My roof needs some repair, including a few shingles and some wood rot. Two roofers came and both wanted to sell me a new roof for $10-11k. Insurance adjuster came and said roof only has minor wind damage, no hail damage and some wood rot that can easily be repaired. He also said some “wind damaged” shingles were ripped in a very unusual way meaning that ROOFER VANDALIZED MY ROOF TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THERES DAMAGE so insurance claim would be approved for a new roof. In truth, roof is fine. It just needs a few repairs, a much cheaper job than a new roof. But roofing company isn’t interested in a smaller job because that’s less money.
Definitely find a roofer who will give you an honest appraisal of the roof condition. But remember this... most insurance adjusters have no background in construction. I strongly doubt that your adjuster can say with certainty that the roofer vandalized your roof.
Just because scammers utilize contingency agreements doesn't mean it is inherently a scam. This contract also protects you if the roofer takes your first check and runs off. It does lock you into working with them, but if a reputable roofer is dealing with your insurance company on your behalf, why would you go to another roofer once they get it approved? If the rep seems sketchy don't sign it, but 90% of roofing companies will want you to sign some type of contract before helping you through the entire insurance process.
Thank you for engaging with our videos. I appreciate your comment. Signing a contingency agreement does not "lock" a homeowner into using the roofer or obligate a homeowner in a way other than a perceived obligation. Contingencies have not held up in court.
Agreed. As a reputable roofing company, I know the time it takes to assist a homeowner with their insurance claim (roof inspections, reports, numerous phone calls and emails with insurance broker/co. etc.), only for them to get their insurance check and give the roof work to a low-balling, uninsured, chuck-and-a-truck roofer.
@@homesteadroofing apparently you aren't a lawyer. Contigency contracts are enforceable, and it depends how 1 is written, and which State it is written. There is nothing illegal or scam about them. It is part of doing business, and also what the client wants.
Contingency is nothing but a glorified hand shake. Our company didn’t use it before because we used to believe that when 2 humans shook hands it meant it was bond. Well unfortunately in today’s society most people’s word mean absolutely nothing anymore. Too long to list why we switched to the contingency, but the main reason was we were losing quite a bit of money, time, effort handling the claim process for the HO and get him approved ONLY to have them ghost you, go with another cheap contractor that promised them to eat their deductible or decided to keep the money for themselves and not do the work!! The way we present the contingency these days is straight forward LINE BY LINE explanation. This is an agreement that if the insurance agrees with our findings and approves the claim we become the contractor of choice… if NOT then this is dust in the wind and you owe us ABSOLUTELY nothing and got a free inspection that showed you the condition of your roof. We have a 20% fee if the HO decides to go with another contractor after the approval ( usually that’ll eat their deductible )or wanting to keep the money and not do the work. We explicitly mentioned it in details to them, just in case they have that in their mind. We are ONLY interested in working with HO that see Value in what we do and offer.. zero pushy sales tactics. Transparent from the get go. If they refuse we just walk away and wish them all the best
I am an adjuster with 25 years experience...only because I have yet to win a lottery yet. Everything you listed is on point but there are even more issues that I run into. Some roofers will scope the job for the appropriate squares, charge you for the appropriate suqres then install the shingles with an over-exposure cutting bundles to multiple squares off the job (depending on the size of the roof).. As for mechanical damage and man-made damage, any adjuster worth his salt can determine that, problem is most adjusters dont have the stones to look a roofer in the eye and call him on his BS. There are also a ton of defective shingles that roofers tell home owners is storm damage, then they call the adjuster the bad guy for not funding the insanity. Which brings me to another point...KEEP YOUR SHINGLE PAPERWORK. If you end up with a defective or recalled shingle, having the paperwork is a good start, otherwise you will need to pull a shingle and send it to Itel for analysis and identification. Speaking of defective shingles, roofers love to get their hands on warehouse full of them because they buy them pennies on the dollar, then sell the defective shingle to the consumer. Most states only require the labor to be covered for a year. Even a known defective shingle will last that long. Once you are past a year, the defective shingle problem is yours. Roofers work on the rule of large numbers. They hire kids to go door to door in neighborhoods and tell EVERYONE they have storm damage, claiming they are "insurance certified storm damage experts" ...They will tell 20 people a day such and all they need is 1 of the 20 to file a claim that is accepted without questioning it. Thats why so many of you have high deductibles now, or a high wind/hail deductible and as of late, I am seeing 2% wind/hail deductible..That is $2000 deductible for every 100K of coverage you have on your house. Lastly, I am starting to see policy endorsements of "functional" hail damage. So many roofs have been replaced because of a small amount of granular loss. Thats the purpose of the granules, its the sacrificial layer of your roof, its supposed to erode and wear off, even from hail impacts. Its 'inherent vice' and should have never been paid for....but now, with functional damage, we have to have fractured mats, which rarely happen.
