If you have ever been solicited at your home by a so-called roofing contractor, here are several tactics you’ll need to look out for:

  1. The contractor who cried hail
    If someone comes to your home and claims that you have hail damage without doing an official assessment, this is a bad sign.  You need to have someone assess your roof before knowing whether or not there is hail damage. Have a qualified local roofing company (like Guardian Roofing) do a free assessment first.
  2. The contractor who asks you to sign a contingency (or blank) contract
    If someone asks you to sign a contingency contract, this means if the roof gets approved by your insurance company, you will be forced to use that contractor to do the work. They also won’t have an actual dollar amount on the contract of how much the roof will cost. This an illegal practice by Iowa State law, so if you see this happening, please report it to the authorities.
  3. The contractor who says they have been working with your neighbors or your insurance company
    If someone leads with, “We’ve been working with your friends and neighbors…” make sure to ask those friends and neighbors if they are telling the truth. You could even ask that person which neighbors, and ask for specific names. You’ll find out quickly if they are telling the truth or not. You should ask how long they have been in business. You may also want to ask for referrals for both old and recent jobs completed.
  4. The contractor who is not local
    Many of these companies are chasing insurance-related work and are from out of town (or even out of state).  Once they finish your roof, they will be gone with no one to honor the warranty.

 

The bottom line: They are not looking out for your best interest. They are just playing a numbers game. The more people they talk to, the better chance they’ll sell their next roofing deal.

 

BEST ADVICE:

Do your research. The internet gives you the ability to find out anything you want about a company.

We urge you to look up the company on Google, Iowa Workforce Development and the Better Business Bureau so that you have a firm understanding of who you are talking to or working with.

If you do think you have hail damage, give Guardian Roofing a call. We can come assess your roof (for free) and give you the information you need to make a good decision about your situation.

Thanks for reading,

-Gabe