How to Tell If a Roofer Is Being Honest With You

After Hurricane Ian, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation documented a major influx of out-of-state contractors registering to do storm repair work across Southwest Florida. The same pattern has followed every significant storm cycle in the state. Most of those contractors are legitimate. Some are not. The homeowners who got hurt were the ones who did not know what questions to ask before signing.

This is not a warning to distrust every roofer who knocks on your door. It is a guide to the specific things a dishonest contractor will do differently from an honest one, and how to verify what you are told before any money changes hands.

How to verify a Florida roofing license in 30 seconds

Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation runs a free public license lookup at myfloridalicense.com. You can search by company name or license number.

A valid Florida roofing contractor license starts with "CCC" followed by seven digits. A general contractor license starts with "CGC." The lookup returns the license status (active, expired, or suspended), the license type, the licensee's name, and any disciplinary actions on record.

Any contractor who does roofing work in Florida without a license is violating Florida Statute 489.127, which classifies unlicensed contracting as a first-degree misdemeanor for a first offense. The law exists because unlicensed work often fails inspections, voids manufacturer warranties, and leaves homeowners with no legal recourse when something goes wrong.

Red flag 1: No license number provided

A licensed contractor's license number belongs on their estimate, their contract, their truck, and their website. If you have to ask for it, that is a problem. Stating "we are licensed" without providing the number is not verifiable. The number is what you look up.

Do not accept "I'll get that to you later" or "it's on file at the county." The number should be in front of you before any conversation about price or scope goes further.

Red flag 2: No local address, only a PO box or out-of-state phone

Storm chaser contractors follow major storms into markets they have never worked in, do a fast run of jobs, and are gone before warranty issues surface. The pattern is consistent: a company appears in a market immediately after a hurricane, has no local review history, and lists a cell number with an out-of-state area code.

Search the company name and look for local reviews with dates that predate the most recent major storm. A company that showed up in Florida in 2022 with reviews from Texas in 2021 is showing you their pattern. That does not mean they do bad work. It means you have no way to reach them if they do.

Red flag 3: Pressuring you to sign an Assignment of Benefits immediately

Florida Statute 627.7152 governs Assignment of Benefits in property insurance claims. Florida's 2022 reforms heavily restricted AOB use between contractors and carriers. An AOB removes the homeowner from the claim process and hands control to the contractor, who then negotiates directly with your insurance company on their own behalf.

No reputable Florida roofing contractor needs you to sign an AOB before they have inspected the roof and written a scope. If a contractor leads with this paperwork before they have even looked at your roof, that is a signal. Walk away and get a second opinion from a contractor who will show you the damage first.

Red flag 4: Verbal quote only, no written scope

A verbal quote is not a quote. It is a number the contractor can revise after work starts, with no documentation of what was agreed to.

A legitimate contractor provides a written, line-itemized scope that specifies: material brand and product line, underlayment type and weight, flashing materials included, deck repair allowance and cost per sheet, who pulls the permit, cleanup method (including magnetic nail sweep), and warranty terms in writing. If the quote is a single dollar figure on a business card, you do not know what you are buying.

Red flag 5: Full payment required upfront

Standard practice for Florida roofing: a deposit on large replacements to cover material costs, with final payment due upon completion and your sign-off on the work. The split varies by contractor, but the pattern is consistent: some money up front, the rest when you are satisfied.

A contractor who demands full payment before work begins has no financial incentive to finish the job or address problems after installation. Florida's construction lien law (Florida Statute 713) governs contractor payments and your rights as a property owner. Knowing it protects you if a dispute arises.

Red flag 6: No permit pulled before work starts

Florida requires permits on most re-roofs. The permit number gets posted at the job site. The final inspection by the county building official closes the permit and confirms the work meets code.

A contractor who starts work without pulling the permit first is working unpermitted. An unpermitted roof does not pass county inspection, does not satisfy most manufacturer warranty requirements, and creates problems at resale when a buyer's inspector flags the open or missing permit. Ask for the permit number before any material is delivered to your property. If the contractor cannot produce it, work should not begin.

Red flag 7: Recommending full replacement without showing you why

A legitimate contractor who recommends a full replacement shows you the evidence: deck photos from a drone or in-person inspection, underlayment condition, granule loss patterns, or structural issues at the eaves or valleys. You should be able to see what they are seeing.

If a contractor walks around your house, looks up at the roof from the driveway, and tells you it needs full replacement without going up there, that is not a diagnosis. It is a sales approach. Decline, and schedule a proper roof inspection with photo documentation before making any decision.

Green flags: what a trustworthy roofer actually does

• Provides their license number on first contact, without being asked.
• Gives a written, itemized quote and takes the time to walk through it with you line by line.
• Pulls the permit before work starts and gives you the permit number.
• Provides a written warranty document that specifies the coverage terms, the coverage period, and the process for filing a claim.
• Takes photos during tear-off and shares them. You should be able to see the condition of your deck before the new roof goes on top of it.
• Does a magnetic nail sweep before leaving each day and leaves the job site clean.
• Does not pressure a same-day decision. A roof is a major purchase. Any contractor who says "this price is only good today" is using a sales tactic, not helping you make a sound decision.

What to do if a contractor defrauded you

If you suffered financial harm from a licensed contractor's misconduct, Florida Statute 489.140 establishes the Contractor Recovery Fund as a limited recourse option. The fund applies specifically to work done by licensed contractors, not unlicensed ones, so keep documentation of the license number you were given and the work that was performed.

For unlicensed contractor fraud, file a complaint with the Florida DBPR (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) and the Florida Attorney General's Consumer Protection division. Both accept online complaints and can initiate enforcement action.

For insurance-related fraud involving a contractor, such as inflated damage claims or forged signatures on AOB documents, contact the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud. They handle contractor fraud in the context of property insurance claims specifically.