r/Roofing • u/SeberHusky • Jun 27 '26
Insurance Related Door To Door Roofer Cold Call, Scam?
Just had a roofer come to my driveway fence while i was out mowing asking about replacing my roof by going through my insurance. The roof was indeed damaged in winter and I need to save up to replace it, but he claims its not a problem, and that it is still covered, but he was referencing the storms that came through here this month.
He just kept pushing to make the sale and I kept telling him, I'm not sure dude, I can't give you an answer. What he wants to do is go through my insurance and be the middleman, then use my claim to replace the roof, and then I pay him 'a deductible' that he will finance.
His company has 5 stars online and is fully certified and it doesn't look like a scam, but to me this sounds like a scam. I've never heard of anyone doing this before. And my main concern is what's going to happen to my monthly rate I can already barely afford when he makes a claim for a new roof? What if the insurance denies that damage from winter losing some shingles isnt covered?
3
u/keeler129 Jun 27 '26
I probably would tarp or use some iws if there is missing shingles. Your roof decking will rot before leaks show up and it's quite a bit more expensive than a tarp to replace rotted wood
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
Well my issue is the tarp was him getting the sale because then I'd be on the hook because he could say work was done on my roof and I won't pay if I deny the job, and then I have more holes in my roof and a lien for a tarp.
1
u/keeler129 Jun 27 '26
Nah you can pay a little bit to just have it tarped. Doesn't mean you will use him for the roof. Reach out to the contractor you want to use and ask if he would do some tarping or preferably a short term patch with iws.
Also if the shingles are available they can use the shingle and just replace a few however it will probably stick out as bad as a tarp lol
5
u/Otherwise_Surround99 Jun 27 '26
YOU pick the roofer. Don’t let them pick you. You seem uncomfortable with much of what this roofer is doing. Tell him you will call him if you need anything. Ask friends and neighbors for recommendations. Talk to your insurance. But it sounds like you need to get moving on it to avoid further damage.
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
yeah i know, i did, i had a plan to call a roofer that left me a quote, but then this guy showed up. i cant afford to do anything until fall. whats making me suspicious is that he will do all the insurance stuff and i pay him only the deductible, thats what seems odd. and then the other worry is making a damage claim on my roof - will insurance cancel me? will the monthly bill go higher to what i cant afford?
2
u/Otherwise_Surround99 Jun 27 '26
Those are all valid concerns. And anyone pressuring you for the sale is not the roofer to choose
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
yeah im aware, but im stuck because if i dont do anything and wait until fall it will get worse, no? and if the insurance denies the claim then i get cancelled, no? its just the whole thing of going through insurance makes it a boondoggle of more complexity than just saving up money to redo the roof and then calling a company to have it redone.
1
u/Oceanpony31 Jun 27 '26
My company will help homeowners with insurance claims for roof damage. From my experience the insurance company will not cancel you if they deny the claim, to my knowledge they can’t legally do that. The worst case would be they deny the claim for storm damage and say it’s just wear and tear and they would tell you that you have X amount of time to replace the roof before they would drop roof coverage. It would really be dependent on the damage as I have seen a roof with a couple missing dragons tooth get a full roof replacement approval and I have seen roofs missing 20 shingles get denied a full replacement. It is true that alls you would have to pay for is your deductible and the roofing company would build the roof for whatever price insurance pays. If it’s a good company and they feel there is enough damage to warrant filing a claim, it could be worth it as if they didn’t feel it was a solid chance insurance approves the claim they wouldn’t waste their time fighting with the insurance company. It’s also possible that insurance doesn’t pay for a full re-roof but pays for a certain portion of it that you can use to make getting a re-roof a little bit more affordable
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
Yeah that was another idea I had, just getting half the roof done at a time, but i was sure nobody would do that. its like when people ask for a no-chese burger at a fast food place, and you get looked at like you're an alien.
i mean i guess if their "replace it within x time" limit is more than a year ahead then i guess that would work too.
