Missouri Roofing Company Is Providing Residents With These Timely Tips About "Storm Chasers," Who Arrive From Out Of …

St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) April 07, 2015

While March 2015 was a slow start to the Midwests storm season, experts are suggesting as a tip that residents stay vigilant as the region moves into April.

For this reason, Gundaker Construction and Restoration Group is advising Chesterfield residents to be careful who they trust with their roof repairs during this famously tumultuous period. While it is important to fix any damage a storm might cause, Gundaker Construction and Restoration Group reminds area homeowners that no one wants to be ripped off by storm chasers."

Missouris storm season begins in mid-March and lasts until September. Gundaker Construction and Restoration Group says they are gearing up for a potentially active few months after an equally busy winter. They are taking special care to prepare for this season, as the past few years have been especially harsh.

In April 2012, we had one of the biggest hail storms on record, said Mike Kossman, Gundaker Construction and Restoration Groups Managing Partner. You couldnt go a day without seeing 10 different state license plates in the area -- all storm chasers looking to get quick cash from unsuspecting homeowners.

Storm season in the Midwest can wreak havoc on homes and properties, and there is usually little that can be done to prevent damage. This usually draws people from around the country who see an opportunity to make money from repair services and scams. These storm chasers typically have little knowledge or practical experience when it comes to correcting various types of roof damage, only the sales and marketing skills to encourage homeowners to buy their services.

Weve talked to people who have been ripped off, said Kossman. Weve gotten calls from customers who have had their roof replaced in the past year or so who have had leaks the following year. We even had one homeowner who was told they had damage even though we had just replaced their roof two weeks prior.

While they may claim otherwise, storm chasers are often poorly equipped to handle roof repairs. Gundaker Construction and Restoration Group reports that many will cause damage themselves when they climb on a homeowners roof, or claim there is damage where none exists. Some may even be committing insurance fraud or other crimes: storm chasers have been known to tell customers that their insurance will cover any type of damage after they make the repairs, or state that their repairs are good for 10 years, even though their company has only existed for 6 months. Missouri does have laws in place to protect homeowners from these types of schemes, but if homeowners arent aware of what is occurring, the laws become null and void.

Homeowners also need to be especially careful of some of the companies in their own backyard. These contractors push homeowners to file claims when there is no damage and they say it does not go against their homeowners insurance, which is false, said Kossman. We interviewed a Project Manager from another roofing company, and he said he averages getting 2 claims approved of every 8 filed, we are always at 8 or 9 approved out of 10 filed. If there is not enough damage to warrant a claim, Gundaker Construction and Restoration Group provides the property owner an estimate for repairs.

Theres a lot of mistrust in our industry and in what people in our industry do, Kossman said. Were trying to change that perception by getting the word out there that people need to take extra care to ensure they arent getting swindled.

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Missouri Roofing Company Is Providing Residents With These Timely Tips About "Storm Chasers," Who Arrive From Out Of ...