PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Severe weather can bring with it the chance of damage to your home, and the chance that strangers come knocking on your door offering to help.
Police in Port St. Lucie are reminding you not to do business with someone unlicensed.
When nasty weather rumbled through the other day, the screened enclosure at Sal Vascellaro's Port St. Lucie home turned to Swiss cheese.
"And I just had this rescreened about a year ago," said Vascellaro, pointing at the holes in the top.
Two vehicles in the driveway took some shots from the hail, and as for his roof.
"With the tin roof, it sounded like people were up there tap-dancing," he said.
Right after, Vascellaro got several knocks on the door.
"By the next morning, we had three on the first day, not one of them was from our area," he said.
Three people were willing to go up on his roof and check for damage.
But Vascellaro didn't give anyone his business just yet.
And with hurricane season not far off, Port St. Lucie police want to remind you to be careful of these solicitations.
"After we've had some bad weather, we have people going door-to-door talking about quick fixes, talking about any roof repairs that need to be done," said Acting Assistant Chief Marc DiMeo.
The department Tweeted Wednesday a number of tips for homeowners, including verifying the contractor has a state license, and whether they have had complaints lodged against them.
⚠️BEWARE of Unlicensed Contractors⚠️ Due to recent severe weather storms affecting our area and hurricane season quickly approaching, PSLPD reminds of you of the following tips to avoid becoming a victim of fraud and unlicensed contractors who target the vulnerability of those… pic.twitter.com/N6sugZYGSK
— Port St. Lucie PD (@PSLPolice) April 26, 2023
"Be careful with anyone saying cash jobs or anything that can be done like that. Always stick to reputable businesses," DiMeo said.
Garcia and Sons Construction has about a dozen jobs going right now, and a few are storm-related.
They said a little homework can save a lot of headaches.
"Your house is your biggest asset. So you don’t want someone to do a faulty repair or alter the structure," said Juan Miguel Moya with Garcia and Sons.
Vascellaro has been through storms before, so he’ll do his due diligence.
"After a hurricane, you get the same thing and I always keep everything local," he said. "These fly by nights, they come and go."
Visit the Treasure Coast Builders Association website for more helpful tips.
