# Before you hire a roofer in Texas: the 9 things to check. Mammoth Roofing & Exteriors · https://mammothroofs.com/guides/before-you-hire-a-roofer/ · (210) 934-9074 Texas has no state roofing license and does not make roofing contractors carry workers' compensation. Add a hail season every spring and you have the reason the worst roofers in the country come here after every storm. These are the nine checks that sort them from the good ones, and how to make each one in Texas. _11 min read · Updated November 1, 2026_ **Key points** - Texas licenses no roofers. What stands in for a license is a record you can check: the voluntary RCAT license, the BBB file, the company's Texas entity record, city registration and years at one address. - Ask for two insurance certificates, general liability and workers' compensation, with your name as certificate holder, and call the carriers. Workers' compensation is optional in Texas, so it is the one most often missing. - A roofer who offers to cover your deductible is offering to break Texas law. Every contