How to Spot a Storm Chaser

They arrive with the storm and leave before the warranty matters.

Last updated 2026-09-16

After every significant Houston hail or wind event, out-of-area crews arrive, canvass the neighbourhoods that took damage, sign as many roofs as they can, subcontract the work, and move to the next storm. Some are fine. Many are not, and the ones that are not follow a pattern.

The nine signs

1. They knocked on your door. Not automatically damning, and it is the single strongest correlation. Established local roofers work from referral and search. We never knock doors, and anyone at your door claiming to be from Simple Roofing Co is not.
2. They want a signature today. "This price is only good today" exists to stop you getting a second opinion. A real price does not expire.
3. They offer to handle your insurance claim entirely. This is illegal in Texas and it is covered below.
4. They offer to cover your deductible. Also illegal, also below.
5. The paperwork is a contingency agreement, not a quote. Read it. Many of these documents commit you to using that contractor for whatever the insurance approves, with a cancellation penalty, before you know the price. That is not an estimate, it is a lock-in.
6. They went on your roof alone and came back with photos of damage. Ask which slope, ask to see it in context, and be aware that contractors have been documented creating marks with chalk, a hammer or a screwdriver. Damage in a straight line is a person, not hail.
7. No local address, or an address that is a mailbox. Look it up. A warranty from a company with no premises in Texas is a conversation you will not get to have.
8. Out-of-state plates and magnetic door signs. Not proof of anything on its own. Combined with the rest, it completes the picture.
9. They want a large cash deposit up front. A reasonable material deposit is normal. Most of the job before work starts is not.

The two things that are actually illegal

The full explanation of both.

Why it matters years later

The work is frequently adequate on the day. The problem arrives in year three, when a flashing detail fails and the phone number is dead. A workmanship warranty is only worth the company standing behind it, and a company that was never here cannot.

The other cost is quieter. An improperly handled claim is in your name. If the scope was inflated, or the claim was filed for damage that did not exist, that sits on your record and your property, not on the contractor who has moved on.

What to do instead after a storm

1. Stay off the roof. Photograph what you can from the ground, with the date.
2. Get the water stopped. Tarping first.
3. Get your own independent inspection and documentation, before you talk to anyone who arrived with the storm.
4. Call your own carrier directly, not a contractor's claim line.
5. Check your wind and hail deductible before filing. On many Texas policies it is a percentage of the dwelling limit rather than a flat amount.
6. If you want representation, hire a licensed public adjuster separately from the contractor doing the work. That is the legal version of what you were offered at the door.

Common Questions

Is it illegal for a roofer to knock on my door?

No, door knocking itself is legal. What is illegal is offering to act as your public adjuster on a job they will perform, and offering to pay, waive or absorb your deductible.

I already signed something. What now?

Read it carefully to see whether it is an estimate or a contingency agreement that locks you in, and check for a cancellation window. If you are unsure what you signed, that is a question for an attorney rather than another contractor.

How do I know the hail damage is real?

Check the soft metals first, because aluminium dents before shingles show anything. Gutters, downspouts, vents, window screens and AC fins are at eye level and hard to fake. Marks in a straight line on shingles are a person, not weather.

Read Next

• Insurance Claim Help
• Hail Damage: What to Look For
• Questions to Ask a Roofer
• Storm Damage Repair