Author: Rich Prue

CLOVIS, NM– A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 23½ years for the fatal shooting of a roofer during a botched armed robbery in Clovis, according to court records. Alex Zapata received the sentence following his conviction in connection with the July 9, 2023, killing of Anibal Ulloa-Salguero, a roofing worker who had just finished a job in the area. Authorities say Ulloa-Salguero was sitting in a vehicle with a fellow worker in the 900 block of West Ninth Street after completing work for the day. The two were reportedly listening to music when…

UPDATE: Statement from the Cambridge Police Department can be found at the bottom of this article. Cambridge, MD– A roofing job in Maryland has become the center of a viral controversy after a video circulating online claimed a homeowner reported migrant workers to immigration authorities after they nearly completed work on her home. According to the widely shared video, a woman in Maryland allegedly hired a group of Guatemalan immigrants to replace her roof and then contacted federal authorities to have them detained before paying for the job. The claim quickly gained traction on social media, fueling outrage and debate.…

Marin County, CA–  Two men who posed as licensed roofing contractors have been sentenced in Marin County Superior Court after prosecutors say they defrauded elderly homeowners out of more than $340,000 through a roofing and construction scam. John McNamara, 49, and Dean Morgan, 34, each received 3 years and 8 months in prison after pleading guilty to multiple felony counts of grand theft by false pretenses. The crimes occurred in March 2024 and involved four victims ranging in age from 78 to 85 years old. According to investigators, McNamara and Morgan were part of a group that falsely claimed to…

A former executive of a Florida commercial roofing company has pleaded guilty to participating in a bid-rigging conspiracy that illegally manipulated the bidding process for roofing projects across the state. Gregg Wallick, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the former president and chief executive officer of a commercial roofing company, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to rig bids for commercial roofing contracts. The charge falls under Section 1 of the Sherman Act, the primary federal law prohibiting anticompetitive business practices. According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Wallick and several co-conspirators coordinated…

Starting a roofing company requires more than ladders, shingles, and a truck. In today’s digital world, one of the most important tools your business can have is a professional website. A roofing website is not just an online brochure. When designed correctly, it becomes a 24-hour sales machine that builds trust, educates homeowners, and generates leads even while you’re sleeping. Homeowners rarely flip through phone books anymore. Instead, when they notice a roof leak, missing shingles, or storm damage, the first thing they do is search online. If your roofing company doesn’t appear in those searches, you are invisible to…

How to Avoid Roofing Scams: The Complete Homeowner’s Guide to Hiring a Roofing Contractor Hiring a roofing contractor is one of the most important decisions a homeowner can make. Your roof protects your home from rain, snow, wind, heat, and severe storms. When it is installed properly, a roof can last 20 to 50 years depending on the materials used. But when it is installed poorly, the consequences can be serious. Leaks, mold, structural damage, insurance problems, and costly repairs are common results of bad roofing work. Unfortunately, the roofing industry is also one where scams, dishonest contractors, and inexperienced…

https://youtu.be/Q4O9TLlUzL4 The roofing industry is evolving rapidly. New technology, labor challenges, and changing customer expectations are forcing contractors to rethink how they run their businesses. On a recent episode of The Roofer’s Helper Podcast, filmed at RoofCON in Oklahoma City, JT Ulyatt, CEO of Maven Roofing, shared insights on some of the biggest challenges roofing companies face today. Topics discussed with Richie Rossouw from Thunder Media included roofing CRM software, technology overload, workforce development, and the future of roofing company leadership. For contractors trying to scale a roofing business, the lessons from this conversation provide valuable guidance. The Problem of…

Owens Corning Duration and IKO Dynasty are both laminated (architectural) asphalt shingles designed for steep-slope residential roofs. On paper, they share several “table-stakes” performance markers homeowners care about: Class A fire rating when installed as specified, and high wind test classifications (ASTM D3161 Class F and ASTM D7158 Class H) listed in their technical documents. Where they meaningfully diverge for homeowners is in three practical areas: First, hail/impact positioning. IKO Dynasty is explicitly positioned as a “Performance” shingle with a Class 3 impact resistance rating (per its technical data sheet and related disclosures), and it includes clear disclaimers about what…

https://youtu.be/KRX-WntP4z8 At the recent Roofcon event, Richie Rossouw sat down for an insightful conversation with Tobias Patch, the founder and CEO of Brelly on The Roofer’s Helper podcast. Patch’s software company is on a mission to transform how insurance claims are handled, helping contractors, policyholders, and public adjusters collaborate so that claims are paid out “fully, fairly, and fast”. The Compounding Complexity of Claims Patch’s journey into building Brelly stems from his extensive experience on multiple sides of the industry. He began his career as an insurance adjuster before eventually building and selling his own restoration firm. Through these roles,…

https://youtu.be/j1Y4-JYhSV8?si=HJpARXQm51cjIXdP The insurance claim process has long been a thorny, stressful, and highly technical battlefield for roofing contractors, public adjusters, and policyholders alike. But what if artificial intelligence could step in to level the playing field, ensuring claims are paid fully, fairly, and fast? In a recent episode of The Roofer’s Helper podcast, industry veteran Mathew Mulholland sat down with Richie Rossouw to discuss his incredible journey from the roof to the classroom, and how a new AI platform called Brelly is set to revolutionize how claims are handled. The Man Behind the Mission: From Contractor to Educator Mat is…