Who Should I Avoid?

Most homeowners who get burned by a roofing contractor saw a warning sign and talked themselves out of it, usually because of time pressure after a storm or a price that seemed too good to walk away from. The signs below are ordered by seriousness so you know which ones are negotiable and which ones are not.

Tier One: End The Conversation

These three are not judgment calls.

• Any offer involving your deductible. Waiving it, absorbing it, rebating it, or disguising it as a free upgrade is insurance fraud in both Missouri and Kansas, and it implicates you as well as them.
• No workers’ compensation coverage. If an uninsured worker is injured on your roof, you can end up carrying that liability. Verify with the insurer directly, not with a certificate the contractor emails you.
• Refusing to pull a permit, or suggesting you pull it yourself as the homeowner. When you pull the permit, you become the responsible party for code compliance, and the contractor sheds that exposure onto you.

Tier Two: Serious, Verify Before Proceeding

Tier Three: Slow Down, Ask More

None of these are disqualifying by themselves, but two or more together justify choosing someone else: a business entity registered within the last year, out-of-state plates on every vehicle, reviews clustered entirely within the last twelve months, no answer when you ask about work done here three years ago, an unwillingness to put the workmanship warranty terms in writing, or a salesperson who cannot explain how ventilation on your roof will be handled.

Contract Clauses Worth Reading Twice

Before signing anything in this metro, find these specific clauses and read them slowly:

• The contingency or authorization clause. Does signing commit you to this contractor for whatever the insurer approves? Is there a cancellation fee?
• The right-to-cancel window. Know what it is and when it starts.
• The decking clause. What is the per-sheet price for replacement, and how is the quantity determined and documented?
• The change-order clause. Must additional work be approved by you in writing before it is performed and billed?
• The warranty section. Are the workmanship terms actually stated, or merely referenced?

The Cheapest Bid Deserves Its Own Paragraph

A bid meaningfully below the others is not usually a company being generous. It is nearly always a smaller scope. The recurring omissions are decking replacement priced as a later surprise, flashing reused rather than replaced, no ventilation correction, thinner underlayment, and no permit. Before rejecting or accepting it, put it side by side with the highest bid and mark every line one contains that the other does not. That exercise usually explains the entire gap, and it occasionally reveals that the expensive bid is padded rather than thorough — which is worth knowing too.

If You Have Already Been Burned

Document everything in writing, send a dated written demand to the contractor describing the defect and the remedy you want, and keep copies. Complaints can be filed with the Better Business Bureau and with the consumer protection division of the Missouri or Kansas Attorney General’s office depending on where the work was performed. If the work was permitted, your city’s building department may also have an inspection record that supports you.

How To Test Us Against This List

Ask us to pull the permit. Ask for our insurance direct from our carrier. Ask what we do about deductibles. Ask for the decking per-sheet price in writing before work starts. We would rather answer all four than have you skip them with anyone. (816) 872-9500 in Missouri, (913) 281-6000 in Kansas.

Common Questions