How to Choose a Roofing Contractor in Montgomery County Without Getting Burned

Every storm that rolls through Montgomery County puts a dozen unfamiliar trucks on every street, all offering free inspections and fast repairs. Some of them are good. Some of them will take a deposit and disappear. Here's how to tell the difference before you sign anything — from a crew that would rather you ask these questions than not.

The red flags

These aren't subtle. If any of them show up, walk away:

• Out-of-state plates and no local address. Storm chasers follow the weather, do the work (sometimes), and leave. When something goes wrong six months later, you're calling a disconnected number.
• "We'll take care of your deductible." This one is not just a red flag — it's a crime in Texas.
• Pressure to sign today. "This price is only good right now" is a sales tactic, not a roofing reality. A legitimate estimate doesn't expire overnight.
• They want the whole payment upfront. Materials deposits are normal. Full payment before work starts is not.
• No written estimate. If someone gives you a number off the top of their head without measuring anything, that number is meaningless.

What to actually verify

Before you hire anyone — including us — check these things:

• City registration. If you're inside Conroe city limits, your contractor should be registered with the City of Conroe. Other cities in the county have their own requirements. Ask for the registration number.
• General liability insurance. Don't accept "yes, we're insured" as an answer. Ask for the certificate of insurance. It's a one-page document that any insured contractor can produce in minutes. If they can't, they aren't.
• Workers compensation — or a signed waiver. If a worker gets hurt on your property and the contractor has no workers comp, guess whose homeowner's policy gets a claim. Texas doesn't require contractors to carry workers comp, but if they don't, get that fact in writing so you know what you're accepting.
• A physical address. Not a P.O. box, not "we're mobile." A physical location you could drive to if you needed to.

The estimate tells you everything

A good estimate is itemized line by line: tear-off, decking repair (if needed), underlayment, shingles (brand, product line, color), flashing, drip edge, ridge vent, pipe boots, cleanup, and haul-off. Each line has a quantity and a price.

A bad estimate is one number on a page. "Roof replacement — $X,XXX." That tells you nothing about what you're getting, makes it impossible to compare against another estimate, and gives the contractor room to cut corners without you knowing what was supposed to be there.

If two estimates are far apart on price, the line items tell you why. Maybe one includes decking replacement and the other doesn't. Maybe one specs architectural shingles and the other specs three-tab. The details are the whole story.

The contract: what should be in it

Before work starts, you should have a signed contract that includes:

• Scope of work — exactly what's being done, matching the estimate
• Materials — brand, product line, and specifications
• Timeline — start date and expected completion
• Payment schedule — tied to milestones, not front-loaded
• Warranty terms — in writing, not verbal promises
• What happens if something goes wrong — change orders, dispute process, right to cure

If the contract is a handshake and a verbal promise, you don't have a contract. You have a hope.

The warranty question

Two warranties matter on a roof job, and they come from different places:

Manufacturer warranty covers the materials — if a shingle fails prematurely, the manufacturer replaces it. This warranty only applies if the materials were installed according to the manufacturer's specifications, which is why the contractor matters.

Workmanship warranty covers the labor — if a leak develops because something was installed wrong, the contractor fixes it. This is the one that depends entirely on who you hire and whether they'll still be around when you need them.

You need both. A manufacturer warranty without workmanship coverage means if the install was bad, nobody's fixing it for free. A workmanship warranty without a manufacturer warranty means if the shingle itself fails, the contractor isn't on the hook for materials.

Ask how long the workmanship warranty is, what it covers, and whether it transfers if you sell the house. Get the answers in writing.

One more thing

The best roofing contractor for your job is the one who answers every question on this list without getting annoyed that you asked. If someone acts offended that you want to see their insurance certificate or read their contract before signing, that reaction is the answer.