Contractor Vetting
Choosing a Roofing Contractor in Texas
Texas does not license roofing contractors. Anyone can legally call themselves a roofer here, and the 2025 bill to change that died in committee. Your protection is your own verification. This guide covers every step.
Updated September 15, 2026
Start Here
How do you choose a roofing contractor in Texas?
Start from your own record
Document your roof’s condition first, then compare contractors against that record instead of letting each bidder define the problem for you. From there, verify insurance certificates, credentials, and references in writing before you sign anything.
Licensing
Do you need a license to be a roofing contractor in Texas?
What that means for you
No. Texas does not currently require a state-issued roofing contractor license, which is why verification falls to the homeowner. The closest verified credential is voluntary licensing through the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas (RCAT), alongside written proof of liability insurance.
Start Here
Document first. Then select a contractor.
The order that protects you
Document your roof before you shop for a contractor. The usual order, get estimates first and decide later, puts you in the position of relying on the contractor to both assess the condition and price the fix. Documentation of your roof’s visible condition before contractor contact gives you a documented baseline. That baseline is what keeps proposals honest and makes comparisons meaningful.
Verification Checklist
What to check before you sign anything
Certificate of Insurance (COI)
Before you compare bids, understand how roofing warranties actually work and what hail damage does to a Texas roof.
- General liability and workers’ compensation. Call the insurer to verify the policy is active. Ask to be named as the certificate holder. Do not accept verbal assurance or a photo of a card.
- Verifiable business identityA registered Texas business entity you can look up with the Secretary of State or Comptroller, a consistent local phone number, and a verifiable business history. Storm chasers operate under temporary names and disappear after the season.
- BBB or public business profileSearch the business name on BBB.org and Google. Look for complaint history, rating, and how long the business has been listed.
- RCAT membershipThe Roofing Contractors Association of Texas (RCAT) offers voluntary licensing, the closest thing to a verified credential in a state with no mandatory licensing law. Not a regulatory credential, but a useful screening signal.
- Manufacturer certificationGAF, Owens Corning, or other manufacturer certification. The certification tier determines the warranty level available. Ask for the current certification document, not a past one.
- Written scope of workLine-item proposal before work begins. Materials with product name, color, and manufacturer. Underlayment. Flashing. Ventilation. Disposal. Timeline. Payment schedule. All in writing.
- Texas entity registrationSearch the business name at the Texas Secretary of State Comptroller website (mycpa.cpa.state.tx.us). A registered Texas entity is a stronger accountability signal than an unregistered operating name.
- No deductible waiver languageAny contractor who says your deductible will be waived, covered, absorbed, or credited is violating Texas HB 2102. Walk away.
Warning Signs
Red flags that should stop the process
Pressure to sign same-day
Walk away from same-day pressure. Any contractor who insists on a signed contract before you have verified their credentials is prioritizing their urgency over your protection. A 24-hour review period costs a legitimate contractor nothing.
Verbal scope only
Get the scope in writing. If a contractor will not put the work in writing before you sign, you have no enforceable standard to hold them to. Materials, underlayment, flashing, ventilation, and disposal should all be specified in writing.
Deductible waiver promises
This is a violation of Texas law (HB 2102) and your insurance policy’s fraud provisions. Any contractor promising to cover, waive, or absorb your deductible creates legal exposure for both of you.
Assignment of Benefits (AOB) request
An AOB transfers your right to insurance proceeds to the contractor. This removes your oversight of the claim and settlement. Texas homeowners should understand exactly what they are signing before assigning any insurance benefits.
No verifiable business identity
Know who you are hiring. Storm chasers often work from out of state under temporary business names. If you cannot verify a registered Texas entity and a business history that predates the storm, you have limited recourse if the work is substandard or the contractor disappears.
Resistance to outside inspection
A good contractor welcomes a second opinion. One who objects to an outside review of their proposed scope, or refuses to allow additional inspection before work begins has given you a clear signal about their confidence in the quality of their proposal.
Questions to Ask
Before signing any roofing contract
The question to ask first
- "Can I have a current Certificate of Insurance naming me as the certificate holder?"
- "What manufacturer are you certified with, at what tier, and can I see the current certification document?"
- "What is the exact product line and color of the shingles you are proposing?"
- "What type and weight of underlayment is included in this proposal?"
- "What warranty comes with this project, both manufacturer and workmanship, and how do I register?"
- "Are you a registered Texas business, and can I verify your entity with the Secretary of State?"
- "Will the scope of work be in writing before any work begins?"
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The Licensing Question
Texas does not license roofing contractors, and what that means for you
How to verify a contractor instead
Texas has no state roofing license. That surprises most homeowners, and it is the most useful thing to know before you hire anyone here.
There is no board, no exam, and no license number to check the way you would for an electrician or a plumber. Anyone may print business cards, buy a ladder, and start selling roofs tomorrow, legally.
That is not a scandal, it is simply the regulatory position, and it changes how you should vet. In a licensed state the license does some of the filtering for you. Here, nothing does, so the checks below carry all the weight.
What does exist, and is worth checking:
- Voluntary registration through RCAT.The Roofing Contractors Association of Texas runs a voluntary licensing program. It is not required by law, so its absence proves little, but its presence means somebody chose to be accountable when they did not have to be.
