you invest in major services your property doesn’t require.

Lowball Roofing Estimates

You know the saying, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” The same applies to your roof. When getting quotes from roofing companies, fraudulent ones will offer unrealistically low prices or guarantee insurance premium discounts to entice you to sign the service contract—then add hidden fees to account for the “discount.”

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, these “sudden” roofing costs include:

●     “Unexpected” increases in roofing material costs

●     “Unforeseen” damage that wasn’t caught during the initial roof inspection

●     Unnecessary or inflated insurance claims to rebate their deductible

These roofers purposely create vague service contracts to sneak in these additional demands for money from you. Additionally, there’s no way for a roofer to guarantee your insurer will provide you with premium discounts for your roofing claim, as this falls on the carrier and your policy.

Roofing Scams 101: Red Flags to Watch For

While there are various roofing scams to remember, they typically involve the same practices. Here’s what you should look for before signing any roofing service contract.

No Proper Roofing Service Insurance

If you’re searching for roofing companies and they don’t have liability insurance and workers’ compensation, you shouldn’t work with them—especially in states where it’s required. It’s not uncommon for roofers to accidentally damage your roof or become injured onsite, including credible roof repair experts.

That’s why they obtain insurance to cover potential medical expenses and the related costs to re-do your roof where they damaged it while on the job, so you’re not liable to pay for them.

Their workers’ compensation should also cover all contractors and sub-contractors they hire who’ll work on your roof with proof of documentation. If the entire team isn’t covered, this is a warning of an untrustworthy roofer.

High-Pressure Sales or Scare Tactics

Scheming roofers often prey on first-time homeowners with no prior roofing service experience using high-pressure sales or sales tactics. As mentioned above, they’ll exaggerate your existing roofing damage or give dramatic ultimatums that if you don’t do high-investment roofing services your roof will cave in or fall apart.

While this may be true in some cases for properties impacted by severe storms, this typically isn’t applicable for common roofing problems like gutter damage or curled shingles.

No Written Contracts or Vague Terms

As mentioned earlier, unethical roofers will purposely write contracts with vague terms to scheme property owners into more money. If you find the contract doesn’t itemize the material, service, and labor costs, this is a red flag. Or worse, they don’t offer anything in writing at all via verbal agreements.

Refusal to Provide References or Reviews

There’s no reason why a roofing company should refuse to provide you with references from previous clients or access to their online reviews. A reputable roofer doesn’t have anything to hide and should give you this information to verify their credibility with no pushback.

Protect Yourself & Your Property: Tips for Preventing Roofing Scams

While these shady roofing practices may seem daunting, you can protect yourself from them with the following:

●     Verify the roofing company’s credentials and insurance with proof of documentation

●     Get multiple quotes and compare them to other companies to verify lowballing estimates

●     Check their online reviews from Google and the Better Business Bureau and ask for local references

●     Insist on a detailed, written contract with itemized costs for material, labor, and the services you require

●     Never pay in full upfront and follow standard payment practices with down payments and traceable payment methods via credit/debit card or checks

●     Understand the basics of your roofing system to understand what services are warranted based on their damage severity

Becoming an educated home or property owner is your best defense against common roofing scams.

Work with Kidd Roofing: Your Reputable Roofing Provider

Give yourself peace of mind by working with credible roof repair experts. At Kidd Roofing, we’ve been in the roofing industry for over 35 years and are qualified to handle all roofing services and systems. We take pride in transparency by being insured and certified by major manufacturers.

Your roof plays a significant role in your property’s safety and for those inside. Our commitment to top-notch roofing services is part of our core values and will never compromise your safety for profit.

Whether you need a standard roof repair for your home or a new roof construction for your commercial building, we have you covered—literally.

Learn more about our residential, commercial, and multi-family roofing services, or get a free quote today!