# How to choose a roofer in Houston

Source: https://thehoustonhomeowner.com/trades/roofer
Publisher: The Houston Homeowner (https://thehoustonhomeowner.com)

> Texas issues no roofing license, so the checks are a certificate of insurance sent by the insurer, a City of Houston permit, a manufacturer certification, and a company with a Houston address that existed before the last storm.

## License

Texas has no state license for roofing contractors. Anyone can call themselves a roofer. The Roofing Contractors Association of Texas offers a voluntary licensing program, and shingle manufacturers certify installers, but neither is required by law. Your protection is insurance, permits and track record.
No state license exists for this trade in Texas.

Permits: The City of Houston requires a building permit for re-roofing in most cases, with a final inspection. Confirm the permit is in the contractor's name, not yours.

## Walk away if

- They knocked on your door after a storm, or their trucks have out-of-state plates.
- They offer to waive or pay your insurance deductible. In Texas it is a crime for a contractor to do this, and it can void your claim.
- They want you to sign an assignment of benefits or a contingency agreement before you have a written scope and price.
- They cannot produce a certificate of insurance from their insurer for general liability.
- The company was formed in the last year, or the owner has run previous roofing companies under other names.
- They ask for a large deposit before materials are delivered.

## Ask before you hire

- How many years have you operated under this exact company name, and what is your Houston office address?
- Can your insurance agent email me a certificate of insurance for general liability, and do you carry workers' compensation?
- Will you pull the Houston building permit in your name?
- Which manufacturer certifications do you hold, and what warranty do they let you offer?
- What is the written scope: decking replacement allowance, underlayment, flashing, ventilation, and the disposal of the old roof?

## Houston specifics

Every hurricane and hailstorm brings a wave of roofing companies to Houston from other states. Some are legitimate. Many will be gone before the warranty is tested. Because Texas does not license the trade, the only thing standing between you and a bad roof is how carefully you check the company.

Insurance claims are where most of the harm happens. A roofer who offers to "handle the deductible" is asking you to commit insurance fraud. A roofer who wants you to sign a contingency agreement or an assignment of benefits is taking control of your claim before you know what the work will cost.

## Reading a roofing bid

A complete bid states the shingle brand and line, the underlayment, whether ice-and-water shield goes in valleys and around penetrations, the flashing plan at chimneys and walls, the ventilation changes, an allowance for decking replacement per sheet, the disposal, the permit, and the labor warranty separate from the manufacturer's warranty. Ask whether the manufacturer's enhanced warranty requires a certified installer, and whether this company is one.

## Frequently asked

**Do roofers need a license in Texas?**

No. Texas has no state roofing license. Voluntary programs exist through the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas and through shingle manufacturers, but the law does not require them.

**Can a roofer pay my insurance deductible?**

No. Texas law makes it a criminal offense for a contractor to waive, absorb or rebate a homeowner's insurance deductible, and insurers can deny claims where it happened.

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