John North, BBB president and CEO, said, “The roofing industry has been a problematic industry for your BBB. There are some great roofing contractors that will meet or exceed your expectations. But, the bad guys in this industry make it difficult for the good guys to do business. And, many stormchasers have come to the area to profit from the damage. By doing your homework and selecting your contractor carefully, you can save yourself a lot of time, money and headaches.”
Your Better Business Bureau names 16 area roofing contractors with F ratings. Your BBB assigns letter grades to local businesses ranging from A+ to F. The letter grade system represents your BBB’s degree of confidence businesses are operating in trustworthy manners and will make good faith efforts to resolve customer concerns. Typically, businesses with F ratings have unanswered and/or unresolved complaints or patterns of complaints that reflect failure by the businesses to deal with the causes of customer problems. Your BBB acknowledges it’s not as much about the number of complaints a company has, but how they handle complaints. (The list was accurate as of June 9, 2011.)
* Bob’s Roofing, 10 Woodrow Terrace, Dayton * Brown & Brown Roofing, 367 S. Dixie Dr., Vandalia * Central Roofing, 8 Oslo Ct., Brookville * Dixon Construction, 2032 Wilmington Pk., Dayton * Fix All Builders, 2782 Rushland Dr., Kettering * Fleming’s Roofing & Siding Systems, 12652 Manning Rd., Farmersville * Harm Design Construction, 2800 Graf Mill Rd., Bellbrook * Home Improvement Specialists, 8101 Porthaven Dr., Sidney * Innovative Concepts & Design, 2881 Taos Dr., Miamisburg * Phelps Roofing, Siding & Remodeling, 8875 S. Main St., Germantown * Proline Roofing, 82 Stewart Ln., Germantown * RT Brown Roofing, 1935 E. Third St., Dayton * Specialist Roofing, 4150 Back Ln., Franklin * Templeton Roofing and Remodeling, 2322 Gordon Rd., Cedarville * Walling Enterprises, 2773 Terrace View Cir., Dayton * Wiseman Roofing, P.O. Box 144, Waynesville
John North continues, “There are several steps you should take to select a roofer. Ask friends and family who they’ve hired and were happy with. Your insurance company can likely provide a list of roofers it would recommend. (Check your policy to see if you can pick a contractor not on the list.) But, you should take it one step further and check companies out with your BBB.
Your BBB’s business reviews can share information to help you select the right roofer. For instance, the reviews share companies’ complaint histories, ratings and whether or not companies are BBB Accredited. I’d recommend going with BBB Accredited roofing contractors. Accredited Businesses must have a B rating or higher and respond to complaints filed against them. They strive to do business the right way and agree to adhere to standards of trust, so they can better differentiate themselves in a competitive marketplace.”
When selecting a roofer, your BBB also offers additional advice, such as:
* Request an estimate from two or three companies based on similar specifications.
* Ask the contractors to provide you with a list of references to check.
* Determine whether or not the roofing contractors are insured and bonded.
* Base your final decision on all of the information collected, not just the contractor offering the lowest price. You may get what you pay for as choosing the lowest bid could ensure you get the lowest quality service.
* Discuss payment when selecting a roofer. You should never pay for a roofing job upfront. You can pay a deposit, but the full amount shouldn’t be paid until the job is completed to your satisfaction.
* Ask the contractor to provide a written contract, which details the cost and payment plan, scope of work, project start and completion dates, materials to be used, cancellation policy and warranty information. Review the contract carefully and ask questions about items you don’t understand.