15 DIRTY SECRETS ROOFING COMPANIES DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW

14 May 15 DIRTY SECRETS ROOFING COMPANIES DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW

DO NOT BE FOOLED!

Are you having to meet with roofers?

Is the entire process getting on your nerves?

Does it feel like something just isn’t right, but you can’t quite put your finger on what it is?

Listen to your gut. It’s trying to warn you that something is not right.

Finding an honest roofer (among so many self-proclaimed roofing companies and experts) and one with enough hands on experience to really know what they are doing, will be the most important decision you make regarding your insurance money.

Do not be fooled. The people being sent to your home are not roofers. They are commission sales people disguised as roof technicians paid to take over your insurance claim.

Unlike every other home service, the roof replacement is the one home service that will be tested by the elements daily and will come back to cost you thousands if not installed 100% correct, the very first time, by a “real roof installer” who knows first hand what they are doing. 

Unfortunately, the Dallas/Fort Worth roofing industry is crawling with insurance scammers, sales people and middlemen, all after your insurance money. These individuals know absolutely nothing about installing a quality roof system.

They will have excellent hustle skills at saying everything just right and will appear to be a very likeable and safe choice.

However, with a little probing you can quickly see through all of the smoke and mirrors to find the truth.

We have written a slew of previous blogs about this very situation in the past.

As we continue to do our part, warning our Dallas Fort Worth neighbors to be aware of this growing problem, this post is another effort from the HonestRoof.com team to help you make a wise choice concerning such a major investment for your home.

15 dirty secrets that roofing contractors do not want you to know: 

 

(1) *WE NEED TO HANDLE YOUR CLAIM FOR YOU:

This is the very first sign you are about to be scammed. Opposite of what you may think or what you are being told, insurance claims are not hard or difficult. You do not need a sales person or middleman handling your claim for you.

Handle your insurance claim = “keep all of your insurance money for themselves”.

There are a lot of sneaky ways salespeople try to convince you to allow them to handle your insurance claim on your behalf.

The most frequent and most successful scam technique we hear from homeowners: “We will handle your claim for you, meet with your adjuster and get all the work done at no out of pocket expense to you. On top of that will even give you a thousand dollars back under the table.”

This my sound like a great deal. However, it’s really like saying, Hey, if you let me steal all of your insurance claims money and rip off your insurance company, I’ll give you a thousand dollars back, OF YOUR OWN MONEY…..!

Ooohhh!! Wow! Thank you! What a kind and thoughtful contractor!

There is one thing that homeowners seem to not fully understand. Your insurance claims money, IS YOUR MONEY!

Why would you allow a contractor to walk up and swoop your entire budget right into their own pockets?

This is not the correct way to hire a contractor. Nearly all of the complaints received against poor roofing work is linked to shady deals made just like this.

Always demand “written estimates” upfront from any contractor being considered for hire.

“A contractor’s written estimate will speak volumes to their experience levels and what kind of work they are doing.” Vague or cookie cutter contracts almost always points to a lack of experience or a scam designed to take over your insurance claim.

Well written, “detailed thorough estimates,” are almost always a great sign you are dealing directly with an experienced roof installer and not a middleman.

 

(2) *THE ROOFING COMPANY OR REPRESENTATIVE IS NOT REALLY FROM TEXAS:

Choosing a local roofing company is a very important step towards avoiding storm chasing scammers who are only after your insurance money.

However, local doesn’t always mean from your “immediate area”.

For example, HonestRoof.com is located in Arlington TX, but we actually service a 90 mile radius around our office.

If you live in the Dallas Fort Worth area, by local we mean a local Dallas Fort Worth Roofing company. Avoid companies that claim to services multiple states. (Multistate advertising is a sure sign they are chasing hail storms.)

When hiring a roof installer, you want to know they will be around if something begins to go wrong with the work or with the shingle materials being used.

There are no shortage of roofing contractors rushing out to our homes after every hail and wind storm. Especially in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Many of whom may claim to already be working on other roofs in your neighborhood.

This may or may not be true. However, even if they are working in your area, it doesn’t mean they’re right for you. Many of your neighbors are already being taken advantage and don’t know it. Don’t be one of them.

