The roofing industry has one of the highest rates of consumer complaints of any home improvement category. Poor installation, abandoned jobs, contractors who disappear after a storm event, and outright fraud are not rare occurrences. The good news: most bad contractors disqualify themselves with a few direct questions. Here are the eight questions that matter.
Question 1: Are You Licensed in This State?
Licensing requirements for roofing contractors vary by state — some states have strict licensing, others have minimal or no state-level requirements. Regardless of what your state requires, ask every contractor for their license number and verify it in your state's contractor licensing database.
What disqualifies: Unable to provide a license number, or the number doesn't verify in the database. In states with licensing requirements, an unlicensed contractor cannot legally pull permits — which means their work won't be inspected.
Question 2: Do You Carry General Liability and Workers' Compensation Insurance?
This is non-negotiable. General liability insurance protects your property if the contractor damages it during the job. Workers' compensation insurance protects you if a worker is injured on your property. Without workers' comp, an injured worker can potentially sue the homeowner.
Don't just ask — verify. Request a Certificate of Insurance (COI) naming you as the certificate holder. The COI shows the policy numbers, coverage amounts, and expiration dates. Call the insurer to confirm the certificate is current if you have any doubt.
What disqualifies: Cannot produce a COI, expired coverage, or unwillingness to provide verification.
Question 3: How Long Have You Been in Business in This Area?
The roofing industry is full of "storm chasers" — contractors who follow large hail or hurricane events from market to market, perform quick jobs during the post-storm demand surge, and leave before warranty issues emerge. A local contractor with 5+ years of established presence in your market has reputation to protect and will be there for warranty claims.
What disqualifies: Out-of-state registration, no physical address in your market, company formed within the last 12 months, inability to provide local references from completed jobs.
Question 4: Can You Provide Local References From Recent Jobs?
References from homeowners who had similar work done within the past 12 months are valuable. The questions to ask those references:
- Did the job finish on schedule?
- Was the final cost consistent with the original quote?
- Did they do thorough cleanup afterward?
- Have you had any issues since completion, and how were they handled?
What disqualifies: Unwilling to provide references, references that don't answer or have negative experiences, only providing references from years ago.
Question 5: Will You Pull a Permit?
Most local jurisdictions require a permit for full roof replacement. A permit means a municipal inspection — an independent verification that the installation meets local code. Contractors who suggest skipping the permit are cutting a corner that protects both parties.
Beyond inspection, unpermitted roof work can create problems when you sell the home (disclosure obligations) and can complicate insurance claims if an issue arises post-installation.
What disqualifies: Suggesting you skip the permit to save money, inability to explain the permitting process for your jurisdiction.
Question 6: What Does Your Written Warranty Cover — And Who Backs It?
There are two types of roofing warranties: manufacturer product warranties and contractor workmanship warranties. Most problems with new roofs are installation failures, not material failures. Make sure you understand both.
- Manufacturer warranty: Covers product defects. Most architectural shingles carry a 25–30 year limited warranty. Read the fine print — many "lifetime" warranties are prorated after year 10.
- Workmanship warranty: Covers installation errors. Reputable contractors offer 2–10 year workmanship warranties. Some manufacturers (GAF, OC, CertainTeed) offer enhanced warranties through their certified installer programs that combine product + workmanship coverage.
What disqualifies: Verbal-only warranty promises, no written workmanship warranty, contractor who won't describe what their warranty covers.
Question 7: What Is Your Payment Schedule?
Legitimate contractors do not require full payment upfront. Standard payment structures:
- 0% down / full payment on completion (most common for residential jobs)
- 30–50% deposit / balance on completion (acceptable for custom or large jobs)
- Insurance work: deposit upon material delivery, balance after insurer releases payment
What disqualifies: Requiring full payment before work begins. This is one of the most common patterns in roofing fraud — payment collected, work not completed or abandoned mid-project.
Question 8: Do You Subcontract, and Who Will Actually Be on My Roof?
Some roofing companies operate as primarily sales organizations that subcontract all actual installation work. This isn't inherently wrong, but it means the crew installing your roof may have no direct relationship with the company you contracted with — and their skill level, insurance status, and adherence to specifications may vary.
Ask:
- Will your own employees install my roof, or will you subcontract?
- If subcontracted, is the sub fully insured?
- Who supervises the installation?
- Will someone from your company be on-site during installation?
| Question | Red Flag Answer | Green Flag Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed? | "We don't need one here" | Provides license # for verification |
| Insured? | Can't produce COI | Sends COI immediately |
| Local presence? | Out-of-state, no local address | 5+ years local, verifiable reviews |
| References? | Refuses or deflects | Provides 3+ recent local contacts |
| Permit? | "Skip it to save money" | Handles permit as standard process |
| Warranty? | Verbal-only promises | Written workmanship warranty provided |
| Payment terms? | Full payment upfront required | 0–30% deposit, balance on completion |
| Who does the work? | Evasive about crew | Direct employees, company supervision |
Get three itemized written quotes from licensed, insured local contractors with verifiable references. The lowest bid is frequently not the best choice — it's often a signal that corners will be cut. Choose based on value (scope + quality + warranty + track record), not price alone.
We're happy to answer all eight questions. Get a free estimate and we'll provide our license information, COI, local references, and written warranty as part of our standard process. Call (800) 555-0100.