- General liability insurance.Ask for the certificate directly from the insurer, not a copy from the contractor. Coverage that lapsed last month looks identical on paper.
- Workers compensation.Texas does not require it. If a crew member is hurt on your roof and there is no policy, the exposure can land on your homeowners insurance. Ask, and get the answer in writing.
- Manufacturer certification.GAF Master Elite, Owens Corning Preferred and similar are earned, audited, and revocable. This is the closest thing to a license that exists here, and it is verifiable directly with the manufacturer rather than taken on trust.
- A city permit pulled in their own name.Most Central Texas municipalities require a permit for a roof replacement. A contractor who asks you to pull it yourself is moving liability onto you.
How To Actually Check
Checking a contractor in about fifteen minutes
Confirm the business exists as a business
Everything here you can do yourself, before anyone comes out, and none of it requires trusting the contractor's own materials.
Search the Texas Secretary of State and the Comptroller's taxable entity records for the legal entity name, not the brand name on the truck. A company operating under a name with no registered entity behind it is a question worth asking about.
Verify certification at the source. Manufacturer certification directories are public. Look the company up on the manufacturer's own site rather than believing a logo on a website. Logos are copied constantly.
Check the physical address. Put it in a map. A residential address is not disqualifying for a small local outfit and is a genuine warning sign for a company claiming a large regional presence. A postal box pretending to be a suite is worse.
Read reviews by date and by pattern. Twenty five-star reviews in one week is a purchase. What matters more is how the company answered its worst review: that is the behavior you will meet if something goes wrong.
Ask for two addresses of jobs done a few years ago, not last month. Anyone can make a roof look right the week it is finished. What you want to know is how the work looks after three summers.
Before You Sign
What belongs in the contract, and what should not
Every line to insist on
the full scope including tear-off and decking replacement terms, the specific product and color, the underlayment and accessories by name, who pulls the permit, the payment schedule, both warranty documents referenced by name, and what happens if the deck turns out to be worse than expected once it is open.
Should worry you:
- Large money up front.Materials are usually delivered on account. A demand for a big deposit before anything arrives is a cash-flow question about them, not a normal term.
- A price that expires today.Roofing costs do not move that quickly. Urgency about a signature is about the signature.
- Anything about your deductible.Covering it, absorbing it, or building it into the invoice. In Texas this is not a favor and it is not a gray area, it is illegal, and it exposes you as well as them.
- A promise about what your insurer will approve.No contractor can know that. Anyone who says otherwise is telling you something they cannot know.
- Blank spaces to be filled in later.Sign nothing with gaps in it, including a scope you have not read in full.
You are allowed to take the contract away and read it. A company that objects to that has told you something useful.
Your Questions Answered
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a roofing contractor in Texas need a state license?
Texas does not currently require a state-issued roofing contractor license. HB 3344, the Roofing Contractor Consumer Protection Act, was introduced in the 89th Texas Legislature in 2025 and would have established mandatory TDLR licensing, background checks, and a public contractor database. It died in the House Calendar committee when the session ended June 2, 2025. Until a licensing law passes, any individual can legally present as a roofing contractor without a license, exam, or background check. That absence makes independent verification of credentials, insurance, manufacturer certification, trade association membership, and written scope, more critical, not less.
Do some Texas cities require contractor registration even without a state license?
Yes. Several major Texas cities require roofing contractors to register locally before performing work, even though no state license exists. Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio all have local contractor registration or permitting requirements. In Houston, residential roof replacements require a building permit. In Austin and San Antonio, contractors must register with the city before beginning roofing work. These local requirements vary by municipality, always confirm your contractor is properly registered for your specific city before signing a contract.
What should be in a roofing contract before I sign?
A complete roofing contract should specify: the complete address of the property; full scope of work including materials with manufacturer, product line, and color; underlayment type and weight; ventilation details; flashing specifications; disposal method; timeline with start and completion dates; total price with payment schedule; warranty terms (separate manufacturer and workmanship); and the contractor’s license, insurance certificate, and business entity name. Missing any of these is a risk.
Is it a red flag if a contractor asks me to sign the same day?
Yes. Same-day pressure is a primary storm chaser tactic. Legitimate local contractors are busy but not so desperate that they need a signature before you can verify their credentials. A contractor who will not allow 24 hours to review a proposal and verify their insurance and credentials is presenting a risk signal.
Should I get multiple estimates?
Yes. Industry guidance is typically three estimates. More importantly, having documentation of your roof’s visible condition before getting estimates means you can compare proposals against a documented baseline, rather than relying on each contractor to both identify the damage and propose the fix.
What does a written scope of work protect me from?
A written scope defines exactly what the contractor agreed to do. Without it, there is no enforceable agreement about materials, underlayment, flashing, ventilation, or disposal. Contractors who resist providing a written scope before starting work are removing your ability to hold them to any standard. Do not sign a contract without a complete written scope.
How do I verify a contractor’s insurance?
Ask for a Certificate of Insurance (COI) naming you as the certificate holder. Call the insurance company listed on the COI to verify the policy is active. Do not accept a photo of an insurance card or a verbal assurance. A lapsed or fraudulent COI is one of the most common contractor fraud patterns in storm-affected markets.
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