You should never pay for a roofing job up front. If any roofer asks that you pay for the entire project before it is complete, you should consider choosing a different roofing company.
Since many states do not require licensing for roofers, this is a field, where in the past, many con artists have swindled unsuspecting homeowners out of thousands of dollars. Therefore, it is vitally important to ensure that you are contracting with a reputable company before you even begin to think about exchanging money. You should spend several hours interviewing the roofer, calling and verifying references, and double checking the roofer’s insurance policies, policies for the workers who will be on your property, and making certain that the roofer has operated in a professional business manner before the exchange of money is even discussed. If a roofer requests that you pay all of the money up front, this could be a great indicator that you are dealing with a scam artist.
Though you should never pay the roofer the price agreed upon until the job is complete, you may be required to pay a deposit for the job upfront. Some states may regulate how much of the deposit you should pay, however you should never pay more than 73% of the total project cost in a deposit. There should also be a reasonable length of time between the deposit and the beginning and ending of your project as well.
One thing that is very important to note is that many roofers need the deposit to purchase the materials that will be used on the project. It is important that you know who your roofing contractor purchases these materials from and you should verify that the supplier has a good working relationship with the roofing company. In certain situations, homeowners may be held responsible if the contractor fails to pay for the building materials, so make sure that the contractor is paying their bills and that he or she has adequately paid for your building materials. By taking the time to ensure that you are dealing with a reputable and professional company, you can make certain that your project will be completed efficiently and to your satisfaction.
