7 Types of Roofing Scams to Avoid

Year after year, homeowners fall victim to roofing scams. These schemes leave trusting families short on money and stuck with a shoddy roof on their home.

Scammers typically target budget-conscious homeowners trying to manage home repairs without breaking the bank. These con-artists will often seek out neighborhoods with a high percentage of senior citizens; areas with older housing stock; and places that are prone to, or were recently hit by, major storms. 

They prey on people’s fears that their homes are in danger or that reputable home improvement companies are too expensive.

A fraudster often does fast work with low-quality materials, or — sometimes — simply takes the money and runs.

Unethical roofers can be hard to spot, but there are some clear warning signs that should set off alarms in your head. Keep an eye out for these seven types of common roof scams.

Scam #1: What Is A Storm Chaser Roofer? 

Worried homeowners can be easy prey for opportunistic fraudsters after a big storm. Some roofers, called “storm chasers,” follow bad weather events in search of damaged roofs. They often travel door-to-door, passing out leaflets and offering to repair or replace roofs that appear damaged — or, in some cases, roofs that are not damaged at all.

That’s part of the evil of the storm chaser: he’ll convince homeowners that they can get a new roof for a huge discount (or even free!) by filing an insurance claim after a big storm, such as hail or rain. 

The roofer gets paid, the homeowner gets a new roof (even if it’s not needed) and the massive insurance company with billions of dollars cuts a check without blinking. Everyone wins, right?

Wrong.

Beware: the work done by storm chasers is often poor. The storm chaser hits a neighborhood and wants to replace as many roofs as possible for as little cost as possible and then gets the heck out of town. The lifespan of these hastily-assembled roofs may be half that of a well-constructed roof — or much less.

Sometimes, a storm chaser will show up at your door unannounced and mention that they’ve just finished repairing another roof nearby. He claims to have extra materials, and can offer you a special discount to do your roof, too. This is a classic roof scam! Don’t fall for it. Tell that conman to get lost!

Scam #2: The Low Starting Bid 

Some contractors who aren’t legitimate offer you a tantalizingly low price, one that’s often far lower than any other competitor in your area. But once work begins, that price could creep up due to “unforeseen problems” and inflated material costs.

The costs of roofing materials do fluctuate, but a contractor shouldn’t attempt to increase the price for materials in the middle of your project.

Scam #3: Mystery Damage

Your roof seems like it’s in fine shape — even after a big hail or rainstorm. Then, one day, you have a roofer knocking at your door, claiming he just couldn’t help but notice the damage on your roof. 

He points out some vague damage that you can’t really see, but he claims is a big red flag; maybe he’ll even offer to take a closer look and then comes down, grim-faced, claiming it’s a real mess up there.

Some shady roofers have been known to claim there is damage to a roof when there’s none, or certainly not enough damage to justify a full roof replacement. Others have even been caught creating damage themselves! These are the people who give home improvement companies a bad name.

Scam #4: Insurance Fraud Scam

There are a few ways that a contractor can attempt to commit insurance fraud. One of these is by submitting two separate invoices: a lower one to the homeowner, and a more substantial invoice to the insurance company. 

This is fraud, and could be prosecuted, which means trouble for you. Sometimes, a contractor will even claim that they’ll get enough money back from over-billing your insurance company to reimburse your deductible.

Scam #5: High-Pressure Sales

One of the most common roofing frauds involves a contractor who will show up to a consultation or sales presentation offering a special “today only” deal in order to pressure the homeowner into signing a legally-binding contract on the spot without conducting additional research. 

Oftentimes, the illegitimate contractor will make false or misleading claims if the homeowner puts up any kind of resistance. 

Scam #6: Cheap Materials

Some shady contractors will inflate their profit margins by charging a pretty penny to perform repairs using such poor materials that the work must be done again. In many cases, these repairs appear cosmetically to have solved the underlying issue, but in reality are just covering up a worsening problem that will ultimately cost the homeowner a lot more money to fix down the road. 

These repair scams from roofing contractors who aren’t legitimate can be difficult to spot until it’s too late, which is why research a company upfront is so important. 

Scam #7: Large Down Payment

A clear sign of a roof replacement scam is a contractor that demands a large down payment before beginning any work on the homeowner’s roof. These con artists take the homeowners money and run, never to be heard from again. 

It’s perfectly reasonable for a contractor to charge a modest down payment to cover the cost of materials. However, this down payment shouldn’t exceed 20 percent of the projected total bill. If you receive an estimate from a contractor with a 50 percent down payment or higher, that’s a big red flag you should not work with this company or individual. 

How to Avoid These Roofing Scams

Don’t rush into anything.

Storm chasers will try to take advantage of your anxiety in the aftermath of a storm, insisting that work must be done quickly. Instead, take your time, ask to see insurance and references in your area, check the status of their roofer’s license, and visit the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints filed against them.

Do your research first.

Talk to various companies about their pricing models to get a bigger picture of industry standards. It’s important to be on the same page with your contractor about project timeline and pricing, including any down payment, prior to signing any documentation. Once you sign a legally-binding contract, it becomes a very messy process to reverse. A reputable contractor will never hide information or evade questions about costs or materials. 

Be wary of the Good Samaritan.

How likely is it that someone with roofing experience just so happens to be driving by your home and spots serious damage to your roof from a moving vehicle? Not very. If you think there is something to the claim, then get a second opinion. Under no circumstances should you let a stranger on your roof, or should you sign a contract based on an out-of-the-blue sales approach.

Listen carefully to what’s being offered. 

If a contractor offers to pay your insurance deductible or offers other no-cost incentives, these can be signs of insurance fraud.

Don’t be afraid to say "no."

Just because you agreed to meet a contractor for a scheduled appointment or consultation, doesn’t mean you’re obligated to sign a contract. If you feel uncomfortable for any reason, ask the contractor to leave.