Roofing has a bad-actor problem, and it is structural rather than accidental: the work is expensive, most of it is invisible once finished, the failures show up years later, and demand spikes after storms when people are stressed and in a hurry. Here is what actually filters.
Checks that genuinely matter
Insurance, verified at the source
Ask for the certificate of insurance and confirm it directly with the carrier rather than accepting a PDF. You want general liability and workers' compensation. If an uninsured worker is hurt on your roof, that can become your problem — this is the single most consequential check on the list and the one most often skipped.
A physical local address, with some history
Not a PO box, not a truck. A company that has been at an address for years is a company that will still be reachable when a warranty question comes up. After a storm this is the single most useful question you can ask.
Willingness to pull the permit
In their name, not yours. A contractor who wants the permit in the homeowner's name is moving code responsibility onto you. One who suggests skipping it is telling you they prefer work nobody inspects. How permits work here.
A written scope, before any signature
It should state the material and manufacturer, the underlayment, whether flashing is replaced or reused, how decking replacement is priced, the ventilation plan, permit and disposal, and the cleanup. "Replace roof — $X" is not a scope; it is a number with nothing attached to it.
Both warranties, explained
There are two: the manufacturer's on the material, and the contractor's on the workmanship. They cover different failures. Ask what each covers, for how long, and what voids them — and get it in writing.
Checks that feel useful and mostly are not
- A big brand certification on its own. Manufacturer programmes vary widely in what they actually require. Worth something as one signal among several; worth nothing as the only one.
- A perfect five-star average. Read the substance instead. How a company responded to the one bad review tells you far more than the average does.
- The lowest quote. Cheap is not automatically bad, but cheap is always cheap somewhere specific. Find out where before you decide.
Immediate red flags
- Pressure to sign today, or a discount that expires this afternoon
- A large deposit demanded up front, particularly in cash
- Any offer to absorb, waive, or "work around" your insurance deductible
- No written scope, or a refusal to itemise what is included
- Out-of-state plates and no local address after a storm event
- A promise about what your insurance will approve
The deductible one is worth repeating because it is presented as generosity. In Tennessee, a contractor absorbing your deductible on an insurance job is fraud, and the claim carries your name.
Questions worth asking out loud
- Are your crews employees or subcontractors, and who supervises the job?
- Who is my point of contact once work starts, and how do I reach them?
- What happens if you open the roof and find bad decking — how is that priced?
- What is the plan if it rains mid-tear-off?
- Who does the cleanup, and do you magnet-sweep for nails?
- If I call in three years about a leak, what happens?
None of these require a technical answer. They require a straight one — and the contractors worth hiring answer all six without hesitating.
