MISTAKE #9: Giving The Roofer Money Up-Front
Even though this is number nine on our list, it is by far the worst mistake someone could make! This is the most common way people get scammed by roofers. What happens is a roofer will tell homeowners that before he can put their roof on the production schedule, they need to give him a deposit payment up-front. This whole practice is actually governed by Colorado law, SB-38 which states that a roofing contractor is not allowed to collect a deposit unless either: 1) the roofing materials have been delivered to the property, or 2) he will hold the deposit money in trust until the materials are delivered to the property.
If you give any deposit money to a roofer before you have materials for the job, and that roofer disappears or just refuses to do the work, you have lost all that money. If it’s insurance proceeds, your insurance company will not reimburse you. If you take him to court and the judge rules in your favor, if the roofer simply chooses to ignore the ruling, there’s nothing the courts can do about it.
What Should You Do?
If a roofer is telling you that you have to give him any money up-front, for whatever reason, cancel your contract with him and find a different roofer. If he threatens to sue you, call his bluff. He knows he’s violating the law, so he’s certainly not going to take you to court. If you’ve encountered a roofer who’s canvassing your neighborhood and is asking people for deposit money up-front, warn all your neighbors about his illegal practice.