How to Spot a Bad Roofing Company Before You Sign

We Check Roofers for a Living

We list roofing companies in 53 metro areas, and in California every listing shows what the state board says about it. So we look at a lot of license records.

On September 20, 2026 we matched the California roofers on this site against the state board master license file. That is our own data, measured on our own California listings. Of the 743 license records we tied to a listing, 39 were suspended. That is about one in nineteen.

The reasons were boring and that is the point. 25 of the 39 were about workers compensation, either lapsed or with a suspension pending. 10 more had a lapsed contractor bond. And 276 of the 743 held no C 39 roofing class at all. Many of those held a general B license instead.

None of that shows on a yard sign, a truck wrap or a nice website. It shows on the state lookup, and the lookup takes about two minutes. That is why the license check comes first below.

Twelve Warning Signs, Worst First

Most pages on this question are written by one roofing company about its own town. The ones we read on October 10, 2026 did not link a single state lookup page. Here is the list we would give a family member, in order of how much money each one costs when it goes wrong.

1. No license you can check. Ask for the number, then look it up on the state site in the table below. The name on the record should match the name on the bid. A roofer who says your job is too small to need a license is often the one who needs it most.
2. A big deposit, or cash only. California caps the down payment at 10 percent or 1,000 dollars, whichever is less, per the state license board. The FTC says never pay the full cost up front and pay by card or check, not cash, wire, gift card or app.
3. An offer to waive or cover your deductible. Texas calls this illegal, and that includes a rebate or an estimate padded to cover it, per the Texas Department of Insurance. Your insurer can ask you for proof you paid it.
4. A request to sign over your insurance check. The FTC says not to. Ask your bank about paying in stages as you approve the work instead.
5. A signature before a price. Texas warns that the paper you sign before seeing an estimate can turn out to be a contract.
6. Pressure to decide today. A discount that dies at midnight is a sales tool, not a price.
7. A knock on the door. Watch for crews who say they were working nearby or have leftover material from another job. The FTC names both as classic openers.
8. You are asked to pull the permit. The FTC lists this as a scam sign. A real roofer pulls their own.
9. No proof of workers compensation. In California a C 39 roofer must carry it even with no employees. If a worker falls with no coverage, the claim can land on you.
10. A bid far below the others. Get three written bids on the same scope. A much lower one usually skips something, like tear off, underlayment or the permit.
11. No address you can drive to. A P.O. box and an out of state phone number leave you no one to find when the roof leaks next winter.
12. A lender they want you to use. Shop the loan yourself, and never sign a blank or unread loan paper.

Look the License Up in Your State

This is the table no other page on this question gives you. It covers every state where we list roofers. Each link goes to the official state or city page, and we opened every one on October 10, 2026.

A license or a registration proves the company exists and who stands behind it. It does not prove the work is good. Use it to rule companies out, then compare bids. In a state with no state roofing license, check with the city or county that issues your roof permit.

Three local notes. Kansas makes every roofing contractor who works for pay register with the Attorney General, which is unusual. North Carolina only requires its general contractor license on jobs of 40,000 dollars or more, so a small roof job there may have no state record at all. Iowa registers contractors who earn 2,000 dollars a year or more in construction.

California has the deepest record. The board lookup shows the C 39 roofing class, the bond, the workers compensation policy and any suspension. You can also call the board at (800) 321-2752. Our California license guide walks through it.

Read the Contract Before the Pen Comes Out

A bad company hides in the paperwork. A good contract is boring, complete and has no blank spaces. The FTC and the Texas Department of Insurance both say the same short list belongs on it.

• The company name, street address, phone and license number.
• A start date and a finish date.
• A payment schedule tied to work that is done, not to dates on a calendar.
• The materials by brand and line, plus tear off, underlayment, flashing and the permit.
• Every promise the salesman made out loud, written in.
• Your right to cancel, when you signed at home.

On the right to cancel, the FTC Cooling Off Rule gives you until midnight of the third business day for many sales made in your home. It has exceptions, including purchases needed to meet an emergency, so read the cancel notice on your own contract. Our guide to reading a roofing estimate covers the line items one by one.

Storm Season Is When It Gets Worse

Bad roofers follow weather. After hail in Wichita, Oklahoma City, Denver or Dallas, after a hurricane in Miami, Tampa, Houston or New Orleans, and after fire season in California, the knocks start. The FTC warns that scammers push deals that expire today, claim no license is needed, and ask you to sign over the insurance check.

Texas adds one more rule. After a disaster declaration, it is against the law there for an out of area contractor to require payment before the work starts, per the Texas Department of Insurance.

The fix is simple. Tarp the leak, take photos, call your insurer, and wait for the adjuster before you sign with anyone. A good local roofer will still be there next week.

If You Already Paid a Bad Roofer

Do not wait. Every week makes the money harder to get back.

1. Write it all down. Dates, amounts, texts, photos of the roof and the contract.
2. Ask the company in writing to finish the job or return the money. The FTC suggests certified mail with a return receipt.
3. File with the state board if the roofer holds a license. If they do not, many boards also take complaints about unlicensed work.
4. Claim against the bond. In California every licensed contractor carries a 25,000 dollar bond. It can run out when there are many claims.
5. In Massachusetts, the state Guaranty Fund can pay eligible homeowners up to 25,000 dollars on an unpaid judgment against a registered contractor.
6. Report it to your state Attorney General and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. In Texas the Attorney General consumer line is (800) 621-0508.

This is also why the workmanship warranty matters more than the shingle warranty. Our roof warranty guide explains the difference.

What a Good Roofer Looks Like

Flip every sign above and you have it. A license you can look up in two minutes. A deposit inside the state limit. Workers compensation proof sent straight from the insurer. A written contract with no blanks. A local address. No talk about your deductible. And no rush.

Good roofers are not hard to find once you know what to check. Start with the companies in our roofing directory, run the state lookup on the ones you like, and get three bids.

Sources

1. Finding the Right Contractor, California Contractors State License Board
2. How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam, Federal Trade Commission
3. How To Avoid Scams After Weather Emergencies and Natural Disasters, Federal Trade Commission
4. Buyer's Remorse, the FTC Cooling Off Rule, Federal Trade Commission
5. Is it OK for a contractor to waive my deductible, Texas Department of Insurance
6. Do you know the signs of a contracting scam, Texas Department of Insurance
7. Roofing Registration, Kansas Attorney General
8. Home Improvement Contractor Program, Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
9. Contractor registration, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing
10. NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, State of North Carolina