A roofer at the door after hail? Ask these questions before you hire.

Before anyone tears shingles, a few checks will tell you a lot about a company. We do not rank or rate roofing firms, so what follows is a way to judge any of them yourself, including any company that calls you if you ask through this site.

Do you need a company at all?

Not always. Hail or wind hit the roof. Do this before anyone tears shingles. starts with dated photos and a call to the insurer if the loss may beat the deductible. A company starts to make sense when covering is open, a flashing lifted, or your city wants a reroof permit.

A price you read online is not a bid. Ask for one in writing.

Who is allowed to do the work

Licensing is local. Under K.S.A. 50-6,123, no one may work as a roofing contractor in Kansas without a valid registration certificate. K.S.A. 50-6,122 defines a roofing contractor as someone who does roofing work for a fee or offers or solicits roofing work, with some exceptions.

Texas has no statewide roofing license. The Texas Department of Insurance still bars a contractor from acting as a public adjuster on a claim if that contractor may do the work. Amarillo Building Safety issues the local roofing permit.

Nebraska's insurance department tells people to check that a contractor is registered with the Department of Labor.

Colorado's hail FAQ warns that contractors flock after a storm. Inside Pueblo city limits, Southern Colorado Building Department issues the reroof permit.

Can I sign the hail claim over to a roofer? is the short version of the assignment question.

Questions to ask before they start

Ask these on the first call or at the door, and ask for the answers in writing.

• What registration or city license do you hold here, and what is the number?
• Who will be at the house, and will that person be an employee or a subcontractor?
• Which slopes, how much underlayment, and what flashing is in the written scope?
• Will you pull the roofing permit this city requires?
• What is the total price, what does it include, and who pays if the insurer pays less?
• Are you asking me to assign the claim or to waive a deductible?

Red flags

Each of these points back to a source, not to a review of a named company.

• They ask you to assign the claim. Kansas Senate Bill 55 makes that assignment void for residential property benefits. Nebraska says you do not have to sign one. Kansas Session Laws, Chapter 32
• They offer to waive or rebate the deductible. Texas law makes that offer illegal. Texas deductible law
• They say they will file or settle the claim for you while they also do the work. Texas Insurance Code 4102.163 bars that. Texas roofing and insurance
• They start tear-off before you have a written scope or the city permit the job needs. Amarillo and Pueblo each require a roofing permit for reroof work.
• They will not give a business address or a registration number you can check with the city or the state.
• They ask you to pay the full job in cash before any shingle is nailed, with no written receipt.

Hail or wind hit the roof. Do this before anyone tears shingles. is the order if you have not decided to hire anyone yet.