Every time a storm hits southwest Florida, phones magically start ringing from strange new roofing companies offering inspections and repair at rock-bottom prices. These companies are called “storm-chasers,” and if their prices sound unbelievable, it’s because they are.
It’s heartbreaking when vulnerable people who’ve just suffered the trauma of storm damage have to deal with scammers trying to take their money, too. The good news is that if you can say no to the scammers, take a deep breath, and check the internet, you can find an established Sarasota roofing repair company that you can actually trust.
How do storm-chaser roofing scams work?
Storm-chasers have to work fast, usually within a week of a well-publicized storm with documented home damage.
- They want to force agreements and even signed contracts before people have a chance to explore other roofing options.
- They’ll push to get your money even before your insurance claim is approved.
- They’ll promise to pay for your deductible (insurance fraud) in order to get your business and your full insurance payout for sub-par work.
- If they actually do any work at all, they use sub-par materials and take other shortcuts to make their low prices worthwhile for themselves.
- When their work turns out to be a scam, they skip town. When they’re not locally based in the first place, they don’t need to stick around to look for new customers. They can chase the next storm elsewhere.
What are storm-chaser techniques to be aware of?
Unsolicited phone calls: To get in fast, these companies call you first. (After all, you wouldn’t ever be able to find them because they don’t usually do business here.)
Personal information: These companies often have a list of local homeowners, with addresses and phone numbers. This means that when they call you, they can ask for you by name and recite your home address. Whether it’s because the information is legitimate or it’s frightening that they have it, this technique alone is often enough to start a conversation—and a sales pitch.
Remember: Telephone numbers can be faked. Just because it says it’s a 941 area code doesn’t mean it’s really a Sarasota roofing company.
How can I find a trusted Sarasota roofing company to perform repairs?
Of course, scammers will want you to sign a contract before you have a chance to check, so there’s that.
But if you want to check up on a Sarasota roof repair company, look for an online presence, customer reviews, Better Business Bureau rating, and information regarding license, bonding, and insurance.
The Storm Chaser Roofing Company Bottom Line
The bottom line is that there are already trustworthy, long-established Sarasota roofing companies. These local roofing experts live and work here year-round. And they don’t have to chase the storms or bully vulnerable residents because they have a local reputation to maintain. These local Sarasota-Bradenton roofing companies aren’t going anywhere.
LD Total Roofing is a family-owned Sarasota-Bradenton roofing company, an established local roofer licensed, bonded, and insured, led by roofing experts with more than 20 years of local roofing experience.
We’ve been offering total roofing services to Sarasota-Bradenton since long before the storm, we’ll be here until the work is done, and we’ll still be here the next time you need a trustworthy local roofer, too.
Deckard & Company