After the storm passes, you will need to be on the lookout for storm chasers. They are dishonest roofers who claim to help homeowners fix storm damages, but do it very quickly and inefficiently just so they can make a quick buck – in other words, a roofing scam.
It’s important to be aware of fraud roofers and your friendly neighborhood chuck in a truck, so you can protect yourself from losing money and hurting your McKinney home because of inefficient workmanship. If you don’t want to fall victim to these storm scams, here are some ways to avoid storm chasers who boldly exploit desperate homeowners.
Don’t believe a “door-to-door” roofer. After a storm rolls in, legitimate businesses are usually swamped with roofing jobs. They are simply too busy to visit areas and knock on doors to sell you roofing repairs. When you encounter this, ignore the sales pitch and end the conversation right away. After a storm you should call the roofer the roofer shouldn’t be calling you.- Pass on limited time offers. Storm chasers use this incredibly deceiving tactic to pressure homeowners to agree to the work. Real business owners have no time stamp on the roofing solutions they provide, and some even proudly offer emergency repair systems to their customers. If the deal is limited time only, they are admitting to overcharging you the rest of the time.
- Get a Location. When you hire contractors, it’s best to work with ones from your local area since they know the policies and building codes specific to their locality. Most storm chasers will not be from the local area. Asking a roofer where they are located can go a long way in helping your determine who to trust.
- Large Upfront Payments are a Red Flag. It’s reasonable that real roofing contractors ask for a deposit upfront, but it will only be enough to cover their costs. This shows confidence in their abilities to complete the required work on time and do it right. When a roofer demands a large upfront payment, it’s most likely a scam. Thank them for their time and run.
- Know What You’re In For. The best way to know what repairs you need is to understand your own roof condition. Do a safe inspection of the roof after the storm, and look for shingles that are torn off by high winds or other issues like fallen tree limbs. This way, you can avoid dishonest work from fake roofers. Pro-tip: Don’t tell the roofer you’ve already looked at the roof and see what kind of sales pitch they give you.
Of course you can avoid all of this guess and check work by calling a roofer you can trust after a storm. Kangaroo Contractors have been happily serving this community for years. We are based in McKinney, Texas. We live in McKinney, Texas and we love McKinney, Texas. Call today for whatever roofing problem you may have and we’ll hop to it.