That's a crazy story. I actually related that on our newest video as an example of how roofers will try to recover the deductible they're paying for homeowners.
Sounds like you definitely see every roofer as a criminal, remember, there’s opposition in everything. There’s also a lot of honest and good roofers who will give the shirt off their backs for people. I’ve been handling insurance claims with my company a long time now, I have great acquaintances that are adjusters, and some adjusters I can only describe as bad actors. At the the end of the day our actions create ripples, everything we do Will absolutely catch up to us one day.
@@talonbrown2990 that's a ridiculous claim. It's verifiable that homeowners get ripped off by roofing scams and I'm just warning them about what could happen. I own a roofing company and network with other roofing companies so I obviously don't view all roofers as scammers. 🙄
I live seperately from my mother so when My mother had fumes from her furnace coming into the house i was concerned. She called a furnace chimney company that after his inspection it would cost my mother $5k to reline her chimney. I called my friend n asked if he knew of anyone that knew why the furnace fumes were coming in the house. My friends vendor said i know what it is, one of the tiles in the chimney liner fell. He took a hard metal ball on a rope threw it down the chimney n cracked the tile that was blocking the fumes. The fee $100. So many crook's, be aware
My parents paid the roofer, a local guy that had been doing roofs for 30 years here, $4,000 up front and then when the job was done, they would give him $7,000 more... He was the owner and had 4 employees that were just laborers... The roofer guy died 3 days later of a massive heart attack and my parents were never able to get the $4,000 back..., so don't use a "one man" roofing company. Go with a company that can still live if one of the key employees dies suddenly.... My parents could have sued his estate, but he lived just over the state lines and he didn't have a will and he had no children and his wife was already dead, so all his money and assets would be tied up for 5 years per the lawyers and the cost to sue would have been $3,000 minimum and no guarantee that they would get a dime..
Today , I just got scammed. I paid for a shingle roof, They installed a rolled roof. I paid 11,049.00 and never signed a contract for a rolled roof in which another roofer quoted 6,000.00.
That is such a terrible story. I'm so sorry to hear about this. You can pursue it legally or maybe even go to your local news station and see if they'd be interested in doing an expose story about the roofer.
Yes, I am sure. They are done shingles sitting in my yard still and inspector signed off on it. This has been a nightmare, and now the company wants more money for wood. 90.00 a piece for decking.
I got hold of a roofer because of a leak. I am a 63 year old woman. They told me that half of my attic is filled with mold. I didn't just need shingles but half of my particle boards replaced. One went up and yelled the mold is so strong up here i can't breath. The other yelled get down here fast. We did a credit check it came out very good they were happy about that. So they let me know it would be $23,000. I had that great price for 3 days only and needed a down payment. They came back and wanted me to fill out the loan app. It said you are approved, but probably because my incomes is low. 😂 it was for 3500. Then they couldn't help me. I am on SSDI. I got suspicious because they were so pushy, when i said I am low income and wanted to check out other possible ways to get the roof fixed. After they left I climbed up there. I didn't smell the mold they claimed was so strong it chocked him. I didn't see any mold. Except in a very small area where it had been leaking there was some dark spots there. Definitely not even close to half of my house.
Depending on the time between hail and incident, there would be spatter. Also, a good adjuster can compare the hail reports against the size of the hits. .75" hail reports....1.25" hits, they can file vandalism against the roofer.
Hail is hard to fake. Anyone with 2 brain cells can spot it. Doesn't keep scumbags from trying it. First thing I do on a hail claim is check the surroundings. The last thing I do is get a second set of eyes on it. Because yes, everyone benefits from a second opinion, even after many years. If you're too good to need someone else's opinion, it's time to retire.
A neighbor brought by a friend-of-the-family roofer after a recent hail storm…the first words out of his mouth were; “I can get you a free upgrade to a hail impact resistant shingle roof”!…Your videos are awesome and I’m watching all of them!!…please send me the .PDF’s of roofing contractor criteria and interview questions…Thank you!!!
You bet! Send an Email to info@homesteadroofingcolorado.com and put in the text that you're requesting a copy of this, and I'll send it right out to you.
When the company I work for gets a sale and the client has a 3 tab roof we upgrade them to a architectural. So free upgrades are real. You just gotta find the right roofing company.
