Require a Deposit Upfront

This is the situation that often makes the local news. A homeowner pays a roofing contractor and “upfront deposit” to get started on work and then they never hear from them again.

At Mutual Roofing, we only require a deposit the day that we start work. This means that the materials will be at your home and a roofing crew will be on site starting the work. Many other Omaha Roofers will operate in much the same way.

If for some reason you do find a reputable roofing company (per research and reviews)

Pressure You to Sign a Contract On the Spot

There are countless stories where homeowners are pressured by roofers to sign contracts after being baited by a “Free Estimate”. We get it.

Every roofer does want to get a homeowner to sign a contract to secure a working relationship. The problem, however, is the tactics for which its deployed.

If the sales tactics are aggressive and the roofer can’t sense your unease then this is a red flag. Every good roofing contractor will know when they’ve pushed too far and need to back down. Scammers are just the opposite. They will continue to try various sales tactics to get you to sign the dotted line. Here’s a recent article about an elderly woman that was taken advantage of.

(To be clear, Mutual Roofing stands pretty neutral on Contingency Contracts. There is certainly a mutual benefit to both parties when executed properly. Likewise, there are ways roofers have used them to prey on vulnerable homeowners.)

Cloak and Dagger About Information

Ambiguity is always a warning sign with roofers. This is especially true when you start asking for verification such as licenses, insurance, physical address, etc.

A reputable roofer will gladly furnish these articles. A scammer may have charming and subtle ways to beat around the bush. Or they may promise them and never follow up on the request.

We warn homeowners to never start work with any roofing company until you’ve verified this information and feel comfortable with what they furnished.

Looking for Quality Reviews (If Any at All)

Have A Substantially Cheaper Bid

The old adage “you get what you pay” for is applicable in every purchase situation- especially roofing. Many perceptive homeowners will often get at least two roofers to look at their roof before making a decision.

Obviously this helps with making sure their assessment of the damage corroborates with one another along with the estimate.

Most homeowners know that if a bid is significantly cheaper than the other bids then it raises concerns. Why is it cheaper? Is there a catch?

The roofer should be able to verify the discrepancy. If you should choose to continue using the cheapest bid, you may need to be aware there are potential fulfillment risks.

Summary

These are just a few examples of things reputable roofers should never do. If you have any concerns that you want to run past us, email us at contact@mutualroof.com

If you’d like to schedule a FREE inspection, give us a call at (402) 889-3381.