Roof scammers are on the rise. Here’s what to look out for.
I was recently told by my insurance company that I had to replace my 16-year-old roof even though there were no issues with it because it was “coming to the end of its life” and needed to be replaced in order to insure it. We’ve had quite a few clients who have run into a similar situation, so we went to our friend Josh Hinkle of We Insure to ask about it.
He told us that there is a huge problem in Seminole, Orange, Lake, and Osceola counties. It’s becoming a “hard market,” where restrictions are becoming stricter and insurance rates are increasing. Much of this is a result of an increase in new roof scams.
“Roofers won’t go door to door.”
New roofs are a fact of life, but here’s what’s happening: Companies are taking advantage of insurance companies to make a quick buck. Here are a few things to look out for:
1. Door-to-door roof salesmen.
2. A roofing company asking for your “assignment of benefits” and nothing else. This sounds great, but the roofing company ends up replacing your roof cheaply and lining their pockets with extra profit from the insurance company.
3. Free roof. There’s no such thing as a “Free roof,” you’ll end up paying for it in insurance.
If you have any questions about your roof, we suggest you go to your local roofer. There are plenty in the area that we recommend if you need one.
If you have any other real estate questions for us, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you.