Great breakdown of stories all of us in the industry have heard or seen. I personally always take a deposit. Too many crazy people out there to put yourself at risk like that each and every time you sign a deal. I once had a customer who kept postponing the roofing job after he gave me the deposit. The reasons ran the gamut from “It’s Mother’s Day Weekend” (that’s right, Mother’s Day is an entire weekend long to some people) to other reasons like “my nephew is working on his car in the driveway” “our son is in town to study for his finals and needs absolute quiet” “our neighbors are getting their house painted and need the space between the two houses”. It just went on and on. Finally, they asked for their deposit back which I was happy to do, and the guy actually said to me “This has just taken entirely too long”. True story.
I've throughly enjoyed (and learned from) several of your video presentations. I wish I'd watched the one about waiting to file a claim instead of doing what a trusted inspector said as he came down the ladder "Dave, call your insurance agent!". I called that same day... : ( Thanks again for you're outstanding learning videos!! D.L.H.
What if I, as a contractor, buy the materials…have them delivered to customer’s house…and customer changes his mind? I’m not buying materials with my money. Absolutely not.
@@homesteadroofing right, so I can battle with them (a customer who’s cancelled) over a restocking fee? What if they tell me to take a hike? Now I’m going to court for a restocking fee…only so they can surely write some bad/mieading review? No. The deposit requirement avoids all of this and filters out people looking for a free roof. And, in my experience, people who bristle at the deposit requirement are invariably the worst customers, while the people who take no issue with it are nearly always a joy to work with.
Good information but I wish you would have gone into more detail about 'lien waivers'. How do you get them? When do you ask for them and get them? Etc....
I guess the best policy as a homeowner is to buy your own materials from a reputable Box Store (ie Menard’s, Home Depot etc) and hire the roofer for the install or better still get the whole job done through the hardware company and their referred contractors. OTOH, if the roofer is well known to you , then you can trust him. One of the first things this videographer said to us is … ROOFING IS A BIG TICKET ITEM. For the same amount of money , other purchases offer way, way more consumer protection, consumer laws and regulations and general backup options. Buyer beware.
Why would any roofer spend the time and money to handle the insurance, filing claim, meeting with adjuster, helping HO decipher the scope of work from the insurance W/O having some type of understanding that the HO use their company to do the project? Hell yeah I want 10 or 20% of claim (for my time and effort) if the HO is going to kick me to the curb and hire a different roofer, sider or whatever. Unfortunately you cannot take anyone for their word. Everything needs to be in writing and understood by both parties.
If you're spending all your time doing all that insurance stuff, you need a different business model. You realize that the insurance company doesn't pay you for any of that work, right? Neither does the homeowner. I can make the same amount on an insurance job without doing any of that stuff you do. What a waste of time.
There are roofing companies that will do the entire job with no money upfront. After 3 bids, I went with the cheapest one. 60% down for materials. 4 weeks later, no materials and no work done! He offered a full refund and still waiting. 4 more weeks and hearing every excuse. I hired a lawyer and will see what happens. Wish I watched this video first. I just notified him earlier about my lawyer, and I will be taking it publicly. He didn't like that!
I'd love to have you tell your story on a video if you're willing. Send me an Email at info@homesteadroofingcolorado.com if you'd be willing to do that. I think you have an important story to tell.
I was fortunate enough to have a roofer as a friend. My balloon framed home needed a roof replacement. The first two bids were shocking prior to getting Eric to do my roof. One bid from a hungry untrustworthy contractor was $9’000. The next bid was $14’000. There’s no way I could afford this. Eric did my entire roof with the best of materials for $2’500. The materials costs about the same. He did roof deck repair and open the soffits so the attic could breath better with the roof vent installed. He did a stellar job.
Yeah good luck finding a roofer taking a job, buying 15k worth of materials without a single dollar down. Because then the homeowner scams the roofer after delivery, refuses to let them on the property, and sells the material for a profit and the roofer is bankrupt.
That's complete nonsense. Who has the greater risk in a roofing sale transaction? The roofer or the homeowner? Obviously the homeowner. If a homeowner doesn't pay for the materials delivered, the roofer can file a lien on the house and force payment. If a roofer steals the homeowner's money, there's nothing the homeowner can do about it. He'll never see his money again. Homeowners, this is the exact argument that roofers will use to convince you to give them money before you have any commitment from them. Big red flag.
@@homesteadroofing Have the homeowner pay the material upon delivery, don't touch a dime until the install is complete. Roofers are running everywhere doing estimates using fuel. It takes hiring people to run a business. Been scamned by customers only using for the processing and estimates, tarps, and repairs. It goes both ways. You need to run yourself to death, late hours sacrificing time with family to take care of your customers and be fair. Also have paid for customers who like to sue with a history of it, after this, your company will take a hit , don't badmouth good roofers because they may do it differently, bet you talked people out of their contracts with people who are trying. No one is going to beat on a roof in front of people. How in the world would you know to do that?
