Common Roofing Scams

If you are moving to Jacksonville you probably are already aware that Florida can be a hurricane disaster state.

If you are moving to Jacksonville and are buying a fixer-upper, a new roof can be a costly fix. However, a strong roof is absolutely essential for Florida homes and most homeowner’s insurance agencies will not insure your home unless you have an updated roof, with the proper support beams.

If you are moving to Jacksonville, you will want to make sure that you have your new home properly inspected in order to check the condition of the roof before you move in. The last thing you want is to move in and notice that the roof is leaking. Get estimates and see if the roof needs patching or complete replacement. If you do need to hire a roofer, watch out for roofing scams.

Your Jacksonville movers would like to warn you of common roofing scams that roofing companies do in order to take advantage of you and get more money.

Scam #1: Down payment scams. Some roofing companies may try to scam you into making a down payment “for material costs”, do not fall for this! You should never have to pay for a service until it is completed and completed up to par.

Scam #2: Never hire a door-to-door salesman to do your roofing project. If they are knocking, it is most likely because the work is not knocking on their door. If they are offering rates that are too good to be true, that is because they are. High pressure sales tactics should be avoided, because they don’t allow you time to price shop. You could end up paying much more simply because you did say no to the lowest offer you received. There have been reports of roofers soliciting in neighborhoods and offering free inspections, then causing damage to your roof just so that they can bring it to your attention and have you hire them to fix it. They will either rough up the roof on their own, or show you pictures of another deteriorated roof to convince you a new one is needed.

Scam #3: Storm specialists. When an area is on the news for having hail or wind damage, scam artist roofers target that area and pass out flyers to homeowners in the neighborhoods that were affected. Although this scam has been reported numerous times, a lot of homeowners still fall for their scams. Protect yourself by obtaining proof of insurance from any roofer that you are considering and verify their roofing qualifications.

Scam #4: Unsteady bidding. When an initial bid is much lower than a competitor’s, that should raise a red flag. Extra low opening costs tend to hook a homeowner and then the prices will skyrocket as the project continues—leaving the homeowner with a growing bill and not that many options other than trying to discontinue that company’s work just to hire a professional to fix it. Make sure that you lock in a final estimate that will keep you in a “worst-case scenario” ballpark, and get it in writing.