Homeowner Tips
Storm Chasers: Seven Red Flags at Your Front Door
After every hail event, out-of-state crews flood the Panhandle. Here is how to tell a legitimate contractor from one who will be gone by fall.
By Taylor Smith · · 5 min read
Not every out-of-town crew is bad. But every bad crew shows the same tells.
1. Pressure to sign today
"This price is only good while we're in the neighborhood." Real scheduling does not work that way.
2. An offer to cover your deductible
That is insurance fraud in Texas and it makes you a participant.
3. Out-of-state plates and a magnetic door sign
Ask for a local physical address you can drive to. A P.O. box is not an address.
4. A contract that is actually an AOB
An assignment of benefits hands your claim to the contractor. Read every line before signing anything on the first visit.
5. Large cash deposit up front
Deposit at material delivery is normal. Half the job price before anyone shows up is not.
6. No verifiable insurance
Ask for the certificate to be sent directly from their carrier. Ask specifically about workers' compensation, not just liability.
7. No references older than this season
Ask for local addresses from three-plus years ago and call them. Companies that disappear cannot produce this.
The simplest protection
Get two written scopes, wait a week, and choose the company that will still answer the phone in year five.
