After a significant hailstorm in East Texas, out-of-area crews arrive within days. Some are competent operations working storm markets legitimately. Others will subcontract your roof to whoever is available, collect, and be three states away before the first problem shows up.
Your workmanship warranty is only as good as the company still existing to honor it. Here are the questions that sort this out.
The Questions That Actually Filter
“What is your physical address here, and how long have you been at it?”
Not a PO box, not a motel, not a phone number with an unfamiliar area code. A local business has a yard, a shop, or an office, and it has been in the phone book. This single question resolves most of it.
“Can I see your certificate of insurance, and may I call the carrier?”
You want general liability and workers’ compensation. Ask for the certificate, then actually call the agent listed and confirm it is current. A certificate is a piece of paper; a phone call is verification. If a worker is injured on your property and there is no workers’ comp, that exposure can land on you.
“Who is physically doing the work?”
Many companies use subcontracted crews and that is normal in this trade. What you want to know is whether the company has a relationship with that crew or is hiring whoever is free this week, and who supervises the job. Ask who will be on site, and who you call if something goes wrong at 4pm on Friday.
“What does your workmanship warranty cover, for how long, and who honors it?”
Manufacturer warranties cover materials. Workmanship warranties cover installation, and they come from the contractor. A workmanship warranty from a company with no local presence is a promise with no address behind it. Get the terms in writing, and note that most roof problems that appear in the first few years are installation-related, not material defects.
“Can you show me local jobs from three or more years ago?”
Recent photos prove nothing about durability. Work that is several years old, nearby, that you could drive past, is a much stronger signal.
Pressure Tactics Worth Walking Away From
- A price that expires today, or a discount contingent on signing on the spot.
- A large deposit demanded before materials are delivered or work is scheduled.
- “We’ll cover your deductible” — walk away. Your deductible is your obligation under your policy, and arrangements to absorb it create problems for you, not just the contractor.
- An offer to inspect that turns into someone on your roof without your explicit agreement.
- A claim that damage is definitely covered by your insurance. That is your carrier’s determination, not a roofer’s.
- Being told a contingency agreement is “just paperwork so we can inspect.” Read anything before signing it.
On Contingency Agreements
A contingency agreement typically commits you to using that contractor if your claim is approved. That is not automatically a bad instrument — it is common in storm work — but it is a binding contract, not a formality. Read the cancellation terms, understand any fee for backing out, and do not sign it on a clipboard in your driveway while someone waits.
Where Insurance Fits
Be clear on the division of roles. Your insurance carrier decides what is covered and what it pays. Your contractor scopes and performs the work and can discuss that scope with the adjuster. A roofer cannot approve your claim, cannot tell you what your policy covers, and should not be filing on your behalf without your knowledge.
Questions about coverage, deductibles, depreciation, and claim timing belong with your insurance agent. Any contractor who answers those questions with certainty is telling you something about how they operate.
What a Real Inspection Looks Like
A legitimate storm inspection takes time. It covers every slope, because exposure varies by direction. It checks soft metals — gutters, vents, turbine caps — for corroborating impact. It documents with photographs you receive. It often uses a marked test square to establish damage density rather than just existence. And it produces a written scope.
A five-minute look followed by immediate certainty in either direction is not an inspection. Our post on what hail damage actually looks like covers what should be getting examined.
Before Anyone Comes Out
Build your own record first. Dated photos of the roof from the ground, the gutters, the soft metals, and any interior water intrusion give you an independent baseline. If two contractors describe the damage differently, your own photographs are the tiebreaker. Our post on documenting roof damage before you call anyone walks through it.
The Quiet Advantage of Local
A contractor based in your region carries something a storm crew structurally cannot: reputational exposure. They will run into your neighbor at the feed store. Their name is on trucks people recognize. If a roof they installed fails in three years, the cost of not fixing it is higher than the cost of fixing it.
That is not a guarantee of quality on its own — local companies can do bad work too. But the incentives point the right direction, which is worth something when you are buying a product whose defects take years to surface.
Get a Free Inspection From a Local Roofing Contractor
East Texas Roofing LLC has been based in Crockett since 1973, serving Palestine, Tyler, Lufkin, Athens, Livingston, Huntsville, Nacogdoches, and the rest of East Texas. We will still be here when your warranty matters.
Every storm damage inspection is free and comes with documentation you keep. Learn more about our company, contact East Texas Roofing, or call (936) 222-0824.