Local contractor or storm chaser: how to tell

How it works

After a large hail event, crews from other states rent a local office, put a local number on a truck, and canvass door to door for a season. Some do decent work, and a knock on the door is not by itself a red flag. The question is year three, when a shingle lifts and you need someone to answer the phone. A warranty is only as good as the company that is still there to honor it.

Five questions that sort it out

• How long have you operated under this business name, and where is the office that will still be here next year?
• Can you promise what the adjuster will approve? (Nobody can. A contractor who says otherwise is guessing.)
• Are you offering to "waive" or "cover" my deductible? (That is against the law in many states, and it is your name on the claim.)
• Is the license number on the paperwork, and does it belong to this company name?
• Why does this need a signature today? (A schedule spot is not a reason to sign before you have read the scope.)

The one that takes ten seconds

"What is your state license number, and how long have you operated under this business name?" Then look it up on your state's licensing site. A real answer takes ten seconds, from a local company or an out-of-town one. Everything else is in Guide 1, and Guide 8 has the two-minute sort for storm season. The Contractor Comparison Scorecard turns it into a checklist you can use on every truck in the neighborhood.