Did you just get a new roof or got one in the last few years? Have their been constant problems with the roof since it was installed?
Getting a new roof is a large investment that most homeowners don't plan for. So, I fully understand how frustrating paying all that money for a bad roofing job is.
Unfortunately, there are too many cases where mistakes are made, corners are cut, or lazy workmanship. When it happens, it makes sense that you want the problem rectified as soon as possible.
So, that begs the question, what recourse do you actually have for a bad roofing job?
For over 35 years, Bill Ragan Roofing has educated homeowners on the good, bad, and ugly of the roofing industry. That's why I'll help you understand your options if your roof was poorly installed.
By the end of this article, you'll learn:
The very first thing you should if you suspect a bad roofing job is to go right to the source, the roofing contractor and their workmanship warranty. After all, the workmanship warranty is in place to protect you in the event of a bad roofing job or installation errors.
If your roof is under warranty, the roofing contractor should take care of any leaks caused by improper roof installation at no expense to you. However, the number of years varies by roofer.
So, if the warranty has expired, you’ll have to pay out of pocket to repair a roof leak. Unfortunately, there are plenty of situations where bad roofers won't honor their warranty or will flat out ignore phone calls.
If that happens, you'll have to escalate the situation.
So, let's say your roof is under warranty but you can't get the roofing contractor to honor it. Firstly, get your contract and make sure the warranty information is writing.
After ensuring it's still covered, you have a few options to try to get the roofer to fix the bad roofing job. The three options are in escalating order, meaning the further you go, the more serious it gets.
Let's look at the following options if your roof won't take care of a bad roofing job:
The Better Business Bureau helps homeowners settle disputes related to sales, contracts, customer service, warranties, billings, and refunds against roofing companies and other businesses. So, your first and least effective option, is to file a complaint against the roofer with the BBB.
To file a complaint, all you have to do is go to their complaint page, find the business, and answer some questions. However, what really happens when filing a claim is that the Better Business Bureau acts as a mediator between the roofing contractor and the homeowner.
If the business answers and has a resolution that your happy with, then mission accomplished. Keep in mind there’s a chance the business won’t respond at all, or they respond but don’t make good on the resolution.
However, the Better Business Bureau is a third party that comes in to mediate a situation. Ultimately, it has no power to force a business to do anything or offer any legally binding.
While every state has their own requirements, a reputable roofing contractor should be licensed, bonded, and insured. As long as the roofing contractor is licensed, you can file a complaint with your state’s Board for Licensing Contractors.
Once this happens and the problem is found to be truly caused by bad workmanship, their surety bond is activated. A surety bond ensures the roofing contractor does the work, stands behind it, and does everything they said they would.
So, after filing a complaint with your state’s licensing board, the bond company takes care of your problem and then goes after the contractor if they won't remedy the problems. Luckily, even if the roofing company is no longer in business, they’ll still take care of your problem and eat the cost.
However, surety bonds have a set amount, so they’ll only pay up to what the roofing company’s surety bond limit was at the time of installation.
If the roofing contractor won’t honor their promises and everything else fails, the last option is going the civil litigation route.
This should absolutely be used as a last resort, and as a roofing company owner I'm obviously not the best resource for any legal advice. So, I’m not recommending any legal action, providing legal advice, or even telling you it's the best thing for you to do.
However, roofers don’t have a great reputation, and it can be hard for them to win in court if you actually have a case. The problem is that you’ll have to hire an attorney, pay legal fees, court costs, and everything else that comes with a civil lawsuit.
Plus, there’s still a possibility the judge could side with the roofing company. So, civil litigation should be an absolute last resort after getting advice from a reputable attorney.
After reading this article, you know what recourse you have for a bad roofing job. Remember, that every situation is different and utilizing the workmanship warranty should always be the first step.
And if that fails, you know the options, with civil litigation should be the absolute last resort. However, a roofing contractor’s workmanship warranty should cover any problems you have if you hired a reputable company.
That being said, you must be 100% sure you have a bad roofing job before escalating any further. So, you should look for the the signs of a bad roofing job.
Some signs, like roof leaks, are pretty obvious, but some can be tricky to spot. That’s why I wrote another article breaking down the signs of a bad roofing job.
Check out the What are the Signs of a Bad Roofing Job to learn how to spot mistakes or cut corners made during your roof’s installation.