@@Joy-Marie369 You must be filthy rich, because that is you personally financing. The material supplier gets the money directly from the customer, not the company. Money/ labor doesn't come into the company hands until complete
Whoa... The contingency contract... How is it not fair for us as the roofer to expect the homeowner to use our company if we spend the time inspecting the roof, calling their insurance on their behalf on speaker phone because the homeowner hates dealing with insurance, then coming back at another time to hold the adjuster accountable, completely going to bat for the homeowner! A contingency contract is required at my company. It's so that we don't put all the work in then the homeowner turn around and "let their brother do it" or not do it at all and pocket the money. It's standard practice around here and not at all a scam.
I've gotten 5 estimates from a variety of roofers - some so cheap it makes me nervous, some so expensive it makes me laugh. Not a single one is willing to schedule the work until we put down a deposit for materials. When I suggest having them on site before I give them a deposit, they look incredulous. Not sure where you find someone who is willing to buy materials out of their own pocket and deliver to MY driveway - I mean, at that point, they still own the product, so why would they give it to me with a promise of finishing the project??
@@homesteadroofing I'm all set, but thank you - roof was installed a few weeks ago, and we did provide half upon the final meeting prior to install when contract was signed - and the balance was paid at the end of the day when install was complete - no problems whatsoever.
When these housing prices go up and construction booms, it brings a lot of the cockroaches out that pretend to be skilled contractors. After a recession, they go broke
I met a roofer to give me estimate and look for leak he was very adamant about coming looking at my roof I had blocked him because he keep calling texting me I had blocked him and moved on he showed up one day saying I owed him 600 for leak fix that we never agreed upon and without a contract with out anything I had called the police and bbb it was really weird
I'm more concerned with roofers doing crap work and then us having major leaks and damage and poorly installed materials. My suggestion to homeowners is forget trying to get insurance companies to pay for your roof repair.... unless you truly had covered damage that is obvious. Too many homeowners want to own a house but want to avoid all maintenance costs..... sorry, doesn't work like that....roof should last 20-30 years on average and then you can start planning for replacement....not rocket science.
Good video, but it scares me! I am in the process of getting my roof repaired or replaced after a significant hail storm a month ago. The first roofer to come by told me that they would upgrade me to class 4 impact resistant shingles by Malarkey and gave me some documentation on Malarkey. A little bit of research left me with the impression that Malarkey roofing products are, indeed, very good. However, after watching this video, I am left with a queasy feeling because this is the first scam mentioned. Do I consider this guy to be a scammer? Or is there anything else I should look for? The contractor in question is from out of town, but in the same state. They have an A+ rating with BBB. Help???
Just verify that the product delivered to your house is actually what the roofer sold you. It's not always a scam if a roofer says he's going to upgrade you to the Class 4.
@homesteadroofing you didn't say put your thumb on a quarter...I challenge you to put your thumb on a quarter and spin it to create hail damage on video.
@@homesteadroofing - I believe his point is that your thumb would turn to hamburger, because you would never be able to create a divot in a shingle with a coin.
I don’t disagree that the homeowner doesn’t need to put money down right away however I would hope the homeowner did their homework before choosing that roofing company. Shoot..I knew it was scammy, they really don’t know what they are talking about huh? Lol
So in another video you told the homeowner to call the agent!? Now you are saying they are shady. Your Agent has nothing to do with filing a claim! They don’t want you to file a claim! I do not see how your are even a successful company! You make no sense !
Sorry buddy but some of your points are not actually true. Too many to go through, but I’ll say this. Some of the top roofing contractors in the nation will get a deposit before starting the work, also some of the top roofing contractors in this nation that handle storm damage are doing the homeowners are huge favor. Again don’t have the time to list the mistakes in this video, my advice to the homeowner is to make sure they do their research on the company they are hiring, check their license and customer’s review or like we do from a trusted referral. Over 800 5* reviews. Just saying🤷🏻♂️
Hi. Is it proper for the roof inspector to see the approved claim info before providing an estimate? My claim was approved and the roofing company asked me to send information. I have signed an agreement already, in which they provided a public adjuster… not even sure if that’s needed, and thought maybe I should of waited until insurance provided their information first.
If you are represented by a PA on your claim, then let them handle the insurance. That's their job. To make sure the insurance is properly paying on the claim. Do folks really trust the insurance company won't take shortcuts or make mistakes? It's best to have a professional handle the insurance claim. People who do this as their job all the time are more likely to get you all you have coming from the insurance company.
@@homesteadroofing JK... but I've been watching your vids and they are super helpful in preparing me for this process! I was just joking with my wife that maybe you guys will travel to the East Coast lol.
