There are many skilled, legitimate roofing repair professionals and companies out there that have put time, money and effort into training and getting certifications for their trade. However, there are also what’re known as “Storm Chasers” who take advantage of homeowners with storm-damaged roofs by offering them a cheap repair job and then taking their money without ever doing the work. This is an unfortunate scam that many neighborhoods have seen, so the residential roofing experts at Coates Bros Roofing are sharing the top 3 signs customers can look out for to avoid these scams:
1. The company has no name on their vehicles.
If someone knocks on your door offering to fix your roof after a storm, take a look at the vehicle they’re driving. If there is no phone number or business name on the side of the vehicle, be cautious! Almost all legitimate roofing repair professionals will at least have their company name and phone number on their vehicles because it’s a great way to get people to see their name and contact information. Storm chaser scammers avoid putting distinctive marks on their vehicles because it helps make them harder to find. Or, sometimes they’ll use temporary fixes like a magnet or removable lettering. That’s a bad sign too!
2. They ask for a down payment before any work is done.
You should never pay a dime before roofing repair professionals start the work on your home! This is a huge red flag that many people don’t even think about. Once they get your money, they’re gone forever. At Coates Bros, our residential roofing experts have you sign a contract that specifically states you owe nothing until the job is done!
3. They don’t have a contract for you to sign, or they make you sign something before they even look at the roof.
This is another red flag for a scam. Contracts are a great way to tell if a company is legit! Make sure you read it thoroughly, but if they tell you they don’t need a signed contract or any kind of paperwork, they’re likely not a legit company. Our roofing repair professionals won’t even start working on a project until we have a signed contract from our customers, but that’s only AFTER we’ve done a thorough inspection and provided you with an estimate.
There are plenty of other red flags that you can watch out for to be wary of storm chaser scams, but these are the most common ones our roofing repair professionals see. If you have a roofing project you need done, call a local, legitimate company like Coates Bros! We offer free estimates on every project. Schedule yours by calling us at 440-322-1343 or visit www.coatesbrosroofing.com/contact!