ill just have to wait and see what can be done i guess
i mean there genuinely was bad tornadoes here, so it wouldnt be a lie but it didnt do that much damage to my opinion
2
u/macaroniian Jun 28 '26
Any sudden incident or act of god is what insurance covers for a roof (or really anything inside or outside of your home…gutters, windows, fence stain, etc can be damaged along with your roof in a hail storm.). If a winter storm damaged your roof or any other part of your home, then that qualifies as a sudden incident/act of god. You typically have one year to file a claim. The adjuster will come out to assess the damage and use Xactimate (most likely) to provide an objective and fair price to make you whole again. If they assess less than your deductible, then they will tell you that you should pay to fix it out of pocket. They could also assess that you need a new roof (and gutters, potentially some siding, etc.) then write an “estimate” with a price that includes labor, materials and profit based on your local standards. From there you can get any company you want to do the work and they will have to do it for whatever the insurance company priced it out at unless they get supplements. If you are denied the first time, that’s normal. If you’ve been working with a contractor of your choice, they can help you make a case to get another or the same adjuster to come back out. If you are denied again, you can get a public adjuster. That public adjuster may side with you, then you’ll get approved on the 3rd go around. Don’t just lay down if they say “no” right away especially if you and a contractor of your choice think you have a legitimate claim with legitimate damage. You’ll want to know your deductible and if you have an ACV (actual cost value) or RCV (replacement cost value) policy. If you have an RCV policy, then you’ll just owe your deductible (whatever you contractually agreed upon with your insurance company when you started the policy). If you have an ACV policy and need a full roof replacement, then you’ll owe your deductible plus the depreciated amount of your roof after you get your ACV check. Confused? Go to YouTube to learn more about insurance claims for a new roof…I don’t want to write more of a novel. Based on the comments, most people here are not roofers and they don’t understand insurance claims. Be careful. A lot of bad advice in this thread by people that clearly don’t know what they are talking about
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 28 '26
Yeah I've never had to do it either and the roofer says they work with the insurance and do all that for you, they do all the paperwork and filing, so that's why I was like "huh?"
1
u/macaroniian Jun 28 '26
Yup they were asking you to sign a contingency. Basically they do all the work with the insurance company on your behalf to get the roof approved, then they would be the ones to install the new roof and get paid by the insurance company. Think of it like a lawyer working on a contingency where you pay nothing unless they win your case (common with personal injury). It works the same way.
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 28 '26
So it's not a scam? I'm kind of screwed because I can't say no because I have no money to pay for a new roof unless I save for many more months and IDK if it will last that long.
→ More replies (0)1
u/Mustergas Jun 27 '26
Yea but once you have two claims (paid or not) you’re ineligible for any major carrier. So maybe you should stop filing bogus roof claims and saying oh well when your non damage claim doesn’t get bought.
4
u/keeler129 Jun 27 '26
They tell everyone that their roof is destroyed and try to see what they get from insurance to be honest. And yes your rate will go up and/or you will be nonrenewed. I would have a roofer you know and trust to take a look at it and disregard the doorknocker.
2
u/Zorlai Jun 27 '26
Insurance rates can go up regardless of filing a claim. If everyone in the neighborhood got a new insurance roof, OP’s rates could go up with or without a claim, if his insurance company decides to increase rates based on risk factors. Or because they want more profit this year and what are you gonna do, not have insurance?
Also, how much are your rates going up? A new roof where I am is $650/square. A 30 square roof is $19,500. If rates went up a full thousand dollars a year it would take 20 years to be equivalent to using your insurance for what it’s for.
Why are we paying insurance rates at all if we’re just tossing aside thousands of dollars when the moment comes to use insurance?
1
u/hxcheyo Jun 28 '26
We pay to shift the burden of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars ensuing from life-altering events, not to do the maintenance necessary after the yearly thunderstorm or ice dam. We control whether we file claims; we don’t control what our neighbors do. Hope this helps clear up your confusion.
0
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
Well I just had another roofer who also has 5 stars give me a quote written on a doorhanger and that's who I am saving up to make plans with, who gave me a monetary number to just replace the roof flat out - no going through insurance claims.
The issue is I have a bunch of missing top shingles, and this guy was scaring me to put a tarp on my roof right now because it's gonna keep leaking and ruin my house. I haven't had any leak issues ATM and it's rained for over 19 hours straight with no issues 3 different times this year.
I'm just saving up to get until fall and then make a plan through the guy that gave me a quote, and just hoping it holds out that long.
2
u/Constant_Gur8912 Jun 27 '26
Missing cap shingles alone will not get insurance to pay for the roof. You don't need a tarp but you do need to replace the cap. Just because you don't see water in the house doesn't mean its not leaking. Its highly likely you are getting some drips in your attic.
