Buyer beware! There is a man out there who advertises reasonable rates for roof raking. He charged me $900 to have the snow removed from my roof! I have since found out that the going rate is $500. Don’t get taken to the cleaners like I did. Get a quote for the amount before he does the work.
Dear Mr. Berry: Will you please print this PulseLine entry in the paper so all the Seniors who read your paper will be aware of this situation??? The entry about the individual having snow removed from her roof is not totally accurate. She did not know what the total job would cost. She was quoted 65 cents per sq. foot of roof!!! That sounds cheap enough; but who knows how many square feet a roof actually is. Well. It turned out the bill came to $900 (2,044 sq. yards). Anyone who is raking snow off a roof knows how much a specific house will be without having to measure it. This was truly a scam.
Contractors from Cotton Tree Service rope off a safety zone in the front of the Big Y World Class Market in Southwick as workers clear the snow from the roof of the outdoor walkway Thursday afternoon. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Massachusetts police are warning residents to beware of people charging exorbitant prices for snow removal services. Senior citizens in several communities have been targeted. The Anguses of Bedford paid almost $3,000 to have snow cleared from their roof by two men who knocked on their door. Sara Angus says she and her husband feel like victims and called it an “expensive learning experience.” Similar scams have been reported in other towns.
A contractor used a snowblower to remove snow from the rooftop of the Westfield Police Department Thursday. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Police warn homeowners to beware of people who offer to do work, yet can’t produce a business card, a professional license, and drive an unmarked vehicle. Police also say agree to a price in advance and get it in writing. In the October 12 police log, a resident reported that her friend was charged $900 to have snow removed from her roof, the responding officer reports he spoke with the contractor who said that he charges by the square foot for snow removal and said that the $900 he collected from the resident in question reflected a 10 percent senior discount. He said that he would return to the Putman Drive address and rebate the customer $100. The officer reports he made inquiries and found that the prevailing price to clear an average roof is $500. The officer found that the contractor had quoted his rates before he started work and his clients had agreed to pay them.
