Please be Thoughtful About Hiring Construction Firms

Last week's heavy rains fed a heavy spring crop of lawn signs; roofing company signs are popping up in about 10% of Keenesburg yards.

From the appearance of those signs in neighbors' yards, and commercial trucks advertising roofing companies from all over the region, it's obvious that many Keenesburg residents suffered storm damage and are making claims with their homeowners insurance to begin roof repairs. That's all well and good but we would like to share some advice from Mark Kinnear at Kinnear insurance. "I am advising policyholders to slow down and select a local company to do repairs. A company that will be here two years from now when there are quality and workmanship issues to address. I don't want my customers to hire disreputable companies and have problems in the future."

That's sage advice from a local business owner who's looking out for his community. Following storms like the one we experienced last week, repair companies swarm like insects into a community. To be fair, many of them are hard-working businesses trying to keep their balance sheets healthy. They have to go where the work is. But to be honest, more of them are predatory. The predators use high pressure sales tactics, promise group discounts if you can get your neighbors to sign up, etc., to get homeowners to act hastily. The quality of their materials and workmanship is often as shifty as their sales tactics. A roof is a big investment — you'll want to make sure you're getting the best quality possible for your dollars. Stop and take pause. There's no hurry. The damage to your roof was not so severe as to create an emergency. Please, for your own safety and protection, practice due diligence. Research the company before you sign their contract. Check references. Check licenses and insurance. Don't be a victim.

If the sales literature has a Colorado phone number, but the work truck has Oklahoma license plates--take the hint. They aren't coming back to patch a leak next year. In fact, you probably won't even be able to find or contact them in six weeks.