After a hailstorm, the roofers come out looking for business. You’ll see many knocking on doors and leaving flyers or offering to check the roof for potential damage. But beware—some roofers, whether they’re scammers or simply inexperienced, can cause damage to your roof that your insurance company won’t pay to repair.

The Case of the Fake Pictures

After a recent storm, one of our strategic partners allowed a roofer who knocked on his door to inspect his roof. The roofer came back down and said he found damage and had photos of the bad shingles. Then, he pressured the homeowner to call his insurance company immediately and file a claim.

Our partner refused and called us after the roofer left. We came out to inspect his roof and guess what? We didn’t find any damage. The roofer had tried to scam the homeowner using fake photos.

The Damage Scam

Another scam that dishonest roofers might try is damaging your roof when they go up there. They’ll use hammers or roofing axes to bang and scrape shingles so it looks like it was impacted by hail. Most insurance adjusters, however, can easily spot this. And even though you didn’t know what the roofer was doing, you’ll still be on the hook for repairs because insurance won’t pay.

Inexperienced Feet

Scammers aren’t the only roofers you need to be on guard against. Inexperienced roofers, even with good intentions, can cause damage to your roof by not walking on the shingles properly.

The Lesson

Whether accidental or intentional, insurance companies will not pay to repair a roof damaged in the ways outlined above. Even worse, if you file a claim and your adjuster determines that your roof is not covered, it is still filed as an unpaid claim. In other words, it’s on your file and your rates may go up.

So, the moral of the story is simple: If you don’t know the company that wants to get on your roof, don’t let them up there before thoroughly checking them out. If you can’t establish a level of trust that you feel comfortable with, just say no. Wait until you can find a roofer that you trust.