One of my favorite questions that homeowners often ask me is “Do you need a deposit?” We all hate seeing the news story of a contractor taking unfair money off of a homeowner who badly needed repairs or remodeling work and then disappearing. You know the guy: he won’t return phone calls, won’t finish the job, or needs more money to continue the job. Regardless of how many times you have heard about this happening, it’s still taking place.
We have had a few instances in the past three years where homeowners hired someone else to do the roof, gave them money up front, only to have them partially tear off a roof and leave the home and homeowner exposed. Then we came in, postponing scheduled jobs so we could immediately get these roofs installed.
The answer to the million dollar question is: “No, we do not require a deposit.” Unless your job requires something custom (certain types and/or sizes of skylights) or something special (premium designer shingles or copper accessories) that requires an additional order from out of state supply chains, then you should never give a contractor a deposit for work yet to be performed. An established business should not need your money to begin a project.
At Christian Brothers Roofing, we invoice all jobs upon completion. It’s part of our commitment to you.
