I get your point about official complaints sometimes being exaggerated, but I'd still be cautious about relying too heavily on neighbor chats. People can be biased or overly forgiving if they personally liked the contractor. I've had neighbors rave about a landscaper who turned out to be pretty unreliable—nice guy, sure, but constantly late and sloppy with details. I'd say balance neighbor feedback with some online digging and maybe even ask the contractor directly for references. Can't hurt to cover all your bases...
Yeah, I agree with you on this one. Neighbor recommendations can be helpful, but they're definitely not foolproof. I've seen situations where a contractor was highly praised locally just because they were friendly or gave discounts, but their actual work was pretty mediocre. Here's what I'd usually do: first, check online reviews—not just the star ratings, but actually read through the comments to spot patterns (like repeated complaints about delays or poor cleanup). Next, ask the roofer directly about their relationship with this contractor network—are they getting referral bonuses or incentives? That can sometimes skew their recommendation. Finally, if you're still unsure, ask for recent references and actually call them. It's surprising how much you can learn from a quick chat with someone who's recently used their services. Better safe than sorry...
Totally with you on this. I've seen it happen too—my uncle once hired a contractor who was basically the neighborhood favorite because he sponsored local softball teams and gave everyone discounts. Super nice guy, but when it came to the actual roofing job, corners got cut big time. My uncle ended up having leaks within a year and had to pay someone else to fix it properly.
Your tip about checking online reviews closely is spot-on. Sometimes you'll see a contractor with mostly good ratings, but if you dig into the comments, you'll notice subtle red flags like "took longer than expected" or "left nails all over the driveway." Those small things add up and can tell you a lot about their professionalism.
And honestly, calling references sounds awkward at first, but it's worth it. Most folks are surprisingly open and honest about their experiences—good or bad. It's saved me from headaches more than once. Better to spend a little extra time upfront than deal with regrets later...
Had something similar happen on a job last year. The homeowner went with a local guy everyone recommended—super friendly, sponsored school events, the whole deal. But when we started tearing off the old shingles, we found shortcuts everywhere: missing underlayment, improper flashing... you name it. Definitely agree with calling references. Feels awkward at first, but hearing firsthand experiences can save you a ton of hassle down the road.
Went through something similar a couple years back—found a roofer through a "trusted" network I'd never heard of. Guy seemed great, had all the right answers, but when the first heavy rains hit... leaks everywhere. Turns out, he skipped proper sealing around vents and skylights. Lesson learned the hard way about checking references and not just trusting network affiliations blindly. Sometimes those community recommendations or contractor networks aren't as reliable as they seem at first glance.