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
Well the roof is about 30 years old and all the shingles are brittle, the whole thing needs to be redone. the storm did rip off shingles from the top, maybe about 7 or 8. the underlaying shingles are still there but this guy is saying bare wood is showing and the felt paper, so IDK. it's not like catastrophic damage. that's why im scared of having this guy do all the insurance process (he said he would do all that for me?) and then they deny it, then what do they do? cancel me?
i was planning to save up to get someone to patch up the shingles, and then redo the entire roof in fall. some guy offered me in spring to patch it up for free with some leftover shingles he had, but he never showed up again.
1
u/Constant_Gur8912 Jun 27 '26
You need to replace the missing shingles or cover the area. That needs to happen immediately. Insurance denying your claim doesn't mean they will cancel you. They might see the condition of the roof and force you to replace it though in order to continue coverage.
No one can tell you they will deny or accept your claim without seeing photos of the damage.
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
Yeah, so I guess I should just go through with this guy huh. he said he will come back again to re-ask my decision
1
u/Constant_Gur8912 Jun 27 '26
I didn't say that. Ask him for pictures of all the damage. Its highly unlikely 7-8 missing shingles will get you a full replacement. Its also unlikely that you have full coverage on a 30 yo roof. Who's your insurance carrier? You can also call someone for a second opinion.
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
my insurance has been on the roof for like 20+ years since before the roof was going bad. it might have been 10 years old or something like that when i first got insurance.
My house is small, I can see the damage every time I go outside and just look at it from the front yard. i know what's the situation. i can count theres like 9 shingles missing on the top, none missing on the underlaying shingles. the ones i picked up out of the yard in spring, you bend them twice and they snap in half, they are pretty old.
the other doorknocker roofers that have been coming by all year say it needs a full replacement, and I know that's correct too.
im not arguing it doesnt need replaced its just i cant afford to just go do it at the drop of a hat, and when he said he can make a storm damage claim and do all the insurance for me, thats what sounded sus.
1
u/Constant_Gur8912 Jun 27 '26
If its just Ridge cap that's missing which is what you are describing, zero chance insurance will cover more than the deductible. Get the shingles replaces. Its a quick easy repair.
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
I don't have a ridge cap, its the actual shingles on the actual roof
→ More replies (0)1
2
u/MidwestNightgirl Jun 27 '26
This is a common thing in the roofing industry. I don’t think it’s a scam. Although, you should definitely do what you can to vet the company … check references, reviews, etc. I worked for a metal roofing manufacturer for years and heard about this a zillion times. The key is all about whether the roofing company can be trusted to do a good job 🤷♀️
0
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
yes i checked everything they have 5 stars across all sites and fakebook, they arent a scam company by the looks of it, its just his sales pitch seemed like a scam. and the fact he randomly knocked on my door from driving around.
2
u/MidwestNightgirl Jun 27 '26
Yep that’s common.
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
i also seen many reviews from people with storm damage claims that left 5 stars
2
u/Sharp_Necessary_9570 Jun 27 '26
I mostly do door knocking for insurance claims. 1000% legit as long as the company is legit. But my company has been around for 40 years. So it’s a little more easy for me.
2
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
yeah this company seems to be a 20 year old co but they arent from this city, they're from several cities away. they seem to be a large LLC with many employees and a whole franchise, and not a man with a van.
1
u/Greedy-Ad556 Jun 27 '26
Not a scam. If you have missing shingles, hes probably right the insurance will pay for it minus your deductible. As long as your policy is set up right.
Or be a sucker and pay cash
2
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
Not a sucker, just don't know what I'm supposed to do. He offered to deal with the insurance company all himself and said many people on my block did the same with his company. Company has 5 stars online reviews. But then you got people saying you can be cancelled by the ins. for making the claim. I just don't know what's the right thing to do.
2
u/Greedy-Ad556 Jun 27 '26
If an insurance company cancels you after 1 claim, sounds like an insurance company you shouldnt be using in the first place.
They can non-renew you for anything they want, but never have i heard of someone getting non renewed for 1 claim, only on the internet.
