Paving Scams In Humble – How To Identify & Deal With Them

Key Takeaways:

• Asphalt scams involve various social tricks to extract money from victims in return for poorly fixed asphalt pavement.
• The BBB issued an alert for paving scams, concentrated around East Texas, in 2021. The situation is worse today.
• Awareness of scam tactics is crucial to identifying the perpetrator.
• Out-of-state license plates, fake licenses, no online ratings, and untraceable referrals are red flags.
• Sometimes, even licensed paving contractors will resort to scams.
• AAA Paving Since 1964 LLC recommends swift police involvement if a suspicious paving contractor approaches you.

Asphalt paving is a very fulfilling occupation. And it’s a more fulfilling service for the thousands in Humble, TX, who schedule their driveways & parking lots for seal coating, crack filling, and patching every year. However, some would rather mar the reputation of excellent & reliable asphalt paving contractors in Humble, TX, than deliver on an honest day’s work.

Asphalt paving scams are a scourge not only in Texas but all across the US, too. It’s so bad that the BBB issued an alert recently. Folks get a poor paving job with a warranty that costs thousands. The contractor’s number goes out of service when the pavement weathers too soon, and the clients need to claim their warranty. There goes your hard-earned taxpayer money!

AAA Paving Since 1964, LLC has put together all the tricks in the paving book to help you spot an asphalt scammer from a mile away. And to protect the local paving businesses, such as ours, from losing out on a beautiful paving job!

Types Of Asphalt Paving Scams in The Paving Business

1. The Gullible Folk

Some burly workmen will show up to a decrepit driveway or parking lot manager of, say, a church or an establishment run by senior citizens. And then offer an inexpensive quote for an asphalt paving project to redo the lot.

The facility manager is warmed up to accept the offer without any documentation of quotes and agreed on payment. The scammers demand an advance and do the work halfway with subpar material before claiming they need to replenish their asphalt. Then they take off with the advance cash.

2. Engine Oil Binder

Tar & chip is a popular driveway coating that is as tough as the asphalt itself. However, scammers play this about by offering a cheap driveway do-over with an advance & barely any documentation. They ask you not to hang around while they ‘work’.

That’s a ruse to keep you from seeing them switch asphalt binder for used engine oil & aggregate to give a ‘seal coated’ appearance. The asphalt scam is apparent when the driveway crumbles under your feet the next day.

3. Left-Over Asphalt

This paving scam works well because victims are impressed with the altruism of the scammer. A person will introduce themselves as a paving contractor. They will be dressed for the role with an aide or two and a truck loaded with what they claim is ‘left-over asphalt’ from a project they were doing ‘back there’.

They’ll be charming and claim to help fix your damaged driveway that they happened to notice. They will secure an advance and do the job halfway to claim they’ve run out of material and will ‘return’. They never do.

4. The Gypsy Rig

Scammers go from county to county or across states to scam unsuspecting victims on what is called a gypsy rig. It’s called so because it has make-shift equipment for seal coating, crack filling, and binder heating for asphalt paving. It’s a rudimentary setup that is evident to a suspicious mind. These scammers also rely on their charm & the gullibility of the victim to make a quick buck in exchange for subpar work.

5. The “Limited-Time Offer”

You’re approached by someone in a paving contractor’s overalls and offered some fantastic pavement renewal & protection deal on the spot. The contractor starts working without a signed document with the client. Pretty soon, another ‘boss’ comes over to declare a misunderstanding over the rates, rebukes the ‘contractor’, and then demands the full rate from the client before proceeding any further. People cough up just out of fear of getting sued.

6. The Watery Seal Coat

Everybody understands the importance of seal coating their asphalt. But in an asphalt scam, those dodgy contractors know how to replicate the look & feel of a seal coat using subpar materials. They will approach you using their typical MO and then bring in their ‘dyed-asphalt-emulsion’ and spray it over.

Now, asphalt emulsions are usually sprayed hot, and that is the sign of ‘high-quality seal coating’, except here, the first rains of the season will wash the dye off, leaving you a couple of hundred bucks cheated.

Identifying a Paving Scammer

• It’s a silly way to put it, but anyone who has anything to do with paving, whom you did not contact for a quote, should not turn up at your door. If they do, that creepy charismatic smile & disarming demeanor is a flag enough.
• If you spot a truck, or gypsy rig, with out-of-state plates or in an unmarked vehicle, you should call the local municipality, then the police.
• An authentic asphalt paving contractor in Humble, TX, won’t falter if you request their credentials and license. They will provide references, online presence links, a tangible portfolio & a local license plate.
• Legitimate paving contractors will observe the proper surface prep for asphalt subgrade installation & seal coating. Scammers take ages to begin asphalt compaction or don’t even have a compactor.
• The BBB is the best way to catch scammers in the act. While they aggrandize the ‘specials’ on their list of offerings, you should check them up online. If they lack a BBB accreditation or even a paving contractor license, shun them immediately.
• Suppose a paving contractor insists on forgoing a written contract with the cost breakdown & material quotes and insists on a verbal agreement. In that case, you have the right to threaten them with legal action. Folks who are unaware cave in to the oral contract and end up having to lose a lot more.

Signs Of a Legit Scamming Contractor

Sometimes the things that differentiate a poorly done asphalt paving job and an outright scam go over into a grey area. It’s when a legitimate paving contractor decides to dispense subpar work for the full rate.

Since these contractors make a living outsmarting gullible customers in their region, you can also outsmart them. Here are some quick ways to identify a shoddy asphalt paving contractor in Humble, TX.

• Never skip an online review or forum search to catch up on how a contractor of your choice has fared with clients in the past.
• Check their track record and request a portfolio if they claim they have a renowned standing in the region.
• If the paving contractor waives documenting a paving contract and insists on going along with a verbal number, please cancel the contract; you will likely get scammed.
• If a contractor offers you one quote and a different one to your spouse unbeknownst to them – you will get scammed, and the contractor is biased.
• Lastly, research local quotes for an asphalt paving project before you start looking for the right paving contractor in Humble, TX. That way, you won’t be easily fooled by a legitimate but scamming contractor who’s taken you for a mark.

Hire Only the Best Asphalt Paving Contractor in Humble, TX!