You know to be on the lookout for shady salespeople, commission-hungry investment advisors, and even your coworker who always seems to try to make you look bad in front of your boss. But what is one of the biggest home improvement scams that even the savviest of consumers aren’t always immune from? Roofing scams.
Roofing scammers try to con homeowners in Milwaukee all the time, so it’s important to know what to look for.
Before you fork over potentially thousands of dollars for a fraud, read on to learn where you can find roofers you can trust.
1. The “I’ll Pay Your Deductible” Con
The Golden Rule of roofing scams—if it’s too good to be true, it probably is—rings true here.
Some people will offer to pay any kind of deductible your home ownership insurance policy requires you to meet. This is a solid foundation for insurance fraud.
First of all, this is absolutely illegal. Additionally, guess who gets to keep the difference when the roofing scammer submits a much higher invoice to the insurance company than is necessary?
2. The “We Just Happened to Be in the Neighborhood” Con
Next up on our list of roof scams? When questionably qualified roofers knock on your door brandishing a professional-looking roofing business card and try to fight their way in.
Good roofing companies don’t need to go door-to-door to get clients. These scammers especially love to prey on the elderly and to operate in neighborhoods that have been hit badly by a storm.
Don’t fall for it.
In some cases, these scammers will bring a picture of an especially beat-up roof and try to tell you it’s a picture of your roof. (Spoiler alert: It’s not.) The best thing you can do in this situation? Slam the door. Then call your neighbors to let them know that scammers are afoot.
3. The “We Only Take Cash” Con
First, the roofer gave you an estimate over the phone, before they’d even actually taken a look at your roof. That should have been enough of a sign that you were dealing with a con artist. However, if they’ve somehow made it out to your house, prepare for things to get worse.
This is likely when they’ll drop the bombshell that they only accept cash payments. Not to mention, they require a seriously steep down payment—that of course, they want in cash, too.
Remember: A trusted roofer would go out of their way to avoid a cash payment because they want to establish a paper trail of proper behavior.
Avoid These Common Roofing Scams
So, what can you do in order to avoid some of the most common roofing scams on this list? We suggest:
- Work with trusted, experienced, and insured professional roofing contractors who are willing to give you references and testimonials if needed. Ask family and friends for advice.
- Always have someone with you when you’re meeting a roofer for the first time, in case you’ve got a scammer who will try to get you to cave if you’re on your own.
If you need reliable and quality roofing work done, don’t get scammed. Work with us instead. Over the Top Roofing and Construction offers professional roofing in Milwaukee and the surrounding communities.
