How to Tell if a Roofer Is Lying to You

The red flags, in the order we usually see them

• 1. A price without an inspection. Nobody can price a roof from the driveway. Decking condition, flashing, ventilation, the number of penetrations — all of it changes the number. A drive-by quote is a guess dressed up as a promise.
• 2. No photos. If a roofer says you have hail damage, wind damage or rotten decking, the next words out of his mouth should be "here, look." You cannot see your own roof. That is exactly what makes this trade easy to lie in, and photos are the fix. We photograph every inspection and hand the homeowner the file. Anyone can do this. Ask why they don't.
• 3. Pressure to sign today. "This price is only good right now" is a sales tactic, not a market condition. Shingle prices do not change between Tuesday and Thursday. A real quote holds for weeks.
• 4. The knock on the door after a storm. Some door-knockers are fine local companies working their own neighborhood. Plenty are out-of-town crews who follow hail across Texas, collect deposits, do fast work or none, and are gone before the first leak shows. Ask where the office is. Then check that it exists.
• 5. One big number. A quote that says "Roof replacement: $18,500" and nothing else cannot be compared, checked or challenged. Line items exist so you can see what you are paying for. A roofer who refuses to break the number down is hiding something in it.
• 6. A quote wildly below everyone else's. Materials cost every roofer about the same. A bid thousands under the pack is missing something — usually the underlayment, flashing, disposal or decking allowance you will be charged for later, or the workmanship you will pay for twice.
• 7. Vague answers about who is on the roof. Ask whether the crew works for them regularly and who supervises the job. "We'll send a crew out" is not an answer.

What honest looks like

It is not complicated. An honest roofer inspects first, shows photos of what was found, tells you when a repair will do instead of a replacement, prices in writing with line items, and gives references you can actually call. Then leaves you alone to decide.

That last part matters. We tell homeowners to collect two or three bids. A roofer confident in his number is not afraid of your comparing it.

Three questions that expose most of them

• "Can I see the photos?" No photos, no deal.
• "Can you break this quote into line items?" Watch the reaction.
• "What's your decking price per sheet if you find rot?" An honest roofer has a number ready and puts it in the contract. A bad one says "we'll deal with it if we find it," and then you deal with it.

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Common questions