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Roof Workers Question

shadow

shadow

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
1,447
1,153
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Central Iowa
I just got a roof installed in the past month and was surprised when the crew turned out to be Spanish speakers. It made me feel quite nervous since I don't want to break the law or employ law breakers (I don't know if I was or they were; I didn't really want to go ask them if they were legit w/ visas or whatever).

Does anyone know if this is a fairly common practice? I'm not trying to start a political debate or anything, but I will be doing a review for Angie's List. So I want to get some input on industry practices if I can before identifying them as unique if this is in fact fairly common.
 
shadow said:
I just got a roof installed in the past month and was surprised when the crew turned out to be Spanish speakers. It made me feel quite nervous since I don't want to break the law or employ law breakers (I don't know if I was or they were; I didn't really want to go ask them if they were legit w/ visas or whatever).

Does anyone know if this is a fairly common practice? I'm not trying to start a political debate or anything, but I will be doing a review for Angie's List. So I want to get some input on industry practices if I can before identifying them as unique if this is in fact fairly common.
Click to expand...

Unless you hired them for a company, I believe you could claim negligence if they are illegals.

However, they can just as easily be first generation immigrants. In our district, we have many parents that don't speak English. At all. And some of the kids don't speak much of it either. That doesn't mean they're here illegally.
 
I'd be surprised if 90% of roofers aren''t of foreign descent. At least they all seemed to be in the STL.
 
shadow said:
I just got a roof installed in the past month and was surprised when the crew turned out to be Spanish speakers.
Click to expand...

This happens in a lot of construction nowadays. I would not be worried about as any job site I have ever been on has had quite a few of them.
 
You serious, Clark? If its any metro area it is very common. Who knows if they are legal (most likely not). But, as long as the roof is done and the workmanship is good who cares. Find a book to read and forget about it.
 
We had a major hail storm in the southern suburbs of KC last year, so I have seen tons of new roofs put on in the last year. I don't think I have seen a single crew that wasn't Spanish speaking. This seems to be totally normal.
 
I would say spanish speaking roofers is fairly common, and it is fairly common for them to be illegal immigrants as well. I know a big roofing company got in trouble last year for subbing out roof jobs to illegals, that company was EIC.

You find that frequently that the larger construction companies will sub work out to illegals.
 
cytech said:
I would say spanish speaking roofers is fairly common, and it is fairly common for them to be illegal immigrants as well. I know a big roofing company got in trouble last year for subbing out roof jobs to illegals, that company was EIC.

You find that frequently that the larger construction companies will sub work out to illegals.
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Just happened to my parents two weeks ago. Not even a large company subbed it out, just a regular town one.
My dad is very pleased with the Mexican guys that were there and the work they did.
 
shadow said:
I just got a roof installed in the past month and was surprised when the crew turned out to be Spanish speakers. It made me feel quite nervous since I don't want to break the law or employ law breakers (I don't know if I was or they were; I didn't really want to go ask them if they were legit w/ visas or whatever).

Does anyone know if this is a fairly common practice? I'm not trying to start a political debate or anything, but I will be doing a review for Angie's List. So I want to get some input on industry practices if I can before identifying them as unique if this is in fact fairly common.
Click to expand...


Not sure if serious......

FYI Spanish speaking workers do not drink Corona's.. I picked up a 20 pack of Bud Light on my way home from work when I got my roof replaced last fall! They couldnt of been happier when I got out of the car with it......... or at least i think they sounded happy....
 
Last edited:
shadow said:
I just got a roof installed in the past month and was surprised when the crew turned out to be Spanish speakers. It made me feel quite nervous since I don't want to break the law or employ law breakers (I don't know if I was or they were; I didn't really want to go ask them if they were legit w/ visas or whatever).

Does anyone know if this is a fairly common practice? I'm not trying to start a political debate or anything, but I will be doing a review for Angie's List. So I want to get some input on industry practices if I can before identifying them as unique if this is in fact fairly common.
Click to expand...

In the CR metro area that's all I ever see on the roofs. One of the bigger companies got shaken down last year for illegals.
 
Working on a lot of jobsites this summer as a owner-hired QC inspector, I had to dust off my two years of high school Spanish to (barely) communicate at times.
 
JP4CY said:
Just happened to my parents two weeks ago. Not even a large company subbed it out, just a regular town one.
My dad is very pleased with the Mexican guys that were there and the work they did.
Click to expand...

I agree they do fine work, the only problem is if they are illegal then that means they are not insured. So if one of them falls off your roof while working on it that makes the homeowner's insurance liable for any claim they may or may not make.
 
cyhawkdmb said:
Not sure if serious......

FYI Spanish speaking workers do not drink Corona's.. I picked up a 20 pack of Bud Light on my way home from work when I got my roof replaced last fall! They couldnt of been happier when I got out of the car with it......... or at least i think they sounded happy....
Click to expand...

Actually, they all drink Budweiser heavy around here. And I would agree that they are very good workers in general.
 
cyhawkdmb said:
Not sure if serious......

FYI Spanish speaking workers do not drink Corona's.. I picked up a 20 pack of Bud Light on my way home from work when I got my roof replaced last fall! They couldnt of been happier when I got out of the car with it......... or at least i think they sounded happy....
Click to expand...

1) In my subdivision, houses are being built at a fairly rapid clip. Very few of those workers would be English as a First Language types. Of course, it's Houston, but not out of the norm.

2) Per my Mexican amigos, they would have been much happier with the 8 ounce cans. Reason being they get drunk faster and end up with more cold beer (only 8 ounces out of the cooler at a time).
 
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