What is Integrity in Roofing?

The word “Integrity” has a dual meaning when applied to the construction industry:

1. Integrity: A state of being structurally sound and complete: well-built, sturdy, installed correctly.
2. Integrity: A firm adherence to a code of moral values: honesty, honor, decency, goodness, upstanding.

Unfortunately, some roofing companies claim to have integrity, but their actions speak otherwise. There are contractors that will lie, cheat, steal, and do almost anything to maximize profits.

True integrity is doing the right thing when it is difficult, when nobody’s watching, and when some others do not.

To have integrity in the roofing industry, a company must:

• Be Licensed and Insured

An upstanding roofing contractor will be licensed everywhere they do business and will carry liability insurance with at least $1 million per occurrence, and will have workers comp insurance to protect you, your home and their employees. You could be held liable for paying an injured worker’s medical bills if the contractor does not have workers comp insurance. Check out this article regarding the risks of hiring an uninsured contractor.  Don’t assume the contractor is covered with all necessary insurance. Ask for proof and make sure the contractor’s liability policy does not have an “open roof exclusion.” You’d be surprised how many insurance policies won’t protect you if you experience damage from rain, hail, wind, snow or ice during the installation process.
Roofing Force is Licensed in 7 states (KS, MO, IL, OK, AR, NE, & IA) and protects homeowners with $3 million in liability insurance coverage (including umbrella coverage).

• Offer a Variety of Roofing Styles and Materials

Most roofing contractors only install asphalt shingles in a limited number of profiles and colors. In contrast, Roofing Force is an expert installer of all roofing materials including: Asphalt Shingle, Stone Coated Steel, Composite Polymer, and Metal Panel products, etc. Most homeowners are not aware of all the amazing state-of-the-art roofing materials that are available today.
Your Roofing Force specialist will show you several options and solutions that will strengthen and extend the integrity of your home. Then you choose the best option according to your timing, budget, needs and desires. We inform, you decide.

• Employ Trained Roofing and Restoration Experts

Many roofing salespeople are only trained to sell and do not have any real knowledge of roofing materials, ventilation requirements, or installation techniques, etc. This is because many roofing companies have skirted training, taxes and other expenses by misclassifying their sales reps as 1099 independent contractors (rather than W-2 employees). As of March 11, 2024 the Department of Labor is cracking down on the misclassification of independent contractors.
Watch out for sales reps that don’t do a thorough inspection of your roof and other property. Some salespeople are instructed to just do an inspection from inside your attic or take a few pictures of your property without properly inspecting the roof. These scammers will always “find something wrong” with your roof and insist that your roof needs to be replaced. To make matters worse, some salespeople trick homeowners into paying retail for a new roof even if there is storm damage that would have been covered under the customer’s insurance policy.
From the beginning, Roofing Force decided to do what is right by hiring sales reps as W-2 employees. We owe it to our customers to provide them with thoroughly trained and professional roof and storm restoration specialists. If a Roofing Force specialist does an inspection of your property, then they will be honest with you about the condition of your roof and other items. If you need a roof repair rather than a roof replacement, then they will tell you. If they do not find storm damage, then they will tell you. If they find some storm damage but there is a chance that your insurance company will not buy your roof, then they will tell you. If your roof does not have storm damage, but it has aged-out, then they will tell you. Finally, if there is nothing wrong with your roof, then they will tell you. We have no interest in wasting your time, filing unnecessary insurance claims, or selling you an unneeded roof. Most of our business comes from referrals and referrals come from happy customers.

• Take Care of All Storm Related Damage

We’ve all heard about storm chasing roofing contractors that blow-in from out-of-town. These storm chasers only want to make a quick buck by replacing your roof, and they do not care if the rest of your home and property gets fixed. Some storm chasers have been known to collect deductible payments and then never show-up to replace the roof. Other fly-by-night contractors may complete the work but are never around if you have warranty or other problems down the road.
A good and honest roofing contractor will complete a thorough inspection of your property, will be an expert in the insurance claims process, will be an advocate on your behalf to negotiate with your insurance carrier, and will be capable of helping you with all of your storm related damage including: roofing, gutters, downspouts, siding, fascia, garage doors, windows, screens, doors, landscape, exterior fixtures and interior damage.
Roofing Force is a comprehensive storm restoration contractor, and we will ensure that you experience a thorough, efficient, and seamless storm recovery process.