Ask to see their drivers license. This is actually the most recommended advice for checking off two boxes at once. By seeing an ID you not only confirm they are a local Texas resident but also protect the safety of you and your family members by knowing who is at your home.  

 

(3) LOOK FOR FOR ONLINE REVIEWS/COMPLAINTS

Always do a quick Google search. (Example, “John Doe Roofing Complaints” or “John Doe Roofing Rip Off Report”)

These two quick online searches have saved millions of homeowners literally millions of dollars. It only take a few minutes to avoid a nightmare.

We are told daily by homeowners just how close they came to hiring a middleman, sales person or scam company before googling their company name and finding their complaints. Unfortunately, many are not so lucky.

Homeowners today are doing a fantastic job of posting their negative experiences online for all to see. All you have to do is look.

With a 2-minute search you can quickly determine the type of work contractors are doing and if the information they are providing you is valid.

Next, if their online reviews are positive with no complaints, how many are there and does Google recognize them. An established local roofing company will have a multitude of page links from other various online sites that google recognizes for you to see. Google, Facebook, Yelp, Bing, etc.

 

(4) THE ROOFING COMPANY DOES NOT HAVE A PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE:

Lets face it, the world we live in today can be pretty scary. Trust is a huge issue.

Pretty much anyone in business today should at a minimum have a website to let their customers know who they are, where they are located and what services they provide.

If a roofing contractor tells you that they do not have a website or they are working on it, this could mean a roll of the dice. They are either just getting started or they are hiding something.

In either case, trusting them with something as complex as a new roof installation would be very risky! Nothing personal. Just business.

We received a lot of customer complaints stating homeowners were given a website URL by contractors that “redirected” them to a free ‘Google Site’. This gave the appearance the roofer was legitimate when in fact they were not. As soon as the money was collected, the google site was pulled down and the contractor disappeared with the money.

Remember, for true online verification, you must be able to see more than just a website. Google should immediately recognize a legitimate roofing company and display other links from other online sources for you to scroll down the page and view. Yelp, Bing, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.

If not, this is usually the first sign you are not dealing with an established local company.

 

(5) THERE ONLINE REVIEWS ARE NOT POSITIVE:

There are literally thousands of storm chasers all over the Dallas/Fort Worth area calling themselves roofers.

Many of them may even actually have a presence online with a proper website and even social media pages like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even Yelp, Google and Bing.

However, a large number of these contractors are also doing a lot of work to hide their online deficiencies from you.

The one thing a roofing contractor cannot fake is the experience of their previous customers. Especially, when customers have a negative experience.

An upset customer will go far out of their way to write a negative review against a roofing company they were not happy with. The truth is out there. You just have to look. As mentioned above, a quick complaint search can easily eliminate contractors you should avoid. For the amount of money you are about to spend, why use a contractor with even one complaint against them?

Angie’s List, Good Contractors List and Facebook are all taking money from contractors and can easily be manipulated with faked customer reviews and even have bad reviews removed or hidden.

However, companies like “Google”, “Better Business Bureau”, YELP and “Rip Off Report” are the top four trusted online sources to find real customer complaints and customer reviews that cannot be faked, removed or hidden.

If a roofing company has even one legitimate complaint against them, it shows the roofing company was either not willing to do anything possible to please their customer, does poor work or does not deliver on their promises.

Roof systems are far too expensive to trust to anyone with even “one customer complaint”.

You’re not going into a restaurant to have a meal. Someone is about to tear off the entire roof that protects your home.

If you’re going to spend that much money, why not go with a roofing company with “No Customer Complaints”.

It’s your money. Why risk it. Nothing personal. Just business.

 

(6) NO REPUTABLE ROOFING COMPANY SHOULD EVER ASK FOR A DEPOSIT:

This is probably the roofing contractor’s biggest dirty little secret….and you should never fall prey to this.

In today’s times, no legitimate contractor should ever expect for homeowners to pay a deposit or any money down, until ALL of the work is 100% complete.

However, many Dallas Fort Worth roofing contractors are in fact requesting money up front to cover their material costs.

This should be viewed as an immediate red flag.

There are literally thousands of roofing horror stories all over the internet of roofing contractors taking the customers deposit and either stringing them along, demanding more money as time goes on, spending the money on other projects, becoming over extended or just running off with the money all together, never to return.

