Roofing scams — seven red flags to spot before you pay

Every year thousands of Australian homeowners pay a roofer who was never going to do the job properly — and most of the time, the scam gave itself away early. This episode lays out the seven red flags that separate a cowboy from a professional: the unannounced door knocker, the big cash deposit, the suspiciously cheap quote, the roofer you can't verify, the reviews that read like ads, the mid-job upsell once they're on the roof, and the deal with no paperwork. Spot these before you sign, and you'll dodge almost every roofing scam going.

In this episode:

• Door knockers offering a 'today only' price are the number one trap — good roofers are booked out, not driving around looking for damage
• A cash deposit of fifty percent or more before a tile is lifted is a classic disappear-with-the-money setup
• A quote thousands cheaper than the rest is cheap because it left something out — scaffolding, old-roof disposal or flashing you'll pay for later
• Always look up their Australian Business Number and licence yourself; the ones who can't be verified are usually the ones with the worst stories
• Ten five-star reviews posted the same week, with no photos, no history and generic praise, are almost always planted
• Beware the mid-job upsell — finding 'much more damage' once the old roof is half off is a pressure tactic, not an accident
• No written quote, no contract, no proof of insurance means nothing to fall back on when it goes wrong

Resources mentioned:

• Licences, insurance and warranties to check before hiring a roofer
• Roof repair costs in Australia: what's reasonable to pay

Full show notes and transcript: australianroofers.com/podcast/how-to-spot-a-roofing-scam

The AustralianRoofers.com Podcast is produced by Australian Roofers — Australia's editorial directory of roofers. More episodes at australianroofers.com/podcast.