How Do I Avoid Insurance Scams While Repairing Damage on My Roof?

Have you ever worried about being scammed by a roofing contractor after filing an insurance claim? Do you know what steps to take to verify a contractor’s credentials and experience?

Maybe you have had experience in the past with an unreliable contractor, or you’ve heard horror stories from someone you know about being scammed out of insurance coverage by an unreliable contractor.

For over 15 years, we at RoofSmart have helped homeowners navigate roof repairs and insurance claims, protecting them from scams and ensuring their roofs are repaired with the highest quality standards.

Our company is committed to full transparency in every step of the roofing process. We educate customers on what makes a roofing company qualified and why it’s important so that they can assess each company on their own.

In this article, you’ll discover practical ways to avoid roofing scams when repairing damage covered by insurance. We’ll cover the signs of untrustworthy roofing contractors and steps to verify their qualifications and legitimacy as a company.

By the end, you’ll be able to spot potential insurance scams, vet contractors effectively, and understand the role of proper documentation and reviews in selecting the right roofer.

What are the ways I can get scammed after using insurance coverage to repair my roof?

In Seattle, the fall and winter months can sometimes bring in powerful wind storms that rip shingles off the roof and blow branches into your roof, causing damage. They can also cause trees to fall over and damage your roof.

When this happens, you can turn to your homeowner’s insurance to get coverage for roof repairs. But, you should be cautious about which roofer you choose to work on your roof.

If you choose someone unreliable, they might scam you out of your insurance coverage, putting you out thousands of dollars and leaving you with a roof that still needs repairs.

The most common insurance-related scam in the Seattle area is when you hire a roofing contractor to repair your roof and they do not follow through properly. This can happen in two different ways:

1. You pay them but they do not repair your roof
2. You pay them and they do repair the roof, but it is very poorly done.

If you do not work with a reliable and experienced roofing contractor, there is a chance that they might scam you by taking your insurance coverage and disappearing.

To protect yourself, we recommend looking out for signs of scams and learning how to assess if a roofing contractor is experienced and qualified (both topics will be explored in the rest of this article).

We have helped a few different homeowners who were scammed by a different roofing contractor and turned to us for help with repairs afterward. This is not very common because, unfortunately, people who lose their money cannot afford to hire a roofer after losing so much money.

What are the signs that a roofer might be trying to scam me out of insurance money?

Every roofing company has its own process, but no matter who you choose, there are some key things that all roofers should do.

Here are some red flags to watch out for when meeting with roofing contractors:

• They aren’t willing to explain things: If a roofing contractor does not want to answer your questions about your roof, then that is a red flag. They should not be getting defensive or dodging your questions.
• Vague scope of work in the proposal: If you receive a quote or an estimate with a repair cost on it, the roofing contractor should be able to tell you where that number came from. They need to be able to explain to you what is wrong with your roof and how much it will cost to fix it.
  • It is best to get this in writing in the proposal, but at the very least they should be able to answer any questions you may have about costs and scope of work in conversation. If they don’t want to discuss the estimate or proposal with you at all, then that is a big red flag.
• No proposal is provided: If you do not have any sort of official written documentation of your contract with the roofing contractor, that is not a good sign. The roofing contractor should be transparent with you about what they want to do and how much it will cost. Both you and the roofing contractor should have a physical or digital copy of your agreement.
• Reluctance to work with your insurance company: If the roofing contractor does not want to interact with the insurance company at all, then that is a red flag. Even if they are not experienced enough to help you with negotiations, a trustworthy roofing contractor will still do their best to present evidence of damage to the insurance company and anything else they can do to support you.
  • To be clear, not being able to help with negotiations does not mean that the roofing company will scam you. But they should be willing to interact with your insurance company as needed.

• They insist on the full payment or large downpayment upfront: A huge red flag for a roofing contractor is if they insist that you pay them the full amount before they even do any work. Even if they don’t ask for all of the money right away, it can still be a bad sign if the contractor asks for a 50% down payment (or more) right away. Most contractors do ask for a down payment before they begin work, but it shouldn’t be more than around 30% of the total job cost.

