After a big storm, your street fills up with trucks you’ve never seen before. Knock on the door, clipboard in hand, telling you the sky is falling and you’d better sign today before the price goes up. Some of them are fine. A lot of them are gone by winter, and so is your deposit.
I run a family shop, so I’ll tell you how to spot the difference, even if you don’t end up calling me.
What should I check before hiring?
- Licensed and insured. Ask, and ask to see it.
- A warranty in writing. Not a promise in the driveway. On paper.
- A real range, not a scare tactic. A real contractor gives you a ballpark and tells you what changes it.
- A name and number that stays the same from the estimate to the final walk-through.
How do I spot the storm-chasers?
They show up right after hail, they push you to sign now, and they make it sound like an emergency. Real damage is rarely a same-day emergency. Pressure is the tell. When someone needs you to decide before you’ve had time to breathe, that’s about their month, not your roof.
What does a real contractor do differently?
A real shop tells you when you don’t need the work. If a repair will do, they say so. If your roof has a few more years in it, they tell you that instead of selling you a replacement. That costs them a sale today and earns them every job you and your neighbors have for the next ten years.
Quick answers
What’s the biggest red flag? Pressure to sign today. Real damage rarely needs a same-day decision.
Should I get more than one opinion? Yes, and a good contractor encourages it.
Will a real contractor ever tell me not to do the work? Yes. If a repair will do, or you’ve got years left, they’ll say so.