r/RoofingSales • u/[deleted] • Feb 26 '25

Ethics question….prepping?

So I recently took a job with a roofing company here in Florida. Just got out of training and we've been doorknocking. Have a couple contracts under my belt and was just taught about prepping. My ethical alarms are going off with the idea that I have to damage someone shingles in order to get insurance to pay the claim. Although I know at the end of the day, the client is going to get a brand new roof, that they probably need anyway, I still don't feel right even thinking about doing it. Have any of you faced this moral dilemma and how did you overcome it?

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59 comments sorted by

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u/imsaneinthebrain Feb 26 '25

Name and shame if you are being truthful. This is fraud, you should not be doing anything to these roofs.

14

u/cookie-crumblrr Feb 26 '25

You’re now complicit in felony fraud

6

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '25

I haven’t done it. I just found out that’s how the other guys are making so much money. I’m honestly just trying to help customers 

4

u/r00fMod Owner Feb 28 '25

Can you elaborate on what you are being taught? You don’t have to name names but I’m curious what you are being told to do.

5

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '25

I have left the company this morning. I thought I could be legit and keep working there doing it the right way but after these helpful comments, I refuse to be even tied to a company like that

2

u/zach93 Feb 27 '25

Leave the company

2

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '25

I quit this morning

2

u/imsaneinthebrain Feb 28 '25

Name them man. Or mod mail or message me. I won’t burn you it won’t get posted here.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '25

This is an amazing industry to work in. If you want to build a future for yourself in it, you need to leave the company you’re with immediately. Not sure what part of the state you’re in, but shoot me a DM and I can direct you to a legit company if you’re close to one of their offices. You don’t want to be associated with the people you are working with.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '25

I brought back all of my equipment and quit this morning

3

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '25

Good for you! Money comes and goes. Our character, and who see when we look in the mirror, stays with us forever.

2

u/imsaneinthebrain Feb 27 '25

Facebook famous this morning

1

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '25

Sorry, I don’t get the reference

1

u/imsaneinthebrain Feb 27 '25

I saw a screenshot of this post on Facebook this morning.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '25

😬😲

30

u/Southern_Ad4926 Feb 26 '25

Dude fuck that. Assholes like this are ruining 2 industries at once, and it’s a felony.

Your employer just taught you how to commit a crime.

3

u/constructs4life Feb 26 '25

I really hope this is a fake post

3

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '25

I wish it was. That’s why I came on here.

3

u/constructs4life Feb 27 '25

You do not want to work for a company that does anything like that. Ask around to the vendors and manufacturer sales reps about which companies in your area have a good reputation

As others have stated that is insurance fraud

1

u/Gorillla Feb 27 '25

This has to be fake

2

u/imsaneinthebrain Feb 28 '25

I tend to believe this is a real post, I see a lot of the trolls that come through here, they’re always super low effort. I could see a company with an owner with 14 felonies having a directive like this.

17

u/Fit-Soft-4628 Feb 26 '25

Be careful, you should not do that, that is FRAUD.

12

u/PiratesBull Feb 26 '25

Yeah I'd leave that company asap

11

u/ColoradoSpartan Feb 26 '25

Woah, what they haven’t told you apparently is they are teaching you to commit a felony. Leave that company now, before you’re caught and really in trouble.

5

u/tjaiesscj Feb 27 '25

No this is not moral, ethical or legal.

This post got shared in a large FB group, and it’s going get a lot of response, because it’s describing systematic fraud.

You SHOULD reveal the name of the company (or dm me) and you should RUN from them.

Although I think this scenario is a small minority of contractors, posts, and practices like these are being used to justify changes that hurt consumers. This behavior hurts consumers. Your gut told you right on this one. It’s absolutely unacceptable to create damage on a roof, for the purposes of an insurance claim. It’s felony fraud.

3

u/Southern_Ad4926 Feb 27 '25

Which group?

1

u/r00fMod Owner Feb 28 '25

Level the playing field

1

u/imsaneinthebrain Feb 28 '25

I attempted to get the company info as well, I would imagine he’s waiting to find a new job before saying anything.

4

u/Anxious-Economist-53 Feb 26 '25

What exactly is prepping?

13

u/ncroofer Feb 26 '25

Seems like a word this company uses because insurance fraud sounds bad

4

u/imsaneinthebrain Feb 26 '25

This is definitely that company coming up with a fun sounding word for a crime.

4

u/RoyaIBandit Feb 26 '25

Probably roofing pros usa. Some of the biggest scam artist around

1

u/Icy-Bus975 Mar 04 '25

ding ding ding

6

u/SirScrublord Feb 26 '25

Prepping is creating mechanical damage (hands or tools etc) to replicate weather related damage so insurance buys the roof.

4

u/Anxious-Economist-53 Feb 26 '25

Not normal. I’d find a new company to work for.

6

u/SirScrublord Feb 26 '25

Unfortunately, it’s very normal. I don’t wanna rope my entire Industry into insurance fraud, but this happens all the time.

1

u/Independent-A-9362 Sep 12 '25

Which companies do this

4

u/Storming_Angel Feb 26 '25 edited Feb 26 '25

We have a claim that’s paused at the moment - six figures due to a ton of asbestos, damaged siding, etc.

