Beware Of Cheap Roofers That Sound Too Good To Be True Because They Probably Are!
HOW CAN YOU TELL YOU’VE GOT A DODGY ROOFING CONTRACTOR ON YOUR HANDS?
When carried out by qualified and licensed professionals, roofing services are a very effective way to improve your home and add value to your property.
However, property owners need to protect their assets and be wary of the many cheap roofers who are currently flooding the market with dodgy roofing services that seem too good to be true.
When it comes to roofing services, you’ll want to ensure your roofing contractor is experienced, skilled, and up to the task of performing professional services. If you don’t, you might be left with a bad roofing job, inflated costs, and a huge headache!
Beware Of Roofing Cowboy Operators
There have been numerous reports of property owners using these dodgy "roofing professionals" and ending up with a roof in worse condition. Many of these cowboy operators are uninsured and unlicensed, using poor quality products and cutting important corners.
These customers pay to have their roofs restored and just months later are left with unsightly roofs, with broken tiles and peeling paint. Unfortunately these customers are left with nothing but false promises, fake warranties and a poor quality roof at significant financial and emotional cost.
These roofing cowboys target an area, promising warranties and in some cases placing vague advertisements on street signs and in local papers. Generally the only details advertised is the price and a mobile number - no business name, ABN, licence number or address! That mobile number is changed regularly and they move onto the next suburb looking for new customers to exploit.
How can you tell you’ve got a dodgy roofing contractor on your hands? Look out for these major red flags!
They Can’t Show Their Past Work
Take it from us: we in the roofing business love showing off our work! Needless to say, if your roofing contractor struggles to share information about their previous work or a contact person for any client reference, you might want to start looking at them with a bit of skepticism!
Now just to be clear, just because they can’t show you anything right now doesn’t mean you should disregard them completely. However, if you can’t find a single photo, positive review, video or any other kind of reference, we suggest treading with caution and getting everything in writing.
They Don’t Offer Guarantees Or Warranty Of Their Work
If you ask us, you should ensure that the contractor you hire for your new metal roofing offers guaranteed workmanship.
Another thing to look out for is insurance. In addition to workmanship guarantees, any professional roofing business will also be covered by insurance policies. This ensures that you’re covered should things go wrong.
Is your potential roofer uninsured and unwilling to provide a written guarantee? Don't take the risk!
They Can’t Show Their License And Certifications
Roofing is a tightly regulated industry in Australia.Each professional roofing company in Sydney should be licensed and be able to present said license upon request.
One of the first things you should do before hiring a roofing specialist is asking to see this paperwork – whether it’s licences, permits, proof of insurance, or any other collateral you would expect them to possess. If they continue to make up excuses or delay, you might have a dodgy contractor on your hands!
They Don’t Leave A Paper Trail
Before you finally decide on a roofing contractor, make sure that all payment terms are in black and white, and that they give you copies of all the paperwork.
We know, it’s annoying filing all of this away. However, this paperwork provides legal protection in the event that something should go wrong with your roof, or if a dispute should arise about payment.
We strongly recommend automatically refusing any contractor who operates on a cash-only basis. Contractors like this are hard to track compared to those who accept credit and debit cards as payments.
Not to mention, there’s little legal recourse if they take the money and run! Another thing to note: most roofing teams will not charge you the full amount upfront. While you’re likely to pay an up-front deposit before work starts, most reputable roofing contractors will offer payment installments before, during, and at the completion of a project.
Needless to say, if your roofer demands the entire sum (in cash or otherwise) upfront, we suggest choosing someone else!
They Pressure You
Professional roofing contractors understand your need to budget, plan and carefully think things over before having work done on their roof.
Dodgy roof installers, on the other hand are eager for payday – in addition to rushing the service, they’ll also pressure you into payment right away.
They also might inflate their charges or services blowing your cost beyond your initial budget. If pressure, manipulation or threats are made at any stage, we recommend immediately backing out and finding somebody else.
Contact The Roofing Sydney Professionals At RoofingCorp
At RoofingCorp we have years of experience from property owners asking if we fix the problems left by these cheap and nasty cowboy operators.
Unfortunately it is not always possible to fix this and the customer is faced with the devastating choice of learning to live with their unsightly roof or paying for a brand new roof! Save yourself the heartache and ensure you use qualified and licensed professionals such as our experienced team at RoofingCorp when getting your roof restored!
Don’t risk entrusting one of the most important investments in your home to a dodgy roofing contractor! If you’re looking for an inspection and quote for a roofing service or if you just have some questions, contact our experts today.
