The key point that I want to emphasize in this article is to HIRE LOCAL ROOFING CONTRACTORS ONLY.
Local roofers were in your area long before the storm, and they will be there to honor their warranty long after the storm has passed. As a hurricane approaches there are thousands of out of area & out of state roofers “storm chaser”, gearing up to flood the area knocking on doors trying to get you to sign away the rights to your insurance claim. They will install as many roofs as possible, as fast as possible. Once the work slows down, they will pick-up and leave the area taking their warranty and customer service along with them. DON’T SIGN ANYTHING UNTIL DOING YOUR DUE DILIGANCE. ONCE YOU SIGN AN ASSIGNMENT OF BENEFITS (AOB), THAT CONTRACTOR HAS ALL THE RIGHTS TO YOU INSURANCE CLAIM AND THERE IS NO WAY OUT.
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE HIRING AN OUT OF AREA ROOFER
Out of state roofing crews are thrown together quickly, and many of them are inexperienced. They don’t know the local building codes, and the inspectors are going to be too busy to provide a thorough inspection to ensure your roof is installed to code. Local roofers on the other hand have crews that install roofs in the area on a regular basis. They know the codes, and they have been working together as a roofing crew for years. They are more experienced than storm chasers, & they more knowledgeable of the local building codes.
THE ROOF WARRANTY
The roof warranty is really going to matter when the quality of the roof installation is questionable.
How easy do you think it will be to get some roofer who is in Texas, Michigan, Tennessee etc. to make a 13 hour drive back down to Florida to honor their warranty?
Local roofers on the other hand are going to install a better quality roofs in accordance with the local building codes, and they are going to be within a 2 hour drive to honor the warranty if there is an issue.
TIPS ON HOW TO IDENTIFY SCAMMERS & STORM CHASERS POSING AS LOCAL ROOFING CONTRACTORS AFTER A HURRICANE
Many of these storm chasers are savvy marketers and salesman who know how to make it appear that they are local roofers. Here are some tips to help you identify storm chasers.
- Roofing License: Verify their roofing license and make sure it has been active and pulling permits in the area prior to the storm.
- Owner of Company: Research who the owner of the company is. Search Sunbiz and find out where the owner lives. Do they live in our area?
- Check ID: Check the sales reps Drivers License to see if it is out of state.
- License Plate: Out of State License Plate Tags
- Area Code: Check the area of their phone number. Both the office and the sales reps.
- Office Location: Ask for a business card, is the office address a PO box or legit office? Visit & verify the office location. Many out of state roofers will just set up a popup satellite office to appear local.
- How Long have they been there
- Research the history of their office location. Is it listed with the DBPR, BBB, GOOGLE, Etc
- LOCAL BBB Accredited: Check the LOCAL BBB to see if they are accredited. For the Tampa Bay Area it is the West Coast of Florida BBB.
- Google Business Listing: Check their Google Business and look for things that look out of place.
- When was the business location created
- Do the reviews look fake. Key indicators of fake reviews
- Head shots
- All the reviews are recent
- All the reviews were left is the same window of time.
- Social Media: Research their social media pages. Scroll back in their history. Do they have post about roofing in our area long before the Hurricane?
Need a reputable local roofing company in west florida?
Code Engineered Systems is a local roofing company that has been roofing the west coast of Florda since 2004. Our service are ranges from Fort Myers all the way up to the Tampa Bay Area. We are family-owned & operated with over 46 years of experience installing all types of roofing systems. We have an A+ rating with the local Better Business Bureau, we are GAF Master Elite Roofers (only 2% of contractors have this designation), and we have authentic organically aquired 5 star reviews. If you need a fast & free roof estimate please give us a call at 813-373-9088 for Tampa, 941-302-0307, or fill out our free estimate form here on our website.
