Your roof is the most important component protecting your home, its possessions and everyone inside. When your roof leaks or has other issues that will soon lead to leaks, you want to get it repaired or replaced correctly, quickly and at a fair price.  

Most homeowners have little experience working with a roofing contractor, making them susceptible to roofing scams. Fraudulent roofing contractors prey on vulnerable homeowners and have become increasingly bold – and frequent – in North Texas.

The scam we hear about most often in the Dallas/Fort Worth area is a company collecting a deposit for roofing work…and then disappearing. A roofing company asking for money upfront is a big red flag. Some legitimate roofers ask for money upfront, especially if they need to order a high-end or specialty products, so how can you tell the difference between a scammer and a legitimate roofing company?

Do some research BEFORE handing over a check, no matter how nice the salesperson seems to be.

6 research steps we recommend:

1. Google the contractor – their name and their company name
2. Check them out with the BBB
3. If they claim to be a member of the NTRCA or any other association, go to NTRCA.com or other appropriate website and check to see if they really are a member
4. Ask for and call references
5. Ask for their insurance certificate and call their insurance company to verify
6. When comparing bids, compare apples to apples

Legitimate roofing companies WILL:

1. Encourage you to call their credit, customer and supplier references
2. Willingly show you their insurance certificate
3. Be in the business of roofing with a real, local presence
4. Be certified by the manufacturer of the roofing product they’re using

Legitimate roofing companies will NOT:

1. Pressure you to sign a contract or hand over a check to them quickly
2. Hesitate to give you a copy of their insurance certificate or references
3. Be in town just for the opportunities created by storms
4. Use stolen shingles or low quality products

Get more consumer protection tips, a handy list of questions to ask and watch a short video with advice to homeowners at www.NTRCA.com/advice.