A legitimate established roofing company will have the funds to cover all material and labor costs to complete the repairs or replacement, without asking you for a deposit.

ABSOLUTELY NEVER, FOR ANY REASON, PAY A ROOFER UNTIL ALL WORK IS COMPLETE.

 

(7) REFUSES TO GIVE A WRITTEN ESTIMATE:

There is a huge problem with this in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Only scammers want to avoid written estimates.

You call what you think is a roofing company and ask for an appointment for an estimate. But…what shows up is a sales person or middleman, disguised as a roof installer with no true hands on installation experience.

Their #1 goal is to convince you that claims are hard and that you need them to handle your insurance claim for you.

The next step is to avoid giving you an upfront written estimate. Why? Because they want to take over your insurance claim from the beginning and keep all of the money for themselves.

Giving you an estimate of their own could leave insurance money on the table for you to keep. They want all of the money. Not some of it.

“Demanding and reviewing written estimates is the first step to finding the real roof installer and will speak volumes as to what kind of roofing company you are really dealing with.”

To do that, you will need to gather a no pressure written estimate to be studied on your own time without a salesperson breathing down your neck.

It is important that you see in detailed writing exactly what products will be used, how they will protect your property and how long they are willing to be legally on the hook for their work.

Any one that tries to avoid giving you with a written estimate should immediately be considered a SCAM.

 

(8) REFUSES TO UPGRADE ROOFING MATERIALS AND VENTILATION:

We are told pretty much on a daily basis that we were hired simply because we included a free lifetime laminated shingle upgrade and attic ventilation on every job sold.

When customers asked our competitors about upgrading the shingles and attic vents to something better, they were told it would cost an extra $1,000 to $2,000 or more to do so.

The reality is you had plenty of money to cover the cost of a shingle and attic ventilation upgrade, but you gave away all your insurance money from the beginning, putting the contractor in control of your entire budget. 

In fact, the products most of our competitors are recommending are typically the cheapest on the market with ongoing class action lawsuits against product failure. Your insurance company provided plenty of money to cover the same upgrades we provide our customers. Our competitors simply want as much left over insurance money as possible. Giving up any upgrades at all is less money for their pockets. 

Which shingle product you choose should be an extremely important decision. Buyer beware!

There are a lot of different opinions out there regarding which shingle products are the best. However, the truth is only an actual hands on roofer, that has experience installing all shingle products on a daily basis with their own back and two hands, can truthfully say which shingle is the best.

Unfortunately, most shingle recommendations are based on profit. Not what is actually best for you or your home.

We see poor quality materials sitting in front of homes daily about to be installed with homeowners having no idea they are being ripped off and are making a huge product mistake.

Homeowners are missing out on opportunities to install a higher quality shingles on their homes while they have the insurance money to do it.

ATTIC VENTILATION:

Another very important aspect of installing a quality roof is properly ventilating the attic space.

This is yet another major opportunity being missed by a lot of homeowners simply because they are listening to a greedy salesperson or middleman who has no hands on experience of their own or simply wants as much left over insurance money as possible. 

Proper attic ventilation is imperative to any shingle roof systems longevity. Unfortunately, many homeowners are not being told the truth about their attic ventilation simply so the roofing contractor can keep more of the money.

Giving up any of your insurance money towards an upgrade of any kind means less money in the roofing companies pocket.

This can and will have a negative impact on your product warranty and overall lifespan of the roof.

Most shingle manufacturing companies will not extend a warranty when the roof has been installed without the proper attic ventilation system or if the roof was installed improperly.

Make sure you examine your contracts and material information very carefully.

 

(9)  THEY ARE RIPPING OFF YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY

There are many ways shady roofers try to rip-off homeowners and insurance companies.

When a homeowner believes they have received damage to their home or business as a result of wind, hail or other storm related forces, the first step is usually to call their insurance company to file a claim.

By the way, you might be interested in learning a few tricks of filing your insurance claims correctly. Here is a blog we published recently to help you with the aspects of filing your roofing insurance claim.

However, be careful! To keep their own costs down some insurance companies are attempting to send out their own roofing contractors to inspect the damage on the insurance companies behalf.

The payment amount to you is often heavily influenced by the information provided by their roofing contractor. For this reason, it is highly recommend that homeowners always get their own independent estimates from local contractors that you find on your own.

