Be wary of these roofing scams

There’s certainly no shortage of roofing scams out there. If you need to hire a roofing contractor for your Fayette home, don’t just take your neighbor’s word for it or hire the first contractor you find in a Google search. Take the time to properly vet your contractor, and you’ll be glad you don’t have to deal with the aftermath of some common roofing scams.

Getting one over on homeowners

Scam artists use a number of tactics to get one over on homeowners, including scams like these:

• Contractors demand a down payment and never come back to perform the job.
• Salespeople show up at your door, offer a free roof inspection and then rope you into buying a new roof based on false claims of damage — or even damage the salesperson purposely inflicts upon inspecting the roof.
• Traveling roofers do a shoddy job and then disappear, leaving you with no recourse for fixing a bad roof.
• Salespeople put a lot of pressure on homeowners to purchase a roof and lead them down a path where they pay an outrageously high price for it. Since replacing a roof is something homeowners don’t do very often, it’s easy for shoddy salespeople to swindle them with high-pressure tactics that don’t allow them to research the project, shingle types and cost.
• A contractor continuously adds on unforeseen costs. In some cases, once the roofer gets a look at the roof, it’s possible for the project’s costs to increase; however, in other cases, jacking up the price is a common scam.

How not to get scammed

The first step toward hiring a reputable roofer — and to avoid getting sucked into roofing scams — is to simply know the tactics disreputable roofers use. The other step is to know how to properly vet the roofer. Here’s what you can do:

• Ask for references and check them.
• Call the Better Business Bureau and check on the contractor’s standing.
• Check reviews on sites like Kudzu.
• Ask the contractor about industry affiliations and memberships.
• Only work with a roofing contractor who is licensed in Georgia.
• Make sure the roofer will pull the necessary building permits.
• Insist on creating a written contract before any work begins.
• Never pay for the work in cash. Get receipts for any payments you make.
• If the roofer wants a down payment, don’t give more than 10 percent of the total for the job.
• Sign an agreement once the work is completed so you have evidence that the contractor has completed the job. Make sure you get a chance to review the work.

For more information about avoiding roofing scams or to talk to a roofing specialist, contact Findlay Roofing today!