Great acts of charity often follow a devastating storm, but so do astonishing acts of greed. With an active hurricane and summer storm season approaching, you need to be aware of the latest scams being perpetrated by storm-chasing roofing contractors who may be sweeping through your Atlanta neighborhood.
Warning Signs Of A Deceptive Atlanta Roofing Contractor
After severe weather has hit Atlanta, don't be surprised if you get a knock on your door from a roofing contractor who is "working on a roof in your neighborhood" and is offering a free roof inspection to make sure you don't have any storm damage.
Another common line is, "I see that your roof has suffered hail damage. We can climb up, take a closer look and give you an estimate for the repairs, if you'll sign this injury release waiver."
If you hear either of these sales pitches, your scam alarm should be blaring. Although the man who knocked on your door may work for a legitimate roofing company, he has just made some questionable statements that are commonly repeated by roofing scam artists.
For example, from a distance, not even the finest roofing contractor can detect storm damage on your roof that you couldn't obviously identify yourself. A roofing contractor needs to climb a ladder or use binoculars to detect hail damage (which is serious, but subtle), just like you would have to. A roofer who tells you otherwise is acting in a questionable manner.
And any roofer who asks you to sign a liability or injury release waiver is extremely suspicious, since these insurances are always held by any reputable Atlanta roofing company.
Any request for a signature before a contract is signed is also a huge warning sign. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous salesman out there who have presented "release waivers" for unsuspecting homeowners to sign that were actually contracts. These contracts granted the roofing contractor exclusive rights to perform work on the homeowner's roof.
The Risks Of Dealing With An Unknown Atlanta Roofing Company
A questionable roofing company will try several deceptive tactics to get your business. In the nightmare scenario, they trick you into signing a document that binds you to hire them for any future work that will be performed on your roof. This removes your ability to obtain multiple quotes for your roof repairs and your freedom to hire an Atlanta roofing contractor of your choice. If you get tricked into signing such a document, you have no negotiating power and have to pay whatever price is offered by the guy who knocked on your door and deceived you.
Another risk is that the roofing company that is "working in your neighborhood" doesn't actually live anywhere near your neighborhood, or even in the state of Georgia. Although they may do reasonable work, "storm chasers" who travel across state lines to work on storm-damaged roofs are nowhere to be found if you need them in the future for roof maintenance and repairs.
How To Protect Yourself From An Undesirable Atlanta Roofing Contractor
There are some basic guidelines you can follow to protect yourself and ensure you are working with a reputable roofing contractor.
- Never sign any paperwork presented to you before you have evaluated a written estimate that you are satisfied with. The first thing you should ever have to sign is a contract to hire the roofing company that you have chosen.
- Check the status of each roofing company you are considering with the Better Business Bureau.
- Verify that the roofing company under consideration has a permanent business address, phone number and federal tax I.D. number.
For more information on how to find a good Atlanta roofing company, read the article entitled What to Look For In An Atlanta Roofer.
An Atlanta Roofing Company You Can Trust
In the roofing business there are good companies and there are bad companies, just like in any other industry. The risk for Atlanta homeowners is that sometimes the bad companies appear at your doorstep right after bad weather has hit your neighborhood.
Since 1995, Findlay Roofing has been building a proven track record of reliability, honesty and customer satisfaction. If you are looking for an Atlanta roofing company that you can trust, we invite you to contact us today.
We will be happy to perform a free roof analysis and provide you with a free estimate for any needed roof repairs. And remember, you don't pay for our work until we complete it to your full satisfaction.
