Hiring a roofer is one of the higher-stakes decisions a homeowner makes. Bad work is expensive to fix; unlicensed work can void your insurance and complicate your home's resale. This guide walks the verification process the way HomeClip itself runs it, license check, red flags, written quote comparison, and Trust Score sanity-check.
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Step 1: Verify their state credentials
Texas does not require roofers to hold a state license, which means insurance and reputation matter even more. Voluntary certification via Roofing Contractors Association of Texas (voluntary certification) is a positive signal. You can look up a license directly: RCAT license search ↗.
Red flags, walk away if you see these
⚠ Door-knocking after a storm ('storm-chasers')
The single biggest roofing scam in Texas. After hail or wind events, out-of-state roofers blanket neighborhoods door-to-door promising fast insurance claims. They use cheap materials, cut corners, vanish before the warranty matters, and the homeowner is stuck. Never sign with a roofer who shows up uninvited at your door.
⚠ Asking you to sign over your insurance claim ('AOB')
An Assignment of Benefits gives the roofer the right to negotiate your claim directly with your insurer. Texas tightened AOB law in 2019 but it still exists and when it's misused, the roofer gets a bigger payout and you lose control of the work and any future supplements. Pay the roofer directly; let YOUR adjuster handle the claim.
⚠ Quote without inspecting the attic
A roof assessment that doesn't include an attic inspection misses decking damage, ventilation issues, and structural rot. 'We'll just replace the shingles' on a roof with hidden decking problems means a beautiful new shingle layer over rotting wood.
⚠ Material upgrades 'free' on insurance claims
If a roofer offers to 'upgrade' your insurance-claim shingles to a premium material 'for free,' they're committing insurance fraud, billing the insurer for the upgrade and pocketing the difference. This can result in your claim being denied and your policy canceled.
⚠ No proof of liability insurance + worker's comp
Roofers fall off roofs. If they're not insured for that, your homeowner's policy can be on the hook for medical and disability. Demand a COI naming you as an additional insured for the job duration.
⚠ Cash discount, no contract, large up-front deposit
Standard for legitimate roofers: signed contract, ~10-30% deposit for materials, balance on completion + final inspection. 'Pay 50% cash before we start' is the storm-chaser playbook.
The 6-step verification process
Run every roofer you're considering through these steps before signing anything or paying any deposit.
- 1. Verify proof of insurance + worker's comp. Get a Certificate of Insurance directly from the insurance carrier (not a screenshot from the roofer). Confirm dates cover your full job timeline. Texas doesn't require roofer licensing at the state level, so insurance is your primary contractor-level protection.
- 2. Ask for local references from the last 6 months. Real roofers have a current portfolio of local installs. Drive by 2-3 and look at the work. A roofer who can't provide 3 local references is either new (risky on a roof) or hiding bad work.
- 3. Get 3 detailed written estimates with manufacturer model numbers. Quotes should specify exact shingle model (e.g. GAF Timberline HDZ vs. Owens Corning Duration), underlayment type, ice-and-water shield placement, ridge ventilation, flashing replacement, and disposal. Vague 'tear off and replace' bids hide where corners get cut.
- 4. Confirm they will pull the permit (when required). Most Texas municipalities require a permit for full replacement. Travis County, Austin, and most surrounding suburbs do. The roofer should pull this, not ask you to.
- 5. Check HomeClip Trust Score + Reddit. Roofing has the highest variance in reputation of any home-services trade. A roofer with a great Google rating but 'AVOID' threads on r/Austin is a yellow flag. The HomeClip Trust Score blends Google and Reddit review sentiment into one number you can sanity-check both ways.
- 6. Get the warranty in writing, both labor and manufacturer. Manufacturer warranties (GAF, Owens Corning, etc.) are typically 25-50 years on materials. Labor warranty from the installer should be 5-10 years; anything under 1 year on labor is below market. Get both in writing, manufacturer warranties often require the install be by a registered installer.
What a fair quote looks like
Pricing varies by region, complexity, and material choice, but these Texas benchmark ranges are a sanity check. Quotes well outside these ranges in either direction warrant a second look.
| Job type | Fair range (Texas) |
|---|---|
| Roof inspection (post-storm) | Free–$300 |
| Minor repair (small leak) | $300–$1,000 |
| Architectural shingle replacement (2,000 sq ft) | $11,000–$18,000 |
| Premium designer shingle | $15,000–$28,000 |
| Standing-seam metal roof (full replacement) | $22,000–$45,000 |
How HomeClip helps
Every roofer on HomeClip has a 0–100 Trust Score combining RCAT license verification + reliability + quality + Google and Reddit sentiment, responsiveness, and pricing fairness. Paying us never changes a Trust Score, the ranking you see is the actual ranking.
Want quotes without doing the vetting work yourself? Get 3 free quotes from verified roofers , we send your job to the 3 highest-scored roofers in your city; they reach out to you within the hour. Your leads go only to you, never shared.
Frequently asked questions
Does Texas require a state license to be a roofer?
No. Texas does not license roofers at the state level (unlike plumbers and electricians). The Roofing Contractors Association of Texas (RCAT) offers voluntary certification (RCAT-Certified), and Texas requires liability insurance and worker's comp at the contractor level. Without state licensing, insurance and reputation matter even more, verify both before hiring.
What is a fair price for a roof replacement in Austin?
$11,000-$18,000 for a typical 2,000 sq ft home with mid-grade architectural shingles in Austin. Premium materials (designer shingles, metal, or tile) push that to $20,000-$40,000+. Insurance-claim replacements vary based on adjuster scope but should fall in similar ranges for the same materials.
Should I file an insurance claim or pay out-of-pocket for a roof?
If damage is from a named event (hail, wind, hurricane) within your policy's coverage window, file the claim. Texas insurers usually require claim filing within 1 year of the event. If damage is from age or normal wear, insurance won't cover it. Whatever you decide, get the assessment done by a roofer YOU chose, not one who knocked on your door.
Why are storm-chasers a problem?
After hail or wind events, out-of-state contractors flood Texas neighborhoods. They underbid, use cheap materials, often skip permits, vanish before warranty issues arise, and frequently demand AOB (assignment of insurance benefits). HomeClip filters them out by checking insurance, BBB record, and review sentiment over time, a roofer who appeared 6 months ago with no local history scores below an established local roofer.