Check the License Before the Price

After a significant storm, contractors arrive from across the country. Many are legitimate and needed. Some are not licensed in Florida, some subcontract to whoever is available, and some will not exist in three years when a warranty question arises. The price is not what distinguishes them.

Pressure tactics are the most reliable warning sign. A legitimate contractor after a major storm has more work than capacity and does not need a signature today. Urgency about signing, particularly combined with a deposit before any work starts, is the pattern that recurs in every post-storm market.

The scope, in enough detail that somebody else could price it. The license number. Proof of insurance obtained from the carrier rather than from the contractor. The payment schedule, tied to work completed rather than to dates.

And any promise made verbally about what the insurer will or will not cover. Nobody quoting a roof can bind your insurer, and a promise about coverage that is not in the policy is not a promise at all.

1. 01Provide license and insurance details for verification.
2. 02Be clear about who performs the work.
3. 03Provide documentation for your insurer.
4. 04Not require payment structures that put you at risk.

Verify the license with the state yourself rather than accepting a photograph of one. It takes a few minutes online, it is the single most useful check available after a storm, and it is the one most often skipped when people are anxious to get a roof fixed.

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