How can I prevent losing my insurance money in a roofing scam?

The best way to avoid this type of scam is to make sure that you are hiring from an established company that cares about its reputation and cannot easily vanish with your money.

Remember that your insurance company is paying for the repair, so it is in your best interest to look for a roofing company that does quality work. Don’t only focus on the cost or immediately choose the cheapest roofing company.

This can easily lead to problems and you risk getting a low-quality roof.

Anyone in the State of Washington can get a business license and a general contractor’s license to become a roofer. You just have to complete the steps to register as a general contractor.

Usually, anyone who does this intends to become a legitimate business, but there are some people out there who aren’t reliable.

These licenses alone are not enough to verify that a roofing contractor is legitimate and experienced. To verify their expertise and legitimacy as a company, you’ll want to do extra research on each roofing contractor that you consider.

Look for the following things:

1.) What roofing experience does this contractor have?

When you are researching and meeting with different roofing contractors, treat the process like a job interview.

Don’t be afraid to ask them if they’ve done roof work similar to what you need before. See what examples they provide you during your conversation and look for their portfolio of projects on their website.

These examples will demonstrate the roofing contractor’s expertise and the quality of work that they do.

2.) How many employees do the roofing company have?

The size of the roofing company can also make a big difference. If the company only has a few employees it might be subcontracting out the roofing work to a different roofing company. This can make it difficult to ensure that the roof is up to their standard.

An easy and reliable way to see how many employees a company has is to check the State of Washington Department of Labor and Industries’ Verify tool. This will give an estimate of how many employees the business has.

3.) What do former customers say about their experience with the roofing contractor?

A well-established business that has been around for a while will have plenty of reviews. Looking at reviews on a variety of different sites is a great way to hear from many different people about their experiences with the roofing company.

If it’s a legitimate business that does great quality work, then you’ll hear about it in the reviews. If people have been scammed by this company or they were unhappy with the work done on their roof, that will also appear in the reviews.

As an added bonus, see if anyone mentions getting help with insurance negotiations from their roofing contractor. This will tell you if the company is able to help you or not.

But, all too often we have heard from customers that the roofers who scammed them (whether it was insurance-related or not) were recommended by someone they know. But the problem is that they didn’t do any further research on that person.

Do not rely only on someone’s referral. Do your own research to make sure that the roofing company is legit and experienced. You want someone with a solid track.

A trustworthy roofer will be honest about prices and scope of work, have good reviews, and have plenty of experience roofing. It’s important to look into all of the different criteria.

What Happens If You Get Involved in An Insurance Scam?

If you realize that you are in the middle of an insurance scam, here’s what you can do:

• If you signed a contract but haven’t sent them money: Reach out to the roofing contractor and address your concerns with them. If they get defensive or continue with the red flag behavior listed above, it’s probably time to tell the roofing contractor that you want to cancel the contract.
• If you sent them money and they disappeared: Before you take any legal action, attempt to contact the contractor. Call them or, if possible, stop by their local office. If you cannot contact the contractor and a lot of time has passed, you can take legal action to get your money back. Contact the WA State Attorney General and file a claim. An attorney can attach a lien to the roofing contractor’s bond to get your money back.

Note: If you think that your insurance agency is trying to scam you or is being unlawful, you can file a complaint with the State Insurance Commissioner.

Your Next Steps to Secure a Reliable Roofing Contractor

Avoiding insurance scams while repairing roof damage is all about being proactive and informed. By recognizing red flags, verifying contractor credentials, and using reliable tools and resources, you can safeguard your insurance payout and ensure your roof is repaired to the highest standards.

Remember, your home is one of your most valuable assets, and taking the time to vet contractors thoroughly will save you from costly mistakes.

Not sure how to find a qualified contractor? We can help! Read our article “How Do I Know If A Roofing Contractor is Qualified?” to guide your search for a trustworthy, experienced roofing contractor.