We’ve all heard tales of cowboy roofers, whether it’s leaving work unfinished or just charging over the odds for ‘unexpected costs’. That said, nobody expects to fall victim to a cowboy when they need repairs on their own property.
Unfortunately, cowboy roofers do still operate and continue to con innocent homeowners out of their hard-earned money for sub-par work. The good news? There are ways to spot them and steer clear before they get a chance to work on your property. Read on as we look at 4 tell-tale signs of cowboy roofers.
1. Plain vans
It sounds cosmetic, but a good roofing contractor will care about how their business looks. This extends to their vans, which will have a company name, branding and even contact information.
In contrast, cowboys are known for operating under several names, whether that’s a different business name or even giving out fake details. With that in mind, they will use a plain, unbranded van, so they can continually up sticks and con more people for poor repairs. If the van is branded be wary of mobile numbers only as they cannot be traced when the job goes wrong.
2. Personal appearance
It’s not just the appearance of their fleet which shows a contractor’s worth. You should also consider the appearance of the contractor and their workers. Quite often, they’ll turn up for jobs wearing denim jeans and trainers, not to mention the smell of cigarettes and alcohol, showing just how unprepared and unprofessional they really are.
On the other hand, trustworthy contractors know the appearance of having the right equipment and wearing the right clothes. They will wear proper work trousers and boots, which typically reflects in the end result – a roof you can rely on, rather than one that needs even more work.
3. A lack of knowledge
As with any contract work, it’s best to get a thorough inspection and quote before proceeding. When doing so, be sure to ask plenty of questions about materials, aftercare and what caused the problem. With a cowboy roofer, you’ll probably find that they lack anything other than the basic knowledge. A bit of digging will soon see them stuttering and trying to divert your attention. Get some terms off the internet and challenge them with scenarios and see how they react.
4. No online presence
As well as ‘digging’ in person, it’s worth doing your research online to separate the real contractors from the cowboys. Established contractors will have their own website, an up-to-date page on social media and will typically have some reviews.
If you can’t find any of these, you should definitely think twice about using a contractor. Why don’t they have a website in 2019? Why can’t you find any reviews for them? In most cases, it’s because they go by several names, so they can repeatedly flee the scene.
Don’t chance it
DPR Roofing in Barnsley is an established team of roofing specialists, with over 35 years’ experience in the industry. We don’t use cheap materials or try to patch things up. Instead, we identify the root cause of your roofing problem and provide a strong, long-lasting solution with a comprehensive range of commercial and domestic roofing services.