Be On The Watch For Roofing Scams

When you’re in need of a new roof, the last thing you want to encounter is a roofing scam from those posing as legitimate roofing companies and taking your hard-earned money. When you’re in doubt about a roofer replacement company, the BBB is a good resource to see if a roofing company is in good standings. Monarch Roofing is proud to have an A+ rating with the BBB and many great reviews on Angie’s List.

According to a news report from News4Jax in Jacksonville, FL, a man was arrested in Ohio on suspicion of posing as a legitimate roofer and taking money from homeowners in Northeast Florida. Police said Goran Popovic agreed to perform roofing work but then never finished the jobs.

Other roof scams involve would-be workers causing damage to a roof with a nickel or a hammer. They can take a nickel, place it on a roof tile, step on it and dig in with their heels. The mark that's left looks like hail damage or the scammers take a hammer and just hit the tiles, sometimes even ripping a shingle. While these may seem be obvious, not every scam is.

Despite a “No Solicitation” sign on his window, homeowner Christian Arce said he got scammed by a roofing company that he called after workers left a card on his door.

“I definitely didn't know better, because it's my first home, and it was the first time I ever had a roofing job done. I didn't know what was going on,” Arce said. “The guy came to me. I felt happy, because the insurance company was saying, 'All you got to pay is this little bit, compared to everything,' so I thought that was good.”

Standing outside his home, Arce pointed out a small area that he believed was the only damage done to his roof last May though the entire roof was replaced. Only 25 percent of Arce's roof needed to be replaced. His insurance company was charged $6,000 for a job he was quoted would only take a week but ended up lasting 2½ months. According to Arce, the roofer received his first payment from the insurance company and then strung him along.

The BBB said part of the scam is making it seem like the homeowner is obtaining a wonderful deal when showing them a quote that has been doctored to include an insurance deductible.

“The danger of that is that you may get inferior quality,” Tom Stephens, with the Northeast Florida Better Business Bureau said. “They're getting insurance work, and they're doing the work a lot more cheaply than another contractor would do.”

The Better Business Bureau said that when doing that research for a quality top rated roofing company, homeowners should get 6 to 7 estimates and go with one of the ones in the middle.

Also offered are several other items a homeowner can do to make sure they're not getting scammed:

• Question when a roofer offers a rebate or says you won’t have to pay a deductible.
• Try to get referrals from people you know who have had roofing done.
• Get the estimate in writing and never pay upfront. Wait until the job is done.

A legitimate roofing company, like Monarch Roofing, is going to be able to have the resources to put the materials out there, get the work done and then ask for your money.

If a company is asking you for money up front to pay for materials, be wary that you’re not dealing with an established roofing company.

With an A rating and over 40 positive reviews on Angie's List and an A+ rating with the BBB, Monarch Roofing has a proven record of putting the customer and their roofing needs first with satisfaction guaranteed. Click to visit the Monarch Roofing's BBB page to see our rating and more.