The Wrong Roofer Costs You Twice
The difference between a good roofer and a bad one isn’t the price. It’s whether you still have a warranty in five years. It’s whether the company that installed your roof still exists when a leak shows up. It’s whether anyone picks up the phone when you call.
We’ve seen it too many times. A homeowner hires a contractor who seemed professional, offered a great price, and promised the world. Six months later, shingles are lifting, flashing is leaking, and that phone number? Disconnected. Now you’re paying a second contractor to tear off and redo the work you already paid for once.
That’s what this guide is for. We’re going to walk you through exactly how to vet a roofing contractor, step by step, so you don’t end up in that situation. Use this list on every roofer you talk to. Including us.
The 8 Non-Negotiables Before You Sign Anything
These aren’t preferences. They’re minimum requirements. If a contractor can’t meet all eight, move on.
1. Licensed in Your State
This one gets tricky in the Midwest because every state handles it differently.
Indiana has no state-level roofing license. That’s not a typo. Anyone can call themselves a roofer in Indiana. That makes your due diligence even more critical. In Indiana, check for a local business license, verify their registration with the Secretary of State, and confirm they pull permits for their projects.
Illinois requires a roofing contractor license through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). If they can’t give you a license number you can look up online, walk away.
A license doesn’t guarantee great work. But the lack of one tells you a lot about how seriously a contractor takes their business.
2. Insured — Both General Liability and Workers’ Comp
This is non-negotiable. You need to see proof of both general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. Not just hear about it. See it.
Here’s why: if an uninsured worker falls off your roof and gets hurt on your property, you could be liable. If they damage your neighbor’s fence or a vehicle in your driveway, you’re on the hook. General liability covers property damage. Workers’ comp covers injuries on the job. You need both, and you need to verify them directly with the insurance carrier — not just trust a certificate the contractor hands you.
3. A Local, Physical Address
Not a P.O. box. Not a UPS Store mailbox. A real address where the business operates. Look them up on Google Maps. Drive by if you want.
Out-of-state plates on the work trucks are a red flag. Legitimate local contractors have local roots. They coach your kid’s soccer team, they eat at the same restaurants, and they can’t disappear because they live here too. That accountability matters more than any contract clause.
4. A Written Estimate with Detailed Scope of Work
A handshake deal is not an estimate. You need a written document that specifies the materials being used (brand, product line, color), the scope of the work (tear-off or overlay, number of layers, decking inspection), the timeline, the total cost, and the payment schedule.
If a contractor won’t put the details in writing, it’s because they want flexibility to cut corners later. Specifics protect you.
5. Manufacturer Certifications
Major shingle manufacturers like GAF, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning all have certified contractor programs. These certifications require training, insurance verification, and ongoing quality standards.
Why does this matter to you? Because a manufacturer-certified contractor can offer enhanced warranties that cover both materials and workmanship. A non-certified installer might void your shingle warranty entirely, and you’d never know until you file a claim.
6. References or Verifiable Reviews
Ask for references from recent local projects. Not from 2019. Not from three states away. Recent. Local.
Then actually call them. Ask how the project went, whether there were surprises, and whether the contractor was responsive after the job was done. Also check Google reviews, BBB ratings, and Angi — but pay attention to patterns in the reviews, not just the star rating. A company with 200 five-star reviews and zero negative ones should raise an eyebrow just as much as one with a 2.5 average.
7. A Workmanship Warranty — in Writing
Shingle manufacturers warranty their materials. But who warranties the labor? The contractor does, and it needs to be in writing.
Ask specifically: How long is the workmanship warranty? What does it cover? What’s the process if something goes wrong? A reputable roofer stands behind their work for years, not months. If they hesitate to put a warranty in writing, that tells you everything you need to know about their confidence in their own craftsmanship.
8. They Pull the Permits
Your contractor should be pulling the building permits for your roofing project. Not you. If a contractor asks you to pull permits, or suggests skipping them entirely, that’s a serious problem.
Permits exist to ensure the work meets local building codes. They trigger inspections that catch problems before they become your problems. A contractor who avoids permits is either cutting corners, not properly licensed or insured, or trying to stay under the radar. None of those are people you want on your roof.
Ready to Start Vetting?
Get a free, no-pressure estimate from Frontline GC. We’ll answer every question on this list before we ask you to sign anything. Call us at (844) 766-3748 or request your estimate online.
Red Flags That Should Make You Walk Away
Knowing what good looks like is half the battle. Knowing what bad looks like is the other half.
”We’ll Cover Your Deductible”
This is insurance fraud. Full stop. When a contractor offers to waive or cover your insurance deductible, they’re inflating the claim to absorb the cost, and that’s illegal. You could face consequences too. Any contractor who opens with this offer is showing you exactly how they do business.
Cash Only, No Contract
Legitimate businesses accept checks, credit cards, and financing. A cash-only operation with no written contract is a business designed to disappear. There’s no paper trail, no recourse, and no accountability.
Pressure to Sign Today
“This price is only good today.” “We have a crew available right now.” “If you don’t act fast, your insurance claim might expire.”
High-pressure sales tactics are the hallmark of storm chasers and scam operations. A legitimate contractor will give you a written estimate and let you think about it. They know their work speaks for itself. They don’t need to corner you into a decision.
Can’t Provide Proof of Insurance
If you ask for a certificate of insurance and get excuses — “It’s at the office,” “I’ll email it later,” “We’re fully insured, don’t worry” — end the conversation. Proof of insurance takes five minutes to produce. If they can’t or won’t provide it, they either don’t have it or it’s lapsed.