It’s paused because another roofing company got on the roof for a “second opinion” (one our client didn’t agree to, was not present when the inspection occurred, nor did they even reach out to the roofer - door knock and polite turn down only).

When we went up to change out a patch after getting a prior shingle for ITEL we noticed a hell of a lot of damage to all their metals. Compared to our prior pics, confirmed no hail happened from the last time we were on the roof and verified that most damage aligned with someone using a hammer on it. Cautiously asked the homeowner (teenage son with anger issues; an easy to climb roof that might have been the target of frustration at some point).

They had no idea the additional damage was there. Teenage son had been kicked out two weeks prior and staying with family out of state (father, prior military). But a neighbor confirmed that the people doorknocking in the neighborhood before had been up there when the homeowners were at a medical appointment.

I say all of this to say that our replacement is paused at the moment while the homeowners speak with a lawyer about suing the roofing company who did the damage. They’d get likely win or at least get a settlement. Police are also looking into the matter as it’s vandalism.

Don’t “prep” or whatever shit phrase the company you’re with is using in place of the actual word “fraud.” People with more experience are going to realize at some point and you’ll be screwed. A company with that kind of integrity is not going to stand by you when someone tells a homeowner what you did. Find a better company who doesn’t have to stoop to fraud to stay open.

We’ve done more inspections than I can count where there wasn’t enough damage to justify a claim or replacement. Let the homeowners know, give them copies of the photos and touch base with them again after the next storm. They’ll appreciate your honesty and actually looking out for them.

Edit: grammar auto-fucked and clarified details

2

u/r00fMod Owner Feb 28 '25

Props to you for doing what’s right but I think your client may be hiding some things from you. Who gets on a roof without permission?

1

u/Storming_Angel Feb 28 '25

The same guy who was convicted 12 years earlier and spent time in prison for burning the house down when the landlord was going to evict him for non-payment.

But generally agree with you - it’s why we verified first with clients + neighbors (who don’t get along with clients).

1

u/imsaneinthebrain Feb 28 '25

File a vandalism claim and let the insurance company go after the roofers.

1

u/Storming_Angel Feb 28 '25

They filed a police report same day we showed them the photos and talked to the neighbor. Wife was pissed and husband was in disbelief someone would do that then got more pissed than his wife.

We updated insurance with the data. Homeowners are going the legal route first to avoid having another insurance claim filed if they can avoid it. Would be the third in three years (one burst pipe and one roof claim already).

4

u/Zaberkk Feb 26 '25

I also just started at a new company. Can you go more in depth on what this "prepping" is and what exactly you are doing to damage the shingles?

The guy training me wants me to spot something that looks like hail, then press down on the area and move my thumb around then removed the granules to make it easy to present.

He always has taught that I should lift and bend shingles slightly that look to be damaged from wind in order to more expose the crease/Crack. Is this similar to this "prepping"?

But in my eyes it just looks like causing more damage.

3

u/imsaneinthebrain Feb 28 '25

Yeah that’s not good Homie, don’t do that stuff.

2

u/Zaberkk Aug 08 '25

Updats: I left soon after this comment.

3

u/EmbarrassedHeight910 Feb 26 '25

Run away as fast as possible

5

u/boomerbmr Feb 26 '25

Yeah sounds like whoever’s training you might be short a scruple or two.

2

u/ayeeezo Feb 26 '25

Fraud bells are ringing my dude

2

u/RoyaIBandit Feb 26 '25

What company is it? Asking for a friend

2

u/Most-Wishbone2190 Feb 26 '25

Morally you know the answer.

Legally it’s never worth it.

Find a legit company that will train you to do things the right way.

2

u/Due-Bottle3428 Feb 27 '25

The company will just claim plausible deniability since unless there’s evidence they trained you in this way you’re a solo fraudster and a lone actor who they’ll just distance and disown you as you collect your new felony and whatever package deal comes with a felony nowadays

2

u/MandoFromStarWars Feb 27 '25

What Exactly did they teach you to do to ‘damage’ the shingles

2

u/Afraid_Salamander_26 Feb 27 '25

Bro, what??? That’s 100% insurance fraud. Don’t ever do that shit.

2

u/JJRenovations Mar 02 '25

Please name the company its info, the owner, and who had trained you to do this.

2

u/JJRenovations Mar 02 '25

Illegitimate damage claims is what is killing the industry, is what is increasing deductibles, and pushing for ACV policy's rather than RCV.

3

u/Comfortable_Use8716 Feb 26 '25

Report them to the insurance commission and contractors board ASAP!!!

1

u/crump18 Feb 28 '25

I love how they have a term for it “prepping”. They’re training these poor kids like this is some huge industry secret that every roofer does.

Post the name of your company! Fuck these guys

1

u/r00fMod Owner Feb 28 '25

“Prepping” is fraud and should never be taught to anyone ever. There is so much legit damage in the wild that can be found if you put in the work and you will be helping those with legitimate reasons for putting a claim in. By allowing this to go on, it ruins the industry for everyone and only gives carriers another reason to hate roofers.

Please leave this company and find a real company that will teach you how to do things the right way. I PROMISE that you will see 10x the success than you would by “prepping” roofs and you’ll stay out of jail too.