I recently did a search on Google for "Roofing" and unfortunately, it led me to a number of stories of so called roofers who are scamming the unsuspecting client.  

The headline above came from this story about a pair of roofing contractors who investigators say are involved in widespread roofing and home improvement scams in Colorado and Arizona.

Then in Cincinnati there is another story of a roofing scam involving insurance claims.  This roofer got people to file insurance claims by telling them they had something wrong with their roof, and collecting the insurance money, leaving them with nothing and sometimes ruining their roof in the process.

And now in LA County where there have been major storms, the city attorney is warning people of roofing scams.  He says that "consumers should be wary of contractors who show up at their door unsolicited, ask for a large down payment in advance, or say they will do the work without a permit.

Numerous problems are associated with hiring unlicensed contractors, noting that they often are not bonded, typically do not have workers' compensation insurance and are frequently not trained to do the work.

Rick Lopes, chief of public affairs for the California State Licensing Board, said some scam artists will prey on elderly, physically infirm couples, make up a non-existent roof repair problem and then pretend to do the work before making off with an easy payment."
These scams unfortunately, happen everywhere, even here in Virginia Beach.

The moral of the story is to make sure that you hire a licensed roofing contractor, don't just hire a chuck in a truck.  Make sure that you get a written estimate and that the details are written down and that they explain what they are going to do for you.  

Check out this video on choosing a roofing contractor done by the National Roofing Contractors Association, to make sure that these things never happen to you.

Seemed like our rain was just, well, rain.  But, believe it or not we received over 10 inches in many areas.  While not accompanied with high winds, that amount of rain took a toll on many roofs in Virginia Beach and the Hampton Roads area.  Our roof repair requests have skyrocketed, but not to worry, if you've experienced water leaks in your home or business we WILL be able to get to you as we have already serviced many over the past 5 days or so.  To avoid the headaches that come with a roof leak consider a roof inspection before the weather happens. 

If you are in the market to replace your roof look no further.  Let us come out at your convenience and give you a free consultation and estimate.  No strings attached, no pressure... Promise!