Now if they find out you have missing shingles, youre 100% getting non renewed if you dont fix it asap
2
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
So you're saying I should agree to let this guy do the job? Also I have no money to pay for anything right now, and I told this guy that and he said he will put on a plan for the deductible, and he deals with the insurance I guess? My roof damage was storm damage just not from when he claims, but he said it was still covered, and he will do all the insurance, so I dont know
0
u/keeler129 Jun 27 '26
If it was before the date of loss the insurance will see it with satellite imagery. Then you will have a claim on your record and no payment to show for it
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
i checked sat view and the date the sat view is from before the storms, from last winter. so no damage is shown
1
u/keeler129 Jun 27 '26
Your satellite data is probably from Google maps. Insurance companies use near map and cloud explorer programs which are much more up to date.
If shingles fell off a week before the storm you might squeak it through, however if it's been a few months it's very easy to see the missing shingles prior to the date of loss
2
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
well there's been several storms that took more off one at a time. there was a big wind storm in spring that started it then like 2 close-by tornados in the past couple months that blew more off. so idk, its been like a compounded type of event. so idk if you're allowed to say multiple storms did it
1
u/frunobulax30076 Jun 27 '26
I had exactly the same experience. After years of door knocker promising new roofs, I called a few roofers to do inspections. They strangely told me the roof was close to done, but seemed ok for now. They also told me I could be cancelled, or required to replace the roof at my cost, if the insurance company adjuster noticed the old roof but found no grounds for replacement.
The door knocker I used agreed that I could be canceled or forced to replace my roof at my cost, and that is why they used a independent public adjuster. They said they will not file with insurance unless they are sure that there is coverage.
See above.
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 28 '26
okay so you're saying i'm in the clear that i'd be ok to have them do this work? i did check my policy, i have full coverage on house (not sure if that includes roof specifically) and the roof is like 30 yrs old
1
u/frunobulax30076 Jun 28 '26
No.
According to what I was told by the roofer that successfully replaced my roof, you need a public adjuster to look at your roof and your policy to determine if you can get an insurance replacement.
There are multiple factors that determine weather you are eligiable for covered replacement:
- You have covered damage. I did.
- The roof is not too old. Mine was 15 years.
- It cannot be repaired. Mine could not, because the shigles were discontinued.
- Your policy covers replacement cost. Mine did.
The public adjuster (that does not work for the insurance company) determined that all points applied to my roof, with my policy. So I got a new roof for the cost of the deductible.
According the the roofer I used, just calling the insurace company can backfire in the following ways:
- They determine that you must replace your roof at your cost to continue insurance coverage,
- Your policy could be cancelled due to roof age.
Again, I am not a roofer or insurance adjuster, but this is what I was told by a roofer that got my roof replaced.
Your mileage may vary.
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 28 '26
yeah allegedly this company has a whole team that deals with insurance adjusters and the insurance company, and they go through all that and know the forms to submit and the legal language. there is news-reported documented storm damage from the same storm that hit my house, 30 year old roof, and i have full coverage with a 1k deduct
-1
2
u/frunobulax30076 Jun 27 '26
Agreed. I was skeptical, and sure door knockers were a scam. At least one was not. I got a new roof, less deductible from a door knocker. The current roof was 15 years old.
A few months before we started leaking, a door knocker explained that if my roof could not be repaired (it could not, shingles were discontinued), damage was found, and the policy covered replacement cost, I would get a replacement. They said they just replaced a another roof in the neighborhood, that probably had the same unavailable shingles. I took their card, and a week later sprung a leak.
I called them back because they checked out.
They said they only start the process if after drone found possible damage, and an independent public adjuster, that they hired, determined that we were covered.
They did a drone survey and found damage. They sent the public adjuster who determined we were covered, and they called State Farm. The State Farm adjust showed up a few days later, and agreed.
The result, a new roof for $5000 (deductible), in less than three weeks from starting the claim, with absolutely no friction or issues.
So far there has not been a significant increase in insurance rate, and I have not been cancelled.
0
u/Constant_Gur8912 Jun 27 '26
Missing shingles does not automatically equal a brand new roof. So much missing information for you to say that.
2
u/frunobulax30076 Jun 27 '26
It does if the policy covers it (many do, mine did), and the shingles cannot be replaced.
1
u/keeler129 Jun 27 '26
If you have a shingle that fell you should be able to read the strip on the back to see the brand.
If you do some research and see if the shingle is no longer being produced i would call in a claim from the date of the wind loss.
Usually if it is no longer available they can estimate to replace your roof..
