We’re always on the lookout for news and articles that we can bring to our client’s attention whether it’s interesting case studies about successful installations or preparing our clients for impending price hikes. One group of articles that we keep an eye on are any involving roofing scams. We’ve blogged about these before in an effort to warn our clients about unscrupulous contractors who are just after your money and don’t actually care about your roof or home improvement.
We saw this article from NBC News about the intersection between roofing, fraudulent claims and insurance companies actually going out of business in Florida. Here’s an excerpt explaining the scam:
The scam works like this: Contractors knock on doors offering to inspect homeowners’ roofs for storm damage. They say they can help get a roof replacement covered by insurance, and they persuade the homeowners to sign away their rights to file the claims themselves. The contractors then file fraudulent damage claims, and when the insurance companies balk, the contractors sue. The insurance companies usually settle the disputed claims for many times more than the original claim. Most of that money goes to the contractors’ lawyers in the form of a “contingency fee multiplier.” Some lawyers file hundreds of such lawsuits a year.
The homeowner may get a free roof, but everyone pays for it through increased rates.
Read the complete article here: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/roofing-scams-florida-property-insurance-hurricane-rcna29649
Roofing contractor red flags
We’ve not heard of similar scams here in New Jersey but the article does bring up a couple of red flags that all homeowners should be aware of:
Contractors going door-to-door: Be very wary of any roofing contractor knocking on your door offering to do “free inspections” of your roof, especially after storms have passed through your area. These “storm chasers” often have no track record of installations in your area (they’re just passing through too) and many have no insurance or the appropriate registration from the State.
Don’t sign anything you don’t understand: Make sure you understand all the paperwork the roofing contractor asks you to sign. Don’t feel pushed or coerced into signing anything – a reputable roofing contractor will leave that completely in your hands.
Insurance claims: Insurance claims should only be handled via your insurance company – talk to your insurance agent first and have them process the paperwork, don’t have the roofing contractor file any insurance paperwork on your behalf.
For other roofing contractor red flags click here: https://gjkeller.com/roofing-contractor-red-flags/
Roofing contractor checklist
We recommend every homeowner follow a checklist to make sure they are picking the correct contractor for their project. A checklist for homeowners is located here: https://gjkeller.com/selecting-a-contractor/
The professionals at George J Keller have been proudly serving the community for decades. We are more than happy to provide free written estimates, our proper paperwork and state registration information, and hundreds of honest references from our many happy clients! Give us a call today at 973-927-0963 to learn more about how we can help you get and keep your home in tip-top shape.