How do I verify a roofing contractor after a storm?

Roofing contractors are the highest-fraud trade in residential construction, and the highest concentration of fraud happens in the 60 days after a hail or wind event. The "storm chaser" pattern: out-of-state crews drive into a damaged region, register a hasty LLC, solicit door-to-door, demand the homeowner sign over the insurance check, do partial work, then leave town before the job is finished.

Roofing-specific verification:

1. Roofing license. Many states require a roofing-specific license separate from a general contractor license. Florida requires a Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC). Texas does not have a statewide roofing license but does require state contractor registration in storm-affected counties. North Carolina requires NCLBGC for jobs over $30,000. Confirm the roofer holds the right class for your state.

2. Entity age. Look up the LLC at the Secretary of State and check the formation date. An LLC registered less than 6 months ago, in your state, after a recent storm event, is a high-likelihood storm chaser. Legitimate roofers have entity history.

3. Physical address. The Secretary of State filing must show a physical in-state business address — not a P.O. box, not a UPS Store mailbox (these are commonly used by storm chasers to look local). Drive past the address if possible. A legitimate roofing business has a yard, a truck, materials, and a sign.

4. Insurance claim handling. Storm chasers often offer to "handle the entire insurance claim for you" — including endorsing the insurance check. This is a fraud pattern. Do not endorse the insurance check over to the contractor. Pay the contractor on milestones from your own account.

5. Court records, prior states. Storm chasers operate across states — they may be facing judgments or revoked licenses in Texas while soliciting in Oklahoma. A multi-state court records check is essential.

6. OSHA. Fall-protection violations are the most common OSHA citation in roofing. A pattern of fall citations predicts roofer injuries on your roof — and if the roofer has no workers' comp, the injured worker's claim falls on your homeowner's insurance.

7. Insurance certificate. Roofing contractors must carry general liability and workers' comp. Many storm chasers carry neither, or carry policies that lapsed before the work began. Call the insurer to verify the policy is in force as of today, on your project address.

Red flags specific to storm-chaser fraud:

- Door-to-door solicitation in the days after a storm. - Pressure to sign immediately ("we have leftover materials from a neighbor's job"). - Demand for full payment up front or large deposit before materials arrive. - Out-of-state phone number or out-of-state LLC. - Refusal to itemize work scope. - Offer to "absorb" your insurance deductible (this is insurance fraud — illegal in most states and may void your insurance claim entirely).

Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) is specifically tuned for storm-chaser detection. The phoenix-pattern check catches recently formed LLCs at clustered addresses; the cross-state license check catches out-of-state operators; the court records check catches prior storm-fraud judgments. A "Critical" verdict from Groundcheck on a roofer who knocked on your door after a storm is highly predictive — walk away.