A Black couple's home value skyrocketed after a white woman pretended to be the homeowner during an appraisal

As long as the estimate matches what the adjuster came up with then it's not fraud. They would have to prove that the roofer knew the actual size of the roof. I was a roofer for 5 years in Texas and if a homeowner already had their claim filed I never personally measured the roof. I just went off the adjusters measurements.

The other part you should remember is as a contractor I can decide what prices to charge for anything. I can pull the numbers straight out of my ass. I'm a contractor after all there is no rules saying I have to follow industry standards. So If insurance wants to pay $20k but I can do the roof for $10k then I'll charge them $20k and the extra $10k is my profit. If that is enough money to not require the deductible and enough for an upgrade then it's a good day for the homeowner.

Insurance claim includes profit for contractors because obviously we have to get paid. That is where the grey area is with this sort of thing. Insurance decides how much to pay and the homeowner decides who to give it to. As long as there is no lying being done and the numbers match the adjusters estimate then everything is green.

/r/nottheonion Thread Parent Link - insider.com