It doesn’t end there. From here you will want to keep a close eye on anything being charged to your insurance company.

Shady contractors will add products and add-ons to their estimates that are not truly needed simply to maximize the claim. They will then charge your insurance company for things you do not need or they did not do, in order to get extra money for your job.

They may also tell you they need to do things in order to meet city code, when the code actually doesn’t require it. These contractors will sometimes bid your job with premium products that cost extra and actually install contractor grade products while pocketing the difference.

 

(10) FAILING TO INSTALL YOUR ROOF TO CODE:

Most cities and municipalities have their own building codes that should be followed for any major construction project, including a roof replacement.

Some roofing contractors take shortcuts by not declaring the work they are doing with local authorities. This may appear to you that they are avoiding red tape, but it’s not a good practice.

It is always better to follow the rules, so that you don’t have to face the negative consequences down the road. It may cost you a little extra and a bit of inconvenience, but it’s worth it since you are in compliance with the code of your community and local government agency.

Insist to your contractor that you want things done to your cities code requirements. Make sure permits are included in your estimates and the roofing contractor is aware of and following all the necessary requirements for your project.

 

(11) HIDDEN OR SHORT LABOR/WORKMANSHIP WARRANTY COVERAGE:

Imagine you hired a roofing company to replace your roof. The job is done and everything looks great. Then, a few months or few years later the shingles begin to blow off or water begins to leak inside the home.

This is reported as the number one reason for calls to roofing companies each year.

You call the roofing company to explain your issue, only to be told, “Your warranty is expired, or your warranty does not cover the labor workmanship”.

What does this mean to you? MORE MONEY OUT OF YOUR POCKET!

Most contracts do not cover labor workmanship issues or if they do, it is only for a very short amount of time.

DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE WORDS “LIFETIME WARRANTY.” This is a false claim referring to the “manufactures warranty” on the actual shingle itself. Not the labor or how it was installed.

Manufacturer’s warranty issues are extremely rare and always prorated. This is hardly ever the reason why your roof is leaking.

99% of roof leaks reported each year in Dallas/Fort Worth are a result of poor installation.

Pay very close attention to the length of the “LABOR WORKMANSHIP WARRANTY” on your estimates. This is one line item that will separate the real roof installers from the middlemen.

You will most likely have to look closely to find this information on your estimates. It is almost always buried or hidden within the fine print somewhere. If you cannot find the labor/workmanship warranty information you must ask the contractor to put it in writing.

The average contractor that does offer a labor workmanship warranty, has a short time frame of coverage between 2 to 10 years maximum.

This means, if your roof starts to leak due to a bad installation after your warranty expires, you are on your own and will have to pay for all repairs yourself. Most roof systems begin to leak between 5 to 20 years of age.

It is important to know what you are buying. Knowing that includes the warranty of both types – manufacturer’s warranty and labor workmanship warranty.

If a roofing company is offering a short labor workmanship warranty period or none at all, they should not be trusted with your installation.

HonestRoof.com backs all roof installations with a written 20 year leak free labor workmanship warranty guarantee.

 

(12) URGENCY FOR YOU TO SIGN SOMETHING

Storm scammers will immediately send sales people to knock on your doors, make telemarketing calls and pass out flyers in an attempt to be the first to approach you “asking to inspect your roof.” When they are done with the inspection, they immediately create a sense of urgency or express you only have a limited time to make a claim so they can get started right away.

Most are then immediately asking you to sign a permission slip or “contingency agreement” allowing them to access the roof and meet with your adjuster.

STOP! THIS IS THE SCAM. READ CLOSELY WHAT YOU JUST SIGNED! YOU JUST AGREED TO GIVE THEM YOUR INSURANCE CLAIMS MONEY!

The contingency agreement is the key document they want you to sign to lock you into their trap. You should stay away from anyone asking you to sign “anything” or immediately wants to perform tarp repairs.

“No legitimate contractor will ever pressure you to make decision in haste. You need time to think about what you are doing, look over options and gather written estimates for comparison.”

Did you sign one of these documents? Did the contractor contact your insurance company or get your claim number? Not to worry. Contingency agreements are not even legal documents in Texas. If no work was performed at your home and no materials were delivered, you do not owe anyone any of your money. You may tear up the contingency agreement and throw it in the trash. Simply contact your insurance company to let them know you will not be moving forward with this contractor and they are not to discuss any of your claims information with anyone but you. From there gather a few written estimates from real roof installers, do your research and choose wisely.

