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Top Five Renovation Scams – Learn The Truth About Renovations! Protect Yourself By Knowing These Common Tricks

1) Bait and Switch

Many companies offer a great product at a really cheap price. You don’t always get what you pay for!

One example is a roofer giving you a 25-year shingle when you paid for a 35-year shingle. How would an average person know the difference?

Another would be paying for Hardie Board Siding and getting one of the many knock-offs that a lot of the companies use and call it Hardie.

Have A Reference

When doing a roof we give you what you’re paying for and back it up by putting the batch number on the invoice so you have a valid warranty and you know your roof was not put together with rejects or leftovers from other jobs. We do the same with Hardie Board Siding.

2) Hiding Things

Many companies hide potential problems like rotten wood and damaged trusses when installing eavestroughs, soffits, and fascia. Often a customer will point out a bad board that they want replaced but the installers just cover it up so you can’t see it. The reason the customer is getting the work done in the first place is usually because things are looking a little worn.

Get Pictures Of The Work

We always take pictures before, during, and after so you know what’s promised is done and not just covered up.

3) Staples vs. Screws

Many installers use staples instead of screws on older homes. Staples can be a very effective application on a new house with new wood. However, an older home with worn wood requires screws to ensure the life of the project.

Use Screws

We use screws to ensure the soffits don’t slowly come loose due to wind and other environmental issues. It takes a little longer but if something goes wrong in the future, we simply have to remove a few screws to fix the problem instead of tearing things out.

4) Hiring the Wrong Workers

Many companies hire casual workers from temp agencies and some even pick up workers from shelters. They have no interest in building a long-term relationship with their clients and often their lack of skill and expertise result in a poor installation.

Experienced Teams

We would never send a stranger to your home regardless of how busy we get. Our workers are highly trained professionals who take pride in their work. Sometimes we have persons in training but they never work without strong management leadership that is present at all times.

5) Money: Deposits

Most companies will ask for a deposit before starting work. That’s normal. Warning signs should go up when they ask for most of the money up front, will only accept cash, or will not give you a receipt for your deposit.

Know The Standards

Always make deposits by cheque. Our jobs under $1,000 require no deposit at all. Most reputable companies require very small deposits. They are just looking for a form of commitment before ordering the inventory needed for the job.

On occasion, a large job might require more money as the job progresses but always leave at least 40% for the final payment to protect yourself. It also ensures you won’t be waiting for many months for the job to be completed as some crews tend to move wherever the most money is.

The only exception would be if you were installing a very expensive item like stone on your home. The installing company will need the money to buy half the stone and once that is installed, they will need the money for the other half. This is a rare case where the labour is far less than the materials.

Bonus Tip: Add-ons

The dreaded add-ons. You make a deal and the job gets underway. Everything is going great and suddenly you’re asked for more money for a unforeseen problem that’s been encountered.

Experienced Estimators

Professional estimators know common potential issues are and should tell you what they could encounter before they even start the job… in writing.

You should have a price for those unforeseen issues on your estimate sheet; in the event there is a problem, it has already been discussed. Reputable installers will not nickle and dime you on every little piece of wood or extra flashing that might be needed. They know and expect a few small things will pop up along the way. There should be very few unforeseen issues on your project as it’s the estimator’s job to know what to look for and advise you before starting work. Many companies come in at a very low price, knowing it’s going to be more in the end.

We price out a job and make every effort to stick to that price. On occasion, we encounter bad wood that needs to be replaced. We replace it at a very reasonable price and get the job done. No customer should have something opened up on their home and be held hostage by a contractor for a huge amount of money to finish the job. ‘No surprises’ is our rule. ‘Small surprises’ are the exception!

We Know You Check Prices. So Do We!

There are many roofing, siding, and eavestrough companies in and around the city of Winnipeg.

If you look around, you will see a long list of companies to choose from. We are not afraid to help you get estimates; feel free to look up our competition and see what is out there.

Just remember to give us a call, too. Not only do we give free estimates, but we don’t leave random quotes in your mail box. We do our estimates in person to properly discuss your needs so we can give you an honest and accurate quote, plus give you an opportunity to meet us and ask questions.

You are a smart consumer.

You:

• check the Better Business Bureau,
• get three estimates for all major projects,
• ask for referrals of previous clients,
• prefer face-to-face consultations over quotes left in the mail box, and
• look for companies like Your Exterior Solutions.

Talk To Us Today

• Contact us today to get a free estimate:
  • (204) 295-2886
  • Quality@YourExteriorSolutions.com
• Schedule your appointment today to ensure an early booking.
• Do not wait until it is too late. Waiting can make easy repairs more costly if the damage continues.

Quality You Can Trust

A Winnipeg-based company that is always just a phone call away. Trust Your Exterior Solutions with your maintenance and renovations today.

Your Exterior Solutions has been a BBB Accredited Business since March 17, 2010.

BBB has determined that Your Exterior Solutions meets BBB accreditation standards, which include a commitment to make a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints. BBB Accredited Businesses pay a fee for accreditation review/monitoring and for support of BBB services to the public.