Blogs
The Greensboro tornado left a path of destruction. It’s been a few weeks not. Yet, many Greensboro tornado victims aren’t home yet. According to Spectrum News Charlotte, Xactimate’s data on the area’s potentially outdated. See, the insurance companies use Xactimate to compile estimates. The last survey of that zip code happened two years ago.
Did you know that roofers in Missouri currently have no government entity regulating them? That might soon change though. One of just six states in the U.S. with no licensing requirement for roofing companies, the Missouri House debated creating a voluntary registration system. A bill in the Missouri House hopes to encourage roofing companies carry licenses. The law would make roofing companies prove their qualifications to obtain a license.
Many roofing companies now use aerial photography maps to locate potential clients and give fairly accurate quotes without having to travel to the site. Instant access to aerial photography lets roofers scan residential and commercial properties for prospective work. This helps roofers reach out to customers before those same property owners reach out to another roofing company. Also, when a customer calls to request an estimate, aerial photography helps the roofer secure the contract. Using this technology, roofers measure the roof using technology calculating height, length and width, the quote is available quickly, lowering the risks that the customer will go elsewhere.
The United States’ roofing demands indicate a need for more roofers. Rich Abel, VP and a fourth-generation owner of Banner Supply Co. Inc. in Ohio, told Business Journal Daily that there’s a short supply of these tradesmen.
The Henley Standard reported on a fire in a thatched roof on part of a large timber-framed Victorian property in the United Kingdom. Firefighters pumped water from the River Thames. The fire destroyed the roof and the upper floor of the home. This happened even though thatched roofs must have flame retardant treatments for fire code compliance.
A recent article in The Romsey Advertiser reported on a fire that destroyed the roof of an Ampfield hotel. The blaze at Potters Heron Hotel began on accident when a spark in the chimney ignited the hotel’s thatched roof. Keep in mind, fire codes require flame retardant applications on natural thatched roofs. This should not give building owners with thatched roofs a false sense of security.
Some genuine roofing contractors are warning people to be careful with supposed roofers requiring payments upfront for the costs of products and deposits. First, it’s uncommon for legitimate roofing contractors to lack a line of credit for purchasing supplies. While deposits aren’t entirely uncommon, it’s important to still be very careful when providing a deposit to a any contractor. See, especially in disaster areas following hurricanes or other storms, scammers are out in full force.
News broke recently that a West Miami-Dade couple ended up charged with a felony for operating a roofing business without a license during a state of emergency! People call up a roofing contractor, assuming they are licensed. Yet, clearly that’s not always the case. The couple completed roofing jobs following Hurricane Irma during a state of emergency. Indeed, the couple allegedly operated their business without a state Department of Business and Professional Regulation contractor’s license!