• Never Waive Deductibles

When filing a homeowner’s insurance claim for storm damage, you are required to pay a deductible before the insurance company will cover any other costs (like how you must pay out-of-pocket to meet your health insurance deductible before your health provider contributes to your payments).
Some storm chasers and other unethical contractors will make promises such as: “We will waive your deductible,” “Get a free roof,” or “No out-of-pocket expenses.” Acting on these statements is almost always illegal. The only way a crooked roofer can follow through with these false promises is by billing the insurance company for more than they collect. When this occurs, both the homeowner and the roofing company may be prosecuted and held liable for fraud. Furthermore, if a contractor is willing to defraud your insurance company, then do you really think that they would not cheat you too?
Putting customers at risk for fraud, or swindling customers is something that Roofing Force would never do.

• Not Engage in High-Pressure Sales Tactics

It’s eerie how some roofing and home restoration companies will prey on old or uninformed homeowners via the use of deceptive marketing and sales gimmicks.
Some disingenuous sales reps are trained to wear down homeowners during a multi-hour high-pressure sales presentation and will not leave until the customer signs on the dotted line. These reps will quote prices that are 2-4 times higher than any other contractor and will lie and offer “one-time discounts” only if the customer “signs today.” These fraudsters also use cunning financing illusions that focus on “inexpensive monthly payments” and hide the true cost of the project.
Roofing Force takes a low-pressure approach where we provide you with information regarding various materials and options, and you decide on the best course of action for your unique needs and situation. We always install excellent products at a fair price. Our goal is to provide you the best experience you have ever had with any company.

• Install per Local Code/Ordinances and per Manufacture Specifications

Some unscrupulous roofers take shortcuts and save themselves costs by not building to code or skimping on underlayments or other materials.
Roofing Force meets or exceeds all installation requirements and always builds with integrity.

• Provide a 10 Year Limited Workmanship Warranty and Superior Manufacturer Warranties

A workmanship warranty is different from manufacture warranties. Most manufacturer warranties only cover faulty products and not the labor cost to fix or replace those products if the contractor installed them incorrectly. Thus, a workmanship warranty is provided by the contractor to guarantee the quality of their installation and puts labor expenses on the shoulders of the contractor if materials were installed incorrectly. Note that workmanship warranties are for the installation of new products (e.g. re-roofing of an entire house) and do not include repairs and maintenance. Furthermore, workmanship warranties do not extend beyond the lifetime or terms of manufacturer warranties. Most roofing companies only offer a 1-to-3-year workmanship warranty on roof installations and replacements.
Roofing Force stands by their work with a 10-year limited workmanship guarantee on new and re-roof installations.
Likewise, companies that have shown integrity in customer satisfaction as well as integrity in construction are sometimes allowed to offer better manufacturer warranties to customers. For example, Roofing Force is one of only a handful of Owens Corning “Platinum Preferred Contractors” in the Kansas City market. By being part of the elite 1% of roofers, we are allowed to offer Owens Corning customers with 3 levels of extended coverage warranties (only Platinum Preferred Contractors can offer the highest warranty).

• Rectify Mistakes

No person or company is perfect. However, integrity is owning-up to mistakes and doing whatever is necessary to make things right. Do your homework. Before hiring any contractor, always visit the contractor’s profile on the two most trusted review sites: Google Business Profile and the Better Business Bureau.

Does it cost more to use a roofing contractor that has integrity and will build with integrity? On the surface it may seem cheaper to hire a “Chuck in a truck” because they are not paying for insurance, licenses, and other overhead costs. However, the cheapest choice may not install the correct underlayments, vents, valleys, and other materials. Chances are that a small or unreputable contractor either doesn’t offer a 10-year workmanship warranty or their warranty will be worthless because they won’t be in business in a few years.
In the long-run you could save money by choosing longer lasting, and more energy efficient materials and a quality roofing contractor to install those products.
Don’t be the homeowner that ends up paying more by falling for false advertising, high-pressure sales tactics, or inexperienced contractors.

In summary, Roofing Force always does the right thing. We strive to help customers find the best solutions for their roofing and storm restoration needs. By choosing Roofing Force as your roofer, you can rest assured that your home or business will be protected with the best roofing products and warranties available. You don’t need to take our word for it, check out what our happy customers say for themselves.

Because Roofing Force has offices in Olathe, KS, Joplin, MO, St. Louis, MO, Fort Smith, AR and Mena, AR, we are equipped to help customers throughout much of the Midwest. Visit our Gallery to see examples of various roofing materials, or give us a call at (913) 270-5440 and we will connect you with a Roofing Force professional in your area.