Avoid roofing contractor rip offs

No one likes being ripped off. Sadly, there are many roofing contractors across the country that do this all the time. Often times, these scam artists are disguised as “professional” roofers.

Homeowners have to deal with lots of scrupulous individuals who eventually rip them off. The reputation of roofing contractors is constantly being tarnished by such individuals or firms. Many of these entities are unlicensed pretenders who have no idea about roofing.

As a homeowner, you should always trust your gut. Always apply some commonsense when settling for a roofing contractor in New Jersey. This will help to avoid you being ripped off by a roofing contractor. We at Deegan Roofing don’t like hearing about homeowners being ripped off by roofing contractors. We’ve witnessed it over the years. You should always be on the lookout for red flags.

If a contractor is proud of the work they have done, they’ll have no problem supplying photos and videos of completed jobs. In addition to seeing a contractor’s past work, you should always ask for a list of references. Shady companies won’t supply references or will simply stop responding. Reputable contractors will always be more than willing to offer a list of happy clients you can call and speak to regarding the roofing contractor’s work.

Some of the Ways Roofing Contractors May Try to Rip You Off

One of the most common ways your roofing contractor may rip you off is through overpricing the materials. Your contractor knows that you aren’t a roofing expert. He or she hopes that you’ll not notice any material overcharge. You may be billed for materials that aren’t even delivered.

On the flip side, be wary of roofing companies who may cut costs by using low-quality, outdated shingles or other roofing materials. To avoid this, double check with them and ask to have the exact brand/product name of the materials used on paper.

Always ensure you look up the pricing yourself. You can talk to another roofing contractor to find out if the prices are okay. If still in doubt, your roofing contractor should provide proof of all purchases. At Deegan Roofing, the installation of a new roof for a typical house with a roof size of about 3370 sq feet costs around $12,000. This figure may vary depending on various factors.

Your roofing contractor may also try to increase his or her overall profit by doing faulty prep work. The reinstallation of skylights, flashing, and gutters may not be properly done. The roofing contractor may try to reduce labor time.

Your roofing contractor may apply one coat of paint to your roof. Painting helps fix roofing issues. Your roofing contractor hopes you don’t notice the single coat of paint on your roof.

Before your roofer leaves every day, ask him or her to show you all the work they did. You could see if they did any faulty prep work by inspecting the progress. Ensure everything looks right before they leave.

Some roofing contractors in New Jersey use bait and switch tactics to rip off homeowners. The price that you were given quickly changes as soon as you are about to sign the contract. Your roofing contractor may term these changes as upgrades or additional costs.

The work and materials for the job should always be in the contract before any work is done. Any necessary changes should be included in the contract before being implemented. Still, they have to be approved before implementation.