When we think of roofing contractors, most of us think of people who are professional roofers and have the expertise needed to repair or replace our roofs.  Unfortunately, not all roofing contractors are the same.  There are disreputable people who are out to make as much money as possible while doing as little work as possible in the meantime.  Here are some warning signs that should warn you that not everything is on the up-and-up with certain roofing contractors.

If a guy comes along right after a bad storm and tells you your roof is about to cave in, there is a good chance the person may be trying to rip you off.  There is a whole segment of not-so-good roofers that are known as storm chasers – they come around after a storm and try to scare homeowners into spending lots of money but a good percentage of the time, the repairs are not necessary.  Be very wary of anyone who wants more than half of the money upfront before even beginning work.  They could easily disappear with your money and you will never see them again.  When roofing contractors bid on your job without first coming to the property, that is a serious sign to take heed.  There is no way they could give you an accurate quote without actually inspecting the condition of your roof.

Another tactic is to ask for a hefty deposit upfront without providing you detailed costs analysis and a contract.  Many times these roofing contractors will offer “too good to be true” total price estimates and then ask you for “only” 50 or 60 percent downpayment.  Unfortunately if you hand over the money, you’ll never see these folks again.   They go from town to town doing similar activities and usually only spend a few days in any one area in order to avoid getting caught.  A best practice here is to always ask to think about a price for 2 or 3 days.  These guys will try to pressure you into making a decision right away, and most likely then you’ll know that something is not quite right.

So how do you find reliable and trustworthy roofing contractors?  A great place to start is with your community chamber of commerce.   Ask them for referrels of local trusted business contractors.   You may also contact your local building department.  Most likely you are going to need a building permit to reroof your home anyways.  While you are there, you can ask the building inspectors who they might suggest using.   Another good idea is to use an online referral service.   One that I personally have used is called Angie’s List.   It has  user reviews of local contractors and will lead you to some great local roofing contractors.  Finally I also highly recommend checking with the local Better Business Bureau and local roofing professional organizations.   Both of these organizations are going to know the scam roofing contractors from the good roofing contractors immediately.