The guys who give us honest roofers a bad name.

Often you hear of people being scammed by their contractors.  Roofing is a service where these scam artists take advantage of homeowners. Most homeowners are not experienced when it comes to their roof.  They only replace a roof once or twice in their lifetime. Just as not all scam artists claim to be roofers, not all roofers are scam artists.  Know the signs and do the research to be sure you get the quality work you are paying for.

One of the most common scams are the roving roofers or "Storm Chasers".  These companies will come to town where storms have hit.  They will tell homeowners that they have storm damage and will help them get a new roof paid for by the insurance company.  Once an agreement is made, the roof work is either never completed or done poorly.  Often a roof installed by a storm chaser will need to be replaced in the next 5-7 years. Before any claims or refunds can be made, the scam artists have moved on to a different town and can't be reached.

Protect your investment and watch out for the signs that indicate a possible scam:

• Door to door salesman.  Storm Chasers often go door to door, offering a free inspection on the spot and telling the homeowner they have damage and they can help them, but they need to act fast.  Not all door to door roofing salesman are scam artists.  Sometimes they are honest roofing contractors working on other homes in your neighborhood and want you to notice the quality of work they do and talk with the neighbor about them and then call them for an estimate.  Be wary of those that pressure a fast decision.
• High pressure sales.  A scammer has a limited time to get the homeowners commitment.  Often they will make great offers and claims but the offer is good today only.  They may be offering high prices and don't want to allow the opportunity to be under bid.  It could also be that they know if the homeowner does some research, they will find negative reviews and ratings for their roofing company.  Scammers may also require a down-payment to get a special price.  This is another red flag because they may take the money and run.  Scammers also know that there may not be significant enough damage to the home for homeowner's insurance policy to pay to replace it and they want a commitment to the work regardless.

Strong Winds can cause shingles to blow off the roof. Leaks can result from the areas where shingles are missing. The adhesive seal that provides a water-shedding surface can also break, it is not easy to see the damage.

Potential signs of wind damage:

• Missing shingles
• Thin horizontal lines where granules have been worn off about 1-2 inches beneath the shingle above; this could indicate that the shingle seal was broken and the shingle was flapping in the wind rubbing against the shingle above it

Hail can damage your roof by leaving dents in your shingles, soffit, etc.  It can bruise a shingle causing an indentation that may be hard to see but that can crack the shingle allowing water to leak over time. 

Potential signs of hail damage:

• Other hail damage around the house; dents on cars or other items on your house or in your yard
• A distinct pattern of small round-shaped divots on the edges of the shingles
• Indentations in the shingle where granules are missing
• A large pile of granules at the end of your downspout; a small amount is normal, especially on new shingles

Winter can cause havoc on your roof.  Leaks can be caused by an ice dam. Ice dams are formed by the continual thawing and refreezing which causes water to backup under shingles.  Ice and water underlayment will prevent this leaking from occurring.