The vast majority of roofing contractors work hard to satisfy their customers. Unfortunately, a handful of fly-by-night operations do shoddy work or deliberately attempt to rip off homeowners. One New Hampshire roof contractor was recently convicted of taking a deposit without performing any work. An unlicensed roofing contractor in Maryland has been accused of using customers' deposits to refund payments from other projects. Use these three tips to avoid becoming a victim:

Find your roofing contractor in an online directory.
Professional roof contractors understand the need to market and promote their businesses. Therefore, in addition to the Yellow Pages, look for contractors with online directory listings or company Web sites. Scam artists rarely bother to advertise, nor do they understand the importance of maintaining an online presence for customers.

Ask your roof contractor for references.
An experienced roofing contractor should be able to provide, with little notice, two or three names of satisfied local customers. If your roofer can't think of any successful projects off the top of his or her head, it's an indication that you may want to look elsewhere.

Get an estimate, in writing, from your roofing contractor.
Attorneys General from most states warn that most roofing rip-offs happen when customers fail to get the terms of a deal in writing. A professional roofing contractor should have no trouble providing you with a clear estimate that outlines the work to be done, the price to be paid, and the deadline for project completion. If your estimate doesn't arrive on company letterhead that includes an address and a phone number, take your business elsewhere.

Sources
WBOC-TV
WCAX-TV