The Better Business Bureau says it is one of the biggest scams being perpetrated on homeowners, according to its new Scam Tracker Annual Risk Report.<\/p>\n
A man knocks on your door and claims to have leftover roofing materials from another job nearby. He then offers to fix yours for nothing.<\/p>\n
If this sounds too good to be true, it is.<\/p>\n
The scammer \u2014 who loves to show up in those neighborhoods ravaged by storms \u2014 takes your money without doing the promised work \u2014 or very little of it.<\/p>\n
Now that you know what to look for, you can use these tips to choose a reputable contractor to repair or replace your roof if needed.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Ensure they\u2019re insured.<\/strong>\u00a0Contractors must carry insurance for all employees and subcontractors \u2014 and provide a copy for your inspection. That\u2019s non-negotiable, so insist upon it.<\/p>\n \u2022 Run if they suggest ducking your deductible.<\/strong>\u00a0If the contractor claims to be able to handle a storm-related repair, without you having to pay your required insurance deductible, that\u2019s insurance fraud \u2014 and something you don\u2019t want to be a part of.<\/p>\n \u2022 Run even faster if they ask for more money down.<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s reasonable for contractors to request a modest down payment before work begins (consider it \u201cearnest money\u201d), but if the figure exceeds 20 percent of the bill\u2019s projected total cost \u2014 say, 50, or even 75 percent \u2014 it should set off a red flag.<\/p>\n \u2022 Know your contractor.<\/strong>\u00a0When it comes to peace of mind, hiring a contractor who is a member of a reputable roofing manufacturer\u2019s contractor program is helpful. GAF, North America\u2019s largest roofing manufacturer, for example, is exceptionally strict about who it designates as its highest-ranking \u201cMaster Elite Contractor\u201d \u2014 less than 2 percent of roofing contractors have qualified \u2014 and you can find one in your area through a quick search on gaf.com.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a full vetting process we go through to determine whether they\u2019re the right contractors to put in our program, like making sure they\u2019re licensed where required, insured, and have a history of installing roofs in the local community,\u201d says Jim Slauson, GAF vice president of certification program and services.<\/p>\n \u2022 Communication skills matter.<\/strong>\u00a0A knowledgeable contractor worth their salt will offer a range of roofing shingle and accessory options by price, style, and color.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Better Business Bureau says it is one of the biggest scams being perpetrated on homeowners, according to its new Scam Tracker Annual Risk Report. A man knocks on your door and claims to have leftover roofing materials from another job nearby. He then offers to fix yours for nothing. If this sounds too good […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-135","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology"},"yoast_head":"\n