By Randy Hutchinson
President of the BBB of the Mid-South
Reprinted from the Daily Memphian
Unless it’s an emergency, most experts say spring and fall are the optimal times of the year weather-wise to replace a roof.
But regardless of the time of year, don’t fail to do your homework before choosing a roofer.
Consumers pull more Better Business Bureau reports on roofers than other kinds of businesses. Some who don’t later wish they had.
A consumer filed a complaint about a Memphis-area roofer saying, “We put down a $2000 deposit upon signing of the contract in February 2024. The work was never started and the owner kept promising to return the deposit. For almost three months, we waited for him to keep his promise. He must be stopped from defrauding other people of their hard-earned money.”
This company was not a BBB Accredited Business and had no rating with us, which in this kind of business is almost as bad as having a poor rating.
The only review on Yelp is from a customer complaining about a roof the company replaced the year before that was already leaking.
It’s not clear how either consumer determined the roofer was reputable.
Businesses should also check out their roofers and other vendors.
A business owner complained a roofer hired to coat the roof of her building “also painted my sign and the front of my building.”
The BBB offers these tips when hiring a roofer:
- Make sure you understand the full scope of the project. What exactly is the roofer going to do? Will they be doing spot repairs or replacing the whole roof? Will they be removing the old roof or covering it with the new roof?
- Ask about cleanup and waste removal. Confirm your contractor will be responsible for taking away all old materials and cleaning up your site after their work is complete.
- Plan for bad weather. What happens if there’s bad weather while your roof project is underway? Ask your roofer what they will do to protect your home in the case of rain or snow.
- Check insurance coverage. Verify the contractor’s insurance coverage for worker’s compensation, property damage and personal liability.
- Hire a contractor you trust. Check BBB.org to see if your roofer is BBB accredited. We’ll have verified they have any necessary licenses.
- Ensure everything is detailed in the proposal and contract. “Fix roof” or “replace roof” leave many opportunities for disagreement later about whether the roofer did the job as agreed.
- Don’t pay the entire amount up front.
The last bit of advice applies to any kind of contractor.
A consumer filed a complaint after paying $100,000 for a major renovation project that was only half completed with the work that was done involving “numerous unprofessional construction flaws,” other contractors he consulted said. It’s not certain the original contractor was even licensed to do a job of that size.