No Physical Office in Your Area
We covered this above, but it bears repeating. If you can’t find a real address, real office, or real presence in your community, you’re dealing with someone who can vanish after cashing your check.
A Price Dramatically Lower Than Everyone Else
If you get four estimates and three are in the same ballpark but one is 40% cheaper, that’s not a deal. That’s a warning. The low bid is where corners get cut — cheaper materials, skipped steps, unlicensed subcontractors, no permits. You’ll pay for the savings later, usually at double the cost of doing it right the first time.
The Storm Chaser Playbook: How the Scam Works
After every major hailstorm or windstorm in the Midwest, a wave of out-of-town contractors rolls in. They’re called storm chasers, and they have the routine down to a science. Here’s how it works so you can see it coming.
Day 1-3 after a storm: They knock on your door. They’re polite, professional-looking, and they’ve “noticed some damage” on your roof from the street. They offer a “free roof inspection” to check it out.
The inspection: They climb up, take photos, and come back down with bad news. They’ve “found significant damage” and recommend a full replacement. Sometimes the damage is real. Sometimes it’s exaggerated. Sometimes they caused it themselves.
The pressure: They want you to sign a contract or an Assignment of Benefits (AOB) right then and there. An AOB signs over your insurance claim rights to the contractor, giving them control over negotiations with your insurance company. Once you sign an AOB, you’ve lost control of the process.
The work: If they do the work at all, it’s often rushed, done with inferior materials, and performed by subcontracted crews with no local accountability. The goal is speed and volume, not quality.
The disappearance: They collect the insurance payout, do the minimum to call the job “complete,” and move on to the next storm in the next state. By the time you discover the leaks, the poor flashing work, or the missing drip edge, they’re 500 miles away doing the same thing to someone else.
How to protect yourself: Never sign anything the day someone knocks on your door. Never sign an AOB without talking to your insurance company first. Always get multiple estimates from local, established contractors. And always verify everything on the 8-point checklist above before you commit to anyone.
How to Verify a Roofer, State by State
Here’s where to check credentials in the states we serve.
Illinois
Look up your contractor’s roofing license through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) online license lookup tool. Every licensed Illinois roofer has a verifiable license number. No number, no hire.
Indiana
Since Indiana doesn’t require a state roofing license, you’ll need to verify through other channels. Check their BBB accreditation and rating, confirm they’re registered with the Indiana Secretary of State, verify their insurance directly with the carrier, and check with your local building department that they have a history of pulling permits.
Iowa
Verify contractor registration through the Iowa Division of Labor’s contractor registration database. Iowa requires contractors to register with the state, so there should be a verifiable record.
Tennessee
Check the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors database. Tennessee requires licensing for projects over $25,000, which covers most full roof replacements. Verify their license classification covers roofing work specifically.
For every state, we also recommend checking Google reviews, BBB complaints, and your local building department for permit history. The more sources you check, the clearer the picture gets.
7 Questions to Ask Before You Sign
Print this list. Bring it to every estimate. A good contractor will answer all of these without flinching.
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“Can I see your certificate of insurance — both general liability and workers’ comp?” If they can’t produce it on the spot or within 24 hours, move on.
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“What’s your license number, and where can I verify it?” They should know this off the top of their head. In Indiana, ask for their Secretary of State registration and local business license instead.
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“Who will actually be on my roof — your employees or subcontractors?” There’s nothing inherently wrong with subcontractors, but you need to know. And those subs need to be insured too.
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“What manufacturer certifications do you hold?” This determines the quality of warranty you’re eligible for. No certifications means limited warranty coverage.
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“What does your workmanship warranty cover, and for how long?” Get it in writing. If they’re vague or evasive, that’s your answer.
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“Will you be pulling the permits for this project?” The answer should be an immediate yes. Anything else is a problem.
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“Can you provide references from jobs completed in the last six months within 30 miles of here?” Recent. Local. Verifiable. That’s the standard.
Why We’re Writing This (The Transparency Section)
Yes, we’re a roofing company writing about how to vet roofers. We think that’s exactly the point.
We’ve been in this industry long enough to see what happens when homeowners don’t know what to look for. We’ve re-roofed houses that were “just done” two years ago by contractors who are now out of business. We’ve met families who paid thousands out of pocket because their storm chaser’s insurance fraud got their claim denied. We’ve watched good people get taken advantage of because nobody told them what questions to ask.
So here’s our ask: use every single item on this checklist on us. Ask us for our insurance certificates. Look up our credentials. Call our references. Read our reviews. Check our permit history. Demand our workmanship warranty in writing.
If we can’t pass our own test, you shouldn’t hire us. We believe we can, and we’re willing to prove it every time.
We’d rather lose a job to an informed homeowner choosing a great competitor than win a job because someone didn’t know what to look for. That’s not charity — it’s long-term business strategy. Informed homeowners become loyal customers. Loyal customers refer their neighbors. And that’s how a roofing company lasts decades, not just seasons.
Ready to Vet Us?
We mean it. Run us through the checklist. Ask the hard questions. We’ll bring our insurance certificates, manufacturer certifications, references, and warranty documentation to every estimate — without you having to ask.
Request your free, no-pressure estimate or call us at (844) 766-3748. We serve homeowners across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Tennessee and we’re happy to earn your trust the old-fashioned way — by proving we deserve it.