How to vet a roofer

Roofing draws more fly-by-night operators than almost any trade. The work is high-dollar, the homeowner usually cannot inspect it, and a fresh roof looks fine for a year whether it was done right or not. The storm-chasers know all of this.

Check the license

In California, roofing requires a C-39 roofing contractor license. Look the number up on the state licensing board site and confirm it is active and in the company's name. Confirm workers compensation, because roofing is dangerous work and an uninsured fall on your property can become your liability. Confirm general liability too. If a salesman at your door cannot produce a California license number on the spot, the conversation is over.

Look for manufacturer certification

Major manufacturers certify contractors who install their products to spec. That matters twice. It usually means a stronger warranty, sometimes workmanship and material backed by the manufacturer, not just the contractor. And the warranty only holds if the installer is certified and follows the spec, so a certified installer actually knows the system going on your house. Ask what they are certified to install and what warranty that buys you, in writing.

Beware the storm-chasers

After a hailstorm or windstorm, crews from out of the area knock on doors, offer to handle your insurance claim, and want a signature on the spot. Some are fine. Many are not. The pattern: an out-of-town address, high-pressure door-to-door sales, a push to sign before you have read anything, and an offer to waive or eat your deductible, which is insurance fraud and can void your claim. A roofer who will be in town to honor a warranty in five years does not need to chase storms across state lines.

Hire local and recent

A local roofer with a real address and recent jobs in your area beats a slick pitch. Ask for roofs finished in the last year and go look, or talk to the owners. Ask how they handled the tear-off, whether they found rotten decking, and how the final number compared to the bid. Local reputation is hard to fake and easy to check.

Get the inspection and the bid in writing

Before any work, a real roofer inspects the roof and shows you what they found, ideally with photos of the actual damage, not a generic claim that the whole roof is shot. Be careful with anyone who finds catastrophic damage on a roof that looks fine and is eager to get on the phone with your insurer. Get scope, material, warranty, and payment schedule in writing, and never sign a contract contingent on an insurance payout without understanding what you owe if the claim comes back smaller. The roofers worth hiring are patient with these questions.

Red flags that should stop you

• Door-to-door pressure after a storm, especially from out of the area.
• An offer to cover or waive your insurance deductible.
• A demand for full payment up front, above the legal down-payment cap.
• No license number, or one that does not check out.
• Catastrophic damage found on a roof that looks fine, paired with a rush to call your insurer.
• No manufacturer certification and a warranty backed only by a company that may not be around.

This trust gap is exactly why Quotrr puts outcomes on a record that cannot be quietly deleted. A roofer with a real, verifiable track record has nothing to hide. Hire on a record you can check, not a knock at the door.