Your roof is arguably the most important single component of your home. It keeps the inclement weather out and protects your family and belongings. Even the most basic of shelters is defined as four poles supporting a simple roof.

Given such an important role, it's easy to understand why homeowners have some hesitations when hiring a roofing company in Las Vegas for roof repairs or replacement, especially when there are far too many stories of fraudulent roofing contractors preying on homeowners desperate for quick and inexpensive solutions to their major roofing issues.

You can protect yourself from hiring such scam artists by watching out for these red flags:

• The large down payment. This common roofing scam can occur with any project, whether it's a small repair or a full replacement. In it, the roofing company won't provide you with a detailed written estimate but will require you to pay a full down payment for materials and labor costs. Only, once you hand over the check, the contractor -- and your money -- disappear. The biggest red flag here is that a contractor not equipped with the cash to pay his or her workers should not be trusted on your property. You can also avoid such a disaster by hiring a roofing company in Las Vegas that offers free written estimates and has a physical location.
• The fluctuating bid.  This scam is also known as the "elevator ride" as the contractor begins the sales process by offering the lowest bid in the area, prices then jump as unexpected (and costly) problems invariably arise during the job. Should you delay in paying for these compounding expenses, some unscrupulous contractors will remove their work and threaten to leave you unprotected and in an even bigger money pit. Avoid this disaster by ensuring your roofing company in Las Vegas offers full written estimates and has a history of meeting those initial numbers. 
• The high-pressure sale.  Too many homeowners hesitate to call a roofing company in Las Vegas because they dread having to deal with sales tactics. If you feel like this, then you've been dealing with too many scammers! In these situations, a contractor will either show up unannounced (often following a storm) or to a scheduled consultation and will push a contract on the homeowners so they can trap them into a legally binding contract before they can research other bids. Because roofs will generally only be replaced once or twice in a person's lifetime of living in a house, most people don't have a solid frame of reference for costs and thus are more likely to be persuaded into an unwanted roofing contract. You can avoid such a frustrating experience by doing research before hiring a roofing company in Las Vegas and taking note of what past customers said about the sales experience.

To learn more about what to look for in a roofing contractor, download our free guide on the important "Questions to Ask When Choosing a Roofing Contractor".