Contractors don’t generally have a great reputation. And when it comes to roofers, they sit close to the top of the list, if not right on top of it. Unfortunately, there are good reasons for this. But why do they have this reputation in the first place?
The sad fact is that some roofers take advantage of homeowners. While this shows up in a number of different ways, there are some that happen more frequently than others. Let’s take a look at a few of the more common reasons why roofers have a bad reputation.
Dishonest and Pushy Sales
Unfortunately, there are some roofing companies out there more concerned with profit than they are with doing a good job. This has led to some companies sending out their salespeople whose sole job is to get your name signed on the dotted line. Rather than be honest enough to tell you that your roof will last for another decade, they’ll push you into buying a new one.
Poor Workmanship
Poor workmanship can understandably irritate just about anyone. However, even the best roofers are capable of making mistakes. What counts is the way in which they handle the issue when it crops up.
A roofer can give themselves a bad reputation simply by not answering the phone or failing to honor their workmanship warranty when a problem occurs.
Insurance Scams
Two more reasons roofers have earned themselves a poor reputation are storm chasing and insurance scams. These two go hand-in-hand. As insurance work is worth a lot of money, scams are prevalent in the industry. This explains why there are roofing companies that go after potential clients after a storm when they knock on doors and scare homeowners into buying a new roof. They’ll undercut other roofers, take the money, and move on.
There are also those roofers that commit insurance fraud. When your claim for roof damage insurance has been approved, you’ll then be forced to pay your deductible. A common scam is when a roofer offers to pay that very deductible, which would be a fraudulent act on behalf of both the roofer and yourself.
How to Find a Roofer Worth Hiring
The poor reputation is unfortunately deserved, considering how homeowners have been treated by the roofing industry, in general. However, that doesn’t mean you should avoid every single roofing company out there. Believe it or not, there are some honest and hardworking roofing companies that have your best interests at heart.
But how can you find such a company so you can give yourself the best chance to hire a quality roofer? Well, you need to apply some due diligence, which, fortunately, the Internet makes it easier than ever. While you should start by asking your friends and family if there are any roofers they can recommend, your next port of call should be to go online and search for local Blackpool roofers.
Make sure to look for testimonials and customer success stories on their websites. Also, look for reviews from Google and other independent sources. Create a shortlist of those roofers that you like the sound of it based on their ratings and reviews, and get a quote from each one. That way, you’re giving yourself every opportunity to hire a roofer with a good reputation and who, once the work has been completed, you may just leave a positive review of your own.