A storm-chasing roofer is a crew that follows big storms from town to town, sells as many roofs as it can, and leaves when the work dries up. You can spot most of them by a few signs: they knock on your door right after a storm, they push you to sign that day, they want a large payment up front, and they have no office you can drive to. Some do fine work. The risk is what happens after they leave. If a leak shows up months later, there may be no one to call. Here is how to tell them apart from a local roofer, and what to do when someone knocks.
Why storm chasers come to North Texas
North Texas gets a lot of hail. When a big storm hits Fort Worth, Keller, Arlington or Mansfield, thousands of roofs can be hurt in one night. Crews from other states see the news and drive in. Within days, trucks fill the streets, yard signs pop up, and people go door to door.
Not everyone who knocks is a bad roofer. But a crew that will be gone in a few months has less reason to care how your roof holds up in five years. A local roofer has to live with its work and its name in town.
Red flags at the door
- They showed up right after the storm, unasked. A knock the next morning is not proof of anything bad, but it is how most storm chasers find work.
- Out-of-state plates or a truck with no name on it. A magnet sign on the door can come off as fast as it went on.
- No local address. Ask where their office is. A P.O. box, a hotel or "we are set up in a lot down the road" is a warning sign.
- "Sign today." They say the price is only good today, or the crew is only in town this week. A good roofer will give you time to think.
- Big cash payment up front. Be careful with anyone who wants most of the money before any work starts, or who wants cash only.
- A short, vague contract. One page with a total and a signature line, but no list of what will be done.
- They want you to sign before they look. Some ask you to sign a paper "just so we can inspect." Read every paper before you sign it. Some of these papers bind you to them for the whole job.
- They talk about your insurance. A roofer at your door can not tell you what is covered. For that, ask your insurance agent.
Watch out for the roof walk
Many will offer to go up and "take a look" for free. That can be fine. But you can not see what happens up there. It is rare, but a dishonest person could mark up shingles to make damage look worse. To keep things clear:
- Ask for photos of every problem they find, with something in the frame that shows it is your roof, like your vent or chimney.
- Ask them to show you the photos before they leave.
- Get a second look from a roofer you picked yourself before you sign anything.
If you want to check first on your own, our 10-minute roof walk-around shows what to look for from the ground. Please do not climb on the roof.
How to check a roofer out
It takes about half an hour, and it can save you a lot of grief.
- Look up the office. Find a real street address in the area and a phone line that a person answers.
- Read the reviews. Look at Google reviews over many months, not just a burst of new ones. Look for names of towns you know, like Crowley, Burleson or Joshua.
- Check the Better Business Bureau and do a quick web search of the company name with the word "complaints."
- Ask for local jobs. A local roofer can point you to roofs it has done near you. Drive by and look.
- Ask who pays if someone gets hurt. Ask for proof, in writing, that the company covers its own workers and any harm to your home, so you are not on the hook.
- Ask who you call if it leaks later. Get a name and a number, in writing.
- Get more than one estimate. Two or three written bids make it easy to spot one that is far off.
Our post with 12 questions to ask a roofer before you sign goes deeper.
What a good written estimate shows
A real estimate lists the work line by line, so you can compare bids. Look for:
- The type and color of shingle, or the type of metal.
- Whether the old roof is torn off down to the wood.
- New underlayment (the layer under the shingles), drip edge and flashing (the metal where the roof meets a wall or chimney).
- How bad wood under the roof will be handled.
- Clean-up, including a magnet sweep of the yard for nails.
- When payment is due, and how much at each step.
If a bid leaves these out, ask. If the answers stay vague, move on.
What to say when someone knocks
You do not have to be rude, and you do not have to decide on the porch. Try this:
- "Thanks. Leave me a card with your office address. I am getting a few bids."
- "I do not sign anything on the first visit."
- "If you go up, I want to see every photo before you leave."
A good roofer will be fine with all three. One who gets pushy has told you what you need to know.
Do not rush the big choice
After hail, a leak needs a quick fix, like a tarp. But who puts on your new roof is not a choice to make on the porch. A week spent checking out two or three roofers is time well spent.
What to do next
If a storm has been through and you want a second look from a local roofer, set up a free drone roof survey. Someone needs to be home for the flight, and you see the pictures before we leave. You get a written photo report, and if something needs a closer look, it is checked by hand. Or call Legacy Roofing at (817) 602-2057. We work in Crowley, Fort Worth, Burleson, Mansfield, Joshua and nearby towns, and we will tell you plainly what we see.
