COLORADO SPRINGS — Within hours of the hail storm that hit neighborhoods on the northside of Colorado Springs last week people claiming to be roofing experts were already knocking on doors looking to get paid to inspect and fix potential damage, but local roofing companies call these people storm chasers. The concern is local roofers believe some of the dishonest people just want to get paid and get out of town. This often leaves a wake of frustrated customers in their path.
”This was huge. The hail was intense. It was coming down super fast,” said Colorado Springs resident Paula Gipson. “One of our window wells filled up and started coming in through the window and we were sopping it up with towels.”
At Gipson’s home it’s clear some work was needed after the storm and she was surprised so many random people showed up at her door wanting the job.
”It was amazing how fast and how many,” said Gipson. “We had people knocking on the door asking if we’ve had anybody who has inspected our roof. They were saying the people down the street, we’ve looked at seven roofs today and all seven needed repair. Do you want us to look at your roof?”
Gipson said she didn’t buy into the pressure and decided to do some research, eventually hiring locally owned Petrali Roofing to take a look.
”When the storm is hitting people are calling,” said Petrali Roofing Owner Michael O’Malley.
O’Malley says he’s been busy and fears some people will give-in to a door knocking pitch from a fly by night contractor and will quickly regret it.
”They are in a hurry, they are emotional, they feel the pressure,” said O’Malley. “Every year, we run into people who are collecting the initial check that people get from insurance companies and then they take off with it.”
So here are some things to consider when researching a contractor after storm damage…
- Check reviews, testimonials, and ask for references. If they don’t have any, it’s not a good sign.
- Check license status with your local regional building department
- Verify the business is registered with the Secretary of State
- Confirm they will pull their own permits. It’s a sign they will follow local regulations and are qualified to do the work.
As local roofing experts inspect Gipson’s roof, she hopes her neighbors will look for warning signs of a bad contractor and protect themselves if they have damage too.
”Even though I am worried about my roof and I know there’s a time limit, I still need to do my research and I need to be safe. I don’t want to lose money, or have it done wrong,” said Gipson.
Petrali Roofing leaders say at the end of every severe weather season they get calls from people who had a bad experience with a contractor and still need a fix, but don’t have the insurance money to pay for it.
So here are some consumer red flags to look for when approached by a roofing contractor to protect your money…
- If a contractor offers a price without doing an inspection
- If they don’t provide a written estimate
- If they pressure you to sign something like a contract on the spot
- And if the contractor wants money up front and isn’t willing to wait to work with your insurance company
Here are some additional resources to help you avoid dishonest contractors:
https://www.stopfraudcolorado.gov/fraud-center/common-scams/roofing-scams.html
https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/pass-it-on/home-repair-scams
Consumer resources from Petrali Roofing
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