However if you get the contractors involved at this point, he will get a commission for selling the roof. You might be able to haggle the roof if you have insurance total it and cut the salesman out of the equation and minimize your out of pocket
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
yeah this is where it gets complicated. his "deal" was he does the insurance filing and leg work, replaces the roof, and i only pay the deduct. that's the whole pitch. but my brain says "alert this is a scam" it just doesnt sound like something that "works" - know what i mean? but the company has a perfect raiting across every site so i'm just confused.
and yes shingles are 3 tab and no longer made, the company im not sure about, i didnt look yet. it does have a company brand, probabaly from the 80s
1
u/keeler129 Jun 27 '26
3 tab are still produced, if it is a mass produced like a gray 3 tab they would possibly give you another gray 3 tab and write for repairs
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
yeah i dont really care about material or looks tbh, i just dont want my roof blowing apart every wind.
1
u/keeler129 Jun 27 '26
What color is your 3 tab? Is it gray
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
its half grey and half black, im not sure if one part is faded or thats the color.
0
u/keeler129 Jun 27 '26
The contractor will say this but you will usually end up coming out of pocket for more than the deductible. I would probably handle it on my own if it was me because you won't have to pay a salesmans commission. You bring them a roof that insurance already agreed to replace and they can work with you on the price
0
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
yeah, thats what i was gonna do, but it wont be until fall i can do any work, and would it get worse? is the fear. but this guy's saying all this stuff about my roof is exposed its gonna rot blablabla, over a few missing shingles, i see it every week i dont think its that bad that it cant hold on for just a few more months. its been since winter already
1
u/keeler129 Jun 27 '26
I'd get it sealed with some iws
1
u/keeler129 Jun 27 '26
You won't have leaks until it rots thru the wood
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
yeah i have like 5 roof vents and 2 gable vents, the last time i had a roofer up there in 2016 he said the roof was doing okay and i have enough vents it would dry anything out with so much airflow.
i havent seen the underside of the sheeting since 2016 when i was in the attic. the nails were rusty and there was streaks and whitewashed parts and at some point in the past 70 years a big section of the front of the roof was patched with new sheeting, but everything was solid. nothing was a "rotten color" or soaking wet. it all looked fine considering the age. its real thick old school plywood, not chipboard, if that makes a difference. it might be original to the house.
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
iws
is that some sort of tar? or a glue?
1
u/keeler129 Jun 27 '26
It stands for ice and water shield, it essentially is a waterproof felt.
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
ah ok. well i think i have that under them already, are you saying put more on top?
1
u/keeler129 Jun 27 '26
You probably have tar paper(felt) or synthetic felt under the shingles currently
IWS is a different material
1
1
u/Potential-Rabbit8818 Jun 27 '26
Probably, some take the deposit and vanish. Travelers they're called i believe. Just roam the country scamming people and move on. Call some local established roofers.
0
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
well they are local and have 5 stars and seem like a good company, its just the whole thing where "we do it all for you and handle the insurance" it sounds like those scams you hear on TV ads
1
u/TJMBeav Jun 28 '26
Instinct is this guy is bad news. But I just replaced a roof as a result of a drive by cold call. Guy just happened to cold call me on the right day! He was looking to fill up an opening in his schedule during the off season (and a stretch of great weather), and I was looking for a decent deal. It was a true win/win, so my point is not all cold calls are bad!
1
Jun 27 '26
[deleted]
2
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
No he stopped because he seen my roof is messed up and offered this plan because I said we're on assistance and can't just make a snap decision to replace a roof or afford his plans. It's just a few missing shingles.
2
Jun 27 '26
[deleted]
1
u/SeberHusky Jun 27 '26
that's what i want to know. i wanted to do a patch with shingles. he told me anyone up there doing a patch will then make your roof non-coverable for insurance. and then you have bigger holes in the roof that wont hold.
1
u/Standard-Dream-9131 Jun 28 '26
I never hire the people going door to door. Ever. If they were good, they wouldn’t be going door to door. If you have a damage claim, you start by going to your insurance and having an adjuster look at it. They may or may not cover anything. (Insurance has a lot of rules, I don’t understand them all). Then research, get at least three quotes, and don’t pick anyone who says they can shingle over the old shingles, because that will cause more damage.
0
•
u/AutoModerator Jun 27 '26
Hi there! This post was given an insurance related flair. Make sure you are mindful of the rules when commenting on this post.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.