Austin/Round Rock Hail Storm and Out of Town Roofers!!!

I am a local roofing, window and siding company and I have seen more and more fly by night roofers come into Austin and Round Rock this year than I ever have in my life. I am a proud Austinite and an even prouder TEXAN! It really bothers me when these out of state out of town roofing companies come into town when there is a storm. They blow through a hundred or so roofs, rip the last 50 off and blow back out of town. They are the guys giving Roofing companies a bad name while honest local companies suffer due to their poor business practices. We get calls every day...."my roofer took a deposit and I haven't seen him since." or They started my roof and didn't finish...etc. We get stuck with the cleanup from these out of towners or "I hired a Dallas company and they wont come back down to finish my roof. I hate that this happens.

The other issue is Local companies that are all of the sudden ROOFING EXPERTS! There is a flooring company here in Round Rock that has now become a roofing contractor. They were doing flooring in Feb of 09 and after the storm in March 09 slapped roofing magnets on their truck, go to Home Depot and pick up som labor and claimed to be a roofing company with 20 years under their belt. That boggles my mind. How can you provide a quality product, experience and service when you know NOTHING about the products your selling, other than whats written on a brochure!!!!

I guess I'm old school. I put in my time as a roofer. I banged on shingles for 10 years before I took off the belt, learned sales, then management and eventually opened my own company. I bled for my experience, literally bled, I have been on a roof in the middle of August sweating in 100 degree heat. I know what my crews go through and can solve any problem that can arise on a roof project. I have either done it, fixed it or managed people that could for over 20 years. I was holding a hammer at 15 and even as a business owner still put that belt on occasionally. There isn't a job we take on that I cant do myself and wouldn't ask my employees to do it if I couldn't. They are the heart and soul of my company. I live for Heritage Home Services and it lives because of me. I guess that's why I get so offended when these guys blow into town making my trade look like a bunch of con artists.

That's my 2 cents.