OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — With the weather as bad as it's been, residents across Omaha are looking to repair their roofs following storm damage.
A common issue is trying to figure out who is a good roofer and who is trying to scam you for their services. Roofing professionals in the area say scammers hurt their business because it makes homeowners doubt their credibility.
"They will come in and do whatever job it takes to get paid, get their insurance money do the job and then leave them high and dry," said Jeanie George, owner of Prime Roofing in Omaha.
With roofing costs at a pretty penny it's no wonder companies and scammers are fighting for the wallets of homeowners.
"Fundamentally roofing can be scammed on because it can be a one-off interaction so when I see my butcher I'll see him every week but a roofer you see them once every ten years so there's no reason to build up repport," said Abe Wagner of Prime Roofing.
According to the Better Business Bureau, it is common for scammers to follow storms and try to solicit work from homeowners with damaged property. They recommend doing three interviews, not paying in advance and doing research on the company. The BBB says another way to spot scammers is if they cold knock on your door and they recommend to ask any contractor who they were refferred by.
"It's not necessarily what the person is wearing or driving either," George said. "You need to do a background check on them if you're going to invite someone from the outside in."
"Word of mouth from people who used it before is the best way to get anything done right," said George Martin, an Omaha homeowner who just hired a roofing contractor.
As well contractors recommend doing your research on a roofer because it's a part of the home that shouldn't be left cheap when decding to renovate.
"Everything that's on the outside of you house isn't there to look pretty, it's to keep the elements outside as the first line of defense," Wagner said. "If water gets in the house you have a mold problem and a interior problem and your roof is the first line of defense to prevent that from happening."
