How to avoid a dodgy roofing company
We see it too often – good people who have been taken advantage of by a dodgy roofing company. It simply shouldn’t happen. Although the QBCC are there to support and protect the consumers, there are too many loopholes, which leave our customers helpless.
The best way to protect yourself from anything is education and understanding. Here, I will break down what you need to do to ensure you do not fall victim to the dodgy roofing companies.
The loophole in roofing companies
Firstly, you need to know a few things. By law, you do not need to be a qualified or licensed roofer to operate in Queensland if the job is under $3,300. This means any man can wake up, decide to be a roofer, slap some signs on a light pole and start providing cheap roof restorations to all of Brisbane.
The roof restoration scam
We have been told that the way these ‘businesses’ operate is that they advertise the cheap roof restoration. They may have signs on poles, trailers on the side of the road of a busy street, knock on doors, etc. They display a mobile number and offer a warranty. When you call the number, you are sent to a voicemail, perhaps to avoid calls they don’t want to take. They offer a quote for a much cheaper roof restoration than standard. It sounds great, they say all the right things,and the sales skills are strong.
The roof restoration is carried out, and you pay cash. Here is the thing, the roof will look great at first, which then sucks a lot of other passers by into this honey trap. Over the next year of two it will become very apparent that corners were cut. The roof will start peeling, the paint lifting from the tiles. You call the number as the roof is under warranty, but the number is now disconnected. You Google the business – it is as if it never existed. You are left looking at an unsightly roof as a result of poor workmanship, not cleaning the roof properly and cheap products.
Sadly, the only way to remove this peeling paint is not cheap. The removal is done with a handheld water blaster and turbo head, painstakingly going over the roof inch by inch. The only alternative is a reroof, which you are looking at a cost of upwards of $30,000 +.
They call these roofers ‘fly-by-night roofers’, or ‘cowboys’. Often travelling town to town, city by city, doing the same thing. Scam, paint, rinse, repeat.
Here is how you can avoid a dodgy roofing company
Now you know how they do business as a dodgy roofing company, let’s cover how to avoid falling into the trap.
Google a great tool, but just because you show up on Google doesn’t mean you are trustworthy. In the same way having a flashy website also doesn’t mean you are trustworthy. You need to dig a little deeper here and look into their reviews on Google, Facebook and Product Review. Just avoid any businesses who advertise illegally on signs, etc.
Years in business
Everyone needs to start somewhere, although it is worth asking how long they have been roofing, if they have done their painting and roof tiling trades, and how long they have been in business.
References
No better than from the horse’s mouth. Ask your friends, neighbours and search on local Facebook community pages for recommended roofing companies. A good tip is to search these community pages for any companies you are considering or make a post asking for honest feedback on others roof restoration experiences.
Licence
Make sure the business you are considering is QBCC licensed in both roof tiling and painting/decorating. You can easily search their QBCC licence and qualifications number here. They also need to have public liability insurance.
Product
The quality of roof paints is not all equal. With a vast range of roof paints from cheap to expensive available on the market. Find out what products they use and check that they are of premium quality.
Formal Quote
They should provide you with a formal quote breaking down the scope of work for your roof restoration. This should be sent from a professional email address.
Branded Business
A professional roofing company will look so. They should be wearing a professionally branded work shirt with their business logo, and have a sign-written vehicle.
Multiple Quotes
Be sure to get a minimum of 3 quotes. Just be sure you are comparing apples with apples in terms of products and workmanship.
Subcontractors
Ask if they do the work themselves, have trained employees (ask how much experience they have and how they were trained) or if they use sub contractors.
Beware of cheap quotes
If you need heart surgery, you are not Google ‘Cheapest Heart Surgeons in Brisbane’. Now, I know a roof restoration is no heart surgery – but you are paying for experience, quality, workmanship, attention to detail, properly trained employees, and quality products. If you cheap on these, you will pay more in the long run. In saying that, we know of some big roofing companies showing new staff (with no roofing experience) how to restore a roof with 2 days of training and then leaving them alone on their own jobs, and they are not cheap. It is important to cover every aspect before deciding on the right company.
Step away from high-pressure sales
A good roofing company will educate you on what work needs to be done to your roof and why. A dodgy roofing company will put the pressure on you, trying to get you to commit on the spot and may even drastically cut the price as a tactic to get you ‘over the line’. Be firm a
In Conculsion,
- Check they are licensed in roof tiling and painting
- Check their reviews
- Know who is doing the actual work on your roof
- Get 3 written quotes
- Ask what products they use
Doing this will better protect you from dodgy roofing companies. A roof restoration is an investment in your home. When done correctly, it will add value and protect your roof for 10+ years. Take your time, do your homework, and do not rush into your choice of roofing companies for your roof restoration.
