got homeowner a check , they get 10 bids!

have been coming here for years , 1st post . today just takes the cake , i dont know if this will help me , but i need to vent ! bad! contingency agreement ? legal/illegal? ethical ? just live with it? all part of it? sick of sorry lying homeowners , wow ! i'm po bad! 21 yrs in business , i'm ready for a change ! chasing , selling , estimating , something has got to give , not to mention economy is horrible in central arkansas. 1 thing after another , oh lets not forget the uh , yea , i need an estimate for a repair! these people dont have a clue ! how about handing a bill for 125 to the big shot doctor who says can you come back friday ? i am not kidding ! the end is near , dont know what im gonna do , but i have just about had it !

Hey SED. Are you still mad or do you feel a little better?

See SED we have all been there and done all of that. You are not crazy and you are not alone. Now go and sign in on the thread that asks your name and where you are from. Many people have and a lot of people have looked at it. (my project!)

happens all the time,have decided will not do the insurance work without a signed contract

sed, almost 20 years in business here, 3 years ago I was in the same situation. I also decided that was enough for me. Now I do only repairs. no more installs. every call I get I tell them there is a minimum charge if I come out to look at the house. some go with it, some don't. Its their choice. I don't advertise, its all word of mouth. each year I get more and more work. But the important thing is, every second I am working, I am getting paid for the work I do.

the othert roofing companies are fighting each other for work while I go in and repair their roofs and get a new customer for the next 15+ years.

In business for 20+ yrs.....it is a rude awakening when suddenly the Kiddie Canvassers and the Lawyers in Blue Jeans convince your market area that your prices are wrong and quality is not even part of a roof.....just part of the sales pitch.

Time to re-group or to get out sed.

One thing I quit doing is telling the truth. If a lie is what the Insurance Company wants to hear, then I shut up. Insurance is prolly going to be 50% or more of the re-roof market. It might be there and still climbing for all I know.

Eventually the Lawyers in Blue Jeans will eat each other alive. Question is: Who will be left to witness it?

Dear SED: Welcome. Let loose, this is a crowd that knows exactly how you feel. Another tip is the post I just did about Qualifying Questions. But we don't have to fix it, we can just listen.

Most of our work is referals and while I do some "pricing", most of it is really negociated. Much fairer for everyone involved. We do not advertize, and I don't look for work. Mostly, it finds me.

I used to feel that way. Then I built a website and right there on the front page, I stated I charge for estimates or proposals. Also that I had a minimum fee. The phone calls slowed, but now, every caller is seriuos about hiring me, not just looking for quotes or estimates. It won't work for everybody, but it does for me. :)