STORM CHASERS & ROOFING SCAMS

How to Spot a Storm Chasing Roofing Company? San Antonio Local Roofers By San Antonio Local Roofers March 13, 2019 02:42 How to Spot a Storm Chasing Roofing Company? Story Highlights When your home is subjected to a hail storm or wind storm, there can be a challenge of sorting the good from the bad in order to avoid accepting offers to fix your roof from roofing contractors who are simply "storm chasers" and may not be a reputable company that stands behind their work. Storm chasing by roofing contractors is a multi million-dollar industry and they use a variety of tricks to make themselves seem like another local roofing company. Some of these storm chasers actually come into town and sign a short-term contract with a small local roofing company that's listed in the Yellow Pages, but leave town before performing any maintenance or warranty work. When "buying local" with a reputable roofing contractor you can be assured that if anything goes wrong with your roof they will be there to fix it. With a little research, such as checking the local Better Business Bureau, you can find a local roofer that you can be sure will be around to take care of you should service issues arise. Related Articles Homeowners Beware! Choosing a Roofer Storm Chasers chased out of San Antonio When your home is subjected to a hail storm or wind storm, there can be a challenge of sorting the good from the bad in order to avoid accepting offers to fix your roof from roofing contractors who are simply "storm chasers" and may not be a reputable company that stands behind their work. Often when a large storm occurs, roofing contractors from surrounding cities and even states will move into the area for a couple of months to perform work. They may offer great discounts and deals, but as soon as the storm damage is gone, so are they. Storm chasing by roofing contractors is a multi million-dollar industry and they use a variety of tricks to make themselves seem like another local roofing company. Some of these storm chasers actually come into town and sign a short-term contract with a small local roofing company that's listed in the Yellow Pages, but leave town before performing any maintenance or warranty work. Others buy local phone numbers and forward all the calls to their out of state offices until they leave to chase another storm damaged area and have the phone disconnected. This means any warranty offered is going to be difficult, if not impossible, to honor if they are not locally based. When "buying local" with a reputable roofing contractor you can be assured that if anything goes wrong with your roof they will be there to fix it. With a little research, such as checking the local Better Business Bureau, you can find a local roofer that you can be sure will be around to take care of you should service issues arise. Here are ten rules to follow in choosing a good roofing contractor. Be Patient and Calm: After a wind or hail storm, most homeowners are desperate to find a contractor. Being desperate opens the homeowner up to being preyed on by "storm chaser" roofing contractors who claim to be local. Look for out-of-state tags on their truck: The roofer's vehicles are likely registered anywhere but locally if the contractor is not local. This indicates that the contractor will only be in town for the storm work and won't be available when it comes time to provide any warranty work. Be wary of claims of staying in town: Quiz your contractor very carefully. Make sure you get (in writing) a promise of return for further mending if the contractor leaves the area. Long-term warranties won't be much good if your contractor leaves town. Check to make sure that any roofing contractor is properly licensed to work in your area: Ask for current certificates of workman's compensation and liability insurance. This is for your protection! They must have both, as one covers property damage and one covers their workers from injuries. Storm chasing contractors usually hire sub contractors to install the roofs, and most have crews that travel with them. In most states, the homeowner or their insurance company will be liable if something happens. Be aware that roofing insurance is expensive: This can lead some contractors to cut corners to avoid the expense. Insist on seeing proof of current dated insurance. Avoid signing any contingency agreements: These are generally vague and lacking in description of the work to be done and will not have information about the insurance proceeds. Do your own research: In the old days, you could just go to the Yellow Pages, but now, the best way to find out about a company is by going to the their website. Most storm chasers do not have time to setup a new website with a local feel. There will be a few, so dig a little deeper into their web presence. You can generally tell where a company is really based. Make sure that all materials used are paid for: There have been instances where storm chasers come in, roof a bunch of houses, and leaves without paying the suppliers, thereby leaving the homeowner to pay twice! Ask to see invoices for materials. Prefer the local roofing specialist: In a storm situation, it is always best to buy from an established local roofing contractor, as they will be around to service their work afterward. Buy Local: There are many well-documented benefits to our communities and to each of when we choose to buy from locally and independently owned businesses. Studies have repeatedly shown that we strengthen our economic base as a city when we buy locally.