Questions to Ask a Roofer Before Hiring (and the Red Flags)

These are the questions to ask a roofing contractor, every one of them, so you can compare answers side by side.

1. What license do you hold, and under what company name?
2. Can I see your insurance and confirm it with your insurer?
3. Where is your business, and who do I call in two years?
4. Will you inspect the roof up close, and can I keep the photos?
5. What exactly is in your written estimate?
6. Who pulls the permit?
7. How much do you need up front, and how can I pay?
8. What warranties come with the roof, and are they in writing?
9. If this is a storm claim, what is your role and what is mine?
10. Can you build it to a stronger standard, like FORTIFIED?

1. What license do you hold, and under what company name? In North Carolina, roofing is licensed through the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, which lists a roofing specialty, S (Roofing), among its classifications. State law requires the general contractor license when the cost of a project is $40,000 or more. Plenty of home re-roofs cost less than that, and local permits still apply either way.

If the job is $40,000 or more, look the company up yourself on the board's Verify License search. The National Roofing Directory's North Carolina roofing license page explains the threshold and classifications in plain English.

• Good answer: A license number and the exact legal name that will appear on your contract, offered without fuss.
• Red flag: A big job and no license, or a license in a different company name than the one on the contract.

2. Can I see your insurance and confirm it with your insurer? The NC Attorney General's office advises asking to see a contractor's insurance policy or bond and then contacting the insurance company to verify coverage, and it calls out roofing by name. Ask about general liability and workers' compensation.

• Good answer: "Sure, here's my agent's contact. Call them."
• Red flag: A photocopy that's out of date, or reluctance to let you call the insurer.

3. Where is your business, and who do I call in two years? The Attorney General's office warns about "drive-by roofers" who follow storms and are hard or impossible to find later if a leak shows up.

• Good answer: A physical office in your region, a working website, and recent local jobs you can look at.
• Red flag: Out-of-state plates, only a cell number, and pressure to sign before the next storm.

4. Will you inspect the roof up close, and can I keep the photos? Hail and wind damage often can't be seen from the ground, so a real inspection happens on the roof. In Eastern North Carolina, Carolina Trophy Roofs offers a free roof inspection where every slope is walked and photographed and you keep the photos.

• Good answer: Photos of your own roof, with the problem areas pointed out, and an honest call: nothing, a repair, a replacement or a claim.
• Red flag: A diagnosis from the driveway, or someone who "found" a problem you didn't know about and wants to fix it today. The Attorney General's office lists that pitch as a common home repair scam.

5. What exactly is in your written estimate? Get at least three written estimates, as the Attorney General's office recommends. The contract should list all the work, the quality of materials, the total price for labor and materials, warranties, start and finish dates, and who handles clean-up and trash removal. Ask how rotten decking found during tear-off will be priced.

• Good answer: An itemized estimate that names the shingle line, the underlayment and the cleanup, with a clear price for any extra decking.
• Red flag: One number on a business card, or a contract with blanks they promise to "fill in later."

6. Who pulls the permit? The roofer should. The Attorney General's office says to be suspicious of a builder who asks you to take out permits and arrange inspections yourself, because it could mean the contractor isn't licensed.

• Good answer: "We pull it and schedule the inspections."
• Red flag: "You don't need one," or "Just pull it in your name, it's easier."

7. How much do you need up front, and how can I pay? The Attorney General's office says a reasonable down payment may be required, but don't pay anything without a written contract, and avoid cash. A contractor who needs a lot of money up front may be in shaky financial shape.

• Good answer: A modest deposit tied to a signed contract, with the balance due when the work is finished and you've looked it over.
• Red flag: Cash only, most of the price before any work starts, or a "today only" discount.

8. What warranties come with the roof, and are they in writing? There are usually two: the shingle manufacturer's warranty on materials, and the roofer's own workmanship warranty on the installation. Ask how long each lasts and what voids it. The Attorney General's office says to get any guarantee in writing.

• Good answer: Both warranties named in the contract, with the length of each spelled out.
• Red flag: "Lifetime warranty" said out loud and never written down.

9. If this is a storm claim, what is your role and what is mine? The claim is between you and your insurer. You report the loss. The NC Department of Insurance says to take photos, make temporary repairs like a tarp and keep the receipts, and hold off on permanent repairs until the insurer has inspected and you've agreed on the cost.

Be careful with the "free roof" pitch. The Attorney General's office says some storm roofers push an exclusive contract that ties you to them, and skip over your deductible, which you pay out of pocket. Some North Carolina policies carry a percentage deductible for wind and hail. NCDOI's example: a 1% deductible on $200,000 of coverage means $2,000 out of pocket.

If a large claim is denied or the payment doesn't cover the repairs, a licensed public adjuster works for you rather than the insurance company. Mantis Claims Group is one public adjuster in North Carolina that reviews denied and underpaid claims.

• Good answer: "We'll document the damage and meet the adjuster on the roof. Your deductible is your share, and here's where it shows on the contract."
• Red flag: "Your roof is free," an offer to cover your deductible, or a contract signed before anyone has looked at your policy.

10. Can you build it to a stronger standard, like FORTIFIED? Along the coast it's worth asking. A FORTIFIED roof adds a sealed deck and tighter deck nailing, and an independent evaluator verifies the work so an IBHS certificate can be issued. NC Fortified explains how it works in North Carolina, including grant programs.

To build your shortlist, start with neighbors, friends and co-workers who had roof work done recently. Then compare companies in the National Roofing Directory's North Carolina roofer listings. Call three, ask all ten questions, and pick the one whose answers are clearest in writing, not the one who talks fastest.