Three common roofing scams and how to avoid them
Reputable roofing companies work very hard to establish a good reputation in the community where they operate. Unfortunately, many homeowners have to be wary because of the prevalence of roofing scams that damage these good reputations. Simply becoming educated on the more common roofing scams and learning to recognize them should make you feel safer when you are hiring a Spokane roofing company. Here are the three you’re most likely to run into and how you can avoid them.
High upfront costs
It’s pretty easy to see what’s risky about paying the entire cost of a roof repair project or roof replacement up front. While some reputable roofing companies may ask for some of the money up front, it shouldn’t be more than about 15 or 20%. The rest of the payments should be tied to completion of parts of the project with a final 15% or so held back until it’s completely finished. Some roofing companies won’t take any payment until the work is done. Be especially wary of roofers who insist on the upfront payment being in cash as you have less recourse if the roofer runs off before the work is done.
Storm chasers
We’re not talking about adrenaline junkies that chase after tornadoes. We’re talking about door-to-door “roofers” who travel through communities after they’ve been hit with a storm. They offer to make repairs for cash on the spot but they often do shoddy work and since they’re usually not licensed and not around when the shoddy work is discovered, it’s unlikely your roof will be fixed or your money returned. If your roof is damaged in a storm, stick with a trusted local roofer, even if you have to wait a while.
Suspiciously low bids
A bid that’s too good to be true probably is. That’s because the roofer will almost definitely find additional problems once you’ve agreed to the work and there will be many costs added during the project. Avoid this by getting multiple bids and by getting a written contract.
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Source: abc2news.com/business/consumer/3-of-the-most-common-roofing-scams
Tags: roofing, Spokane roofing company, roofing contractor, roof repair, roof damage, roof estimate