 

(13) FRAUDULENT ROOFING COMPANIES USE SUBCONTRACTORS

99% of Dallas Fort Worth roofers really have no choice but to use subcontractors to complete the jobs they sell.

They simply don’t have the hands on experience to do it themselves. They are only the middleman there to make money.

The problem with this is that most subcontractors are typically not well trained and are not properly insured, if insured at all.

Subcontractors have no real vested interest in your home and have nothing to lose if the project is poorly done or they decide to walk off the job in the middle of the project.

In most cases, subcontractors are not even being paid by the middlemen you are hiring to install your roof. When that happens, they will be able to file a lien on your property. Just another hurdle and headache for homeowners that is seldom considered.

HonestRoof.com employes it’s own in-house factory trained and certified installers who work for us every day. 

 

(14) FALSE DAMAGES TO YOUR ROOF DURING INSPECTION

Remember what we said earlier about door knockers or contractors that come to your home or call you uninvited.

No legitimate roofing company will ever come to your home or call you out of the blue. Anyone wanting to inspect your roof after a storm is after your insurance money and are willing to say and do just about anything to get it.

A lot of contractors have been reported as intentionally causing damages to the roof during their inspection just to get you to hire them for roof repair work. Some were even showing customers pictures of other peoples roof.

“They all reported as polite, knowledgeable and helpful, but by the end of the meeting, the homeowners were all encouraged to submit a claim to their insurance company and allow the contractor to handle the entire process on their behalf.”

No matter how tempting this sounds, do not fall into this trap.

Remember, handle your claim for you means “they will be keeping all of your insurance money for themselves.” 

 

(15) * ROOFERS THAT DAMAGE YOUR DRIVEWAYS, LAWNS AND LANDSCAPING.

Property protection is very important but mostly ignored by homeowners as well as most roofing companies. We disclose this information on every estimate because we know how important it really is.

Many roofing contractors do not clarify whether or not they will be protecting the property and/or guaranteeing there to be no damages while installing the new roof.

This is a huge mistake also made by a lot of homeowners. Before you hire a company, ask specifically what they will do to protect your landscaping, driveway and other important and vulnerable areas.

Where will the old shingles, nails and potentially rotten plywood be dropped or tossed so that it doesn’t affect the bushes and flowers that surround your home. Important questions that are typically and unfortunately not considered until it’s to late.

There are countless stories of homeowners having flat tires or foot injuries after their roof replacement simply because the crew did a very poor clean up. It may not sound like a huge deal but clean up is one of the most important aspects of completing a roof replacement.

Property protection and clean up should be as important to the roofing contractor as it is to you.

If the roofer’s estimate/contract does not specify how this will be handled, it is usually another sign that they are not as experienced or as professional as they claim or appear to be.

 

DFW HOMEOWNERS HAVE TRUSTED HONESTROOF.COM FOR THREE DECADES.

When it is time to put a new roof on your home, you want to use a roofing company you can trust. It is unfortunate the roofing industry has earned such a poor reputation over the last several decades due to so many shady practices by so many storm chasers and middlemen calling themselves roofers.

We may be hard to find, but there are actual hands on roofing contractors out here in every city of the U.S. It just takes a little work to find us.

If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area however, place your trust in HonestRoof.com. Free same day estimates. Upfront honest pricing. Free shingle and attic ventilation upgrades. Twenty year leak free labor workmanship guarantee.

We have earned our brand name as a local honest roofing company with honest practices as a result of three generations of serving our local Dallas Fort Worth customers with honesty and integrity and are still going strong today.

As in any industry, there are people who work hard, do things the right way and honor their word. However, there are unfortunately a lot of Texas contractors who are lying, cheating and sometimes even straight up stealing in order to get an advantage.

You can’t take it personal. It’s just business. You are being paid thousands of dollars in claims money. Everyone wants a piece.

You always have a choice. Just remember, it’s always your money and your home. Handle your own claim. Never feel bullied. Demand estimates. Read them closely. Do your research. Choose wisely.

Want to see what a real roof estimate looks like? Click here to get your free written estimate today.

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