Avoid Hiring the Wrong Roofing Contractor: 5 Hidden Contractor Problems That Could Cost You.

Let’s be real: there are a whole bunch of shady practices we see as roofers that tell us a homeowner got ripped off. Quite often, we hear about them after someone picked a cheap quote and then had massive buyer’s remorse.

1. Permit Panic: Why Are You Doing the Paperwork?

You hire a roofer to make life easier, not to spend hours googling local building codes and
requirements to ensure the project is completed legally and with all necessary permits.
However, many contractors overlook their responsibility. Some even leave it to you without
warning. 

The Results? Delays, fines, or sometimes failed inspections. We’ve seen jobs closed down by the city inspector, which is a nightmare. A reputable roofer should have all the proper licensing, be bonded, and have adequate insurance to pull any applicable permits and walk you through what’s needed, not leave you scrambling.

Lyle’s Pro Tip

“Before you hire anybody, ask them straight: will you be handling the permitting for this project, or is that on me? You want to hear the answer out loud before the work starts, not find out the hard way once the city inspector shows up.”

2. ‘We’ll Let You know’ Isn’t a Start Date.

Ever been told “We’ll fit you in soon”? …then haven’t heard anything for weeks?

Let’s be clear: Weather is a huge problem in roofing, and even the best contractors have to move their schedules to adapt to the changing weather. Shifting timings is not a red flag. We have to do it sometimes, given the weather here in the Michiana area, Indiana. 

But as with any good contractor, we’ll keep our client fully informed. A professional roofing contractor should be able to stay in touch with the homeowner, providing updates periodically as the project progresses toward a set completion date. 

Lack of communication is one of the biggest failings in the roofing industry and is a sign that a business may not be well-run, and that is a red flag. A good process looks like this:

• When you sign the contract, you get an estimated start date.
• At the first of the month, the contractor gets in touch again with a tighter timing.
• As the job draws closer, you get an update at the start of each week so you will know precisely when they will arrive

Lyle’s Pro Tip

“If a contractor can’t give you an estimate of when they’ll show up, what makes you think they’ll finish on time? How they handle the start date tells you a lot about how they’ll run the whole job.”

3. Ghosted by Your Roofer?

Unanswered calls. Ignored texts. Vague Responses.

A roofing contractor should not leave the project, though there can be exceptions around materials which are not available. Poor communication is one of the top complaints homeowners have after hiring a roofer. If you’re chasing updates and left in the dark, the trust is already broken. Great contractors respond promptly, give proactive updates, and have one point of contact you can always reach.

Lyle’s Pro Tip

“Even the great contractors drop the ball once in a while. But if a contractor is consistently slow to respond before a job even starts, that’s likely the theme you’ll get the whole way through, and possibly worse after the project’s done if any warranty issues come up.”

4. Wait, You Don’t Reinstall My Satellite Dish?

It’s a small thing…until it’s not. Satellite dishes always need to come off to reroof and
should be reinstalled in the same spot and realigned. At Better Way Roofing, as with any good contractor, we’ll do our best to realign the dish. However, if any issues arise, we’ll reimburse the alignment fee charged by the satellite provider.

Some contractors overlook this and can leave you scrambling to call and schedule your
service provider while being without service for a few days.

Lyle’s Pro Tip

“Ask up front: do you handle the satellite dish removal and reinstall, or am I going to have a surprise expense here? Better to settle that small thing before the roof comes off than to find out you’re without service for a few days.”

5. Surprise! A Dumpster is Blocking Your Garage

Contractors must remove a significant amount of material when replacing a roof, and therefore, a dumpster is often required. If they don’t communicate this to you and you’re not part of the planning process, this can become a significant problem. We’ve heard about them blocking up driveways, sometimes even with the homeowner’s car still inside the garage.

A much neater solution is if they use something like the Equipter 4000. This not only means far less roofing material ending up in your landscaping ( these rise up to much closer to the roof to catch the debris), but they also save damage to lawns due to being able to be raised over the grass. Once we discovered these incredible pieces of equipment, we’ve never looked back. Not only does it make our work more efficient, but it also makes our clients happier.

Lyle’s Pro Tip

“Ask up front how they deal with the debris. Do they use a dumpster, and if so, how long will it need to sit on your property? You don’t want a dumpster blocking your garage with your car still inside.”

Last updated: September 13, 2026