While it can be easy to find contractors or specialist businesses that can handle your home roofing needs, not all of them are going to be trustworthy. Knowing how to spot a potentially risky contractor can be a good way to save yourself a lot of time and money in the future.

Remember: bad contractors are usually in the minority. It is okay to treat each contractor with some suspicion, but do not be hostile unless you notice genuine evidence that something is wrong (for instance, they’re incapable of answering “What are windows in the roof called?”) – you want to keep an eye out for the real problems.

No Product Names

While product names are not always that important in roofing, you often still end up asking where different tiles, shingles, or other materials are coming from. If a contractor refuses to say where they are getting the materials from, then something might be wrong.

If they do not specify, you might be getting discount shingles or even roofing materials from another home that they started work on. If you have a preferred brand, then you want a company that can install them instead of their own preference.

No Reviews

While this one can seem unfair for a brand new business, you want to treat any longer-lasting business with no reviews as suspicious. A roofer who seems experienced but has no reviews may be a shady option who keeps making a new business name every time they receive a single bad review.

Contractors who have a mixture of negative and positive reviews, with responses to the negative ones talking about how they are going to rectify the problem, are a lot more trustworthy. No reviews at all just screams that the business is either a fake or the owner keeps running from criticism.

If they have no online presence at all, then be careful. If this happens, somebody could literally take your money and leave, and there would be no direct trace left behind for you to find. If you did not get their real name and paid in cash, then they are just simply going to be gone for good.

Out-of-State Contractors

Out-of-state contractors can open you up to all sorts of legal troubles if you need to make any kind of dispute. There are some cases where it is an important option, but most home repairs are best done with a local company, even if you live near the border with another state.

For example, if you live in Langhorne, PA, then you want to choose a  company that provides roof repair in Langhorne, PA. This is the quickest and most convenient option, and it can make everything a lot simpler for you and the company you choose.

A lot of companies that act primarily as out-of-state companies also tend to be doing it for specific reasons. There are some legitimate ones, but others are using the protections of a certain state or particular border-related laws to do things that would not be permitted in just one state. It is also much easier for them to simply give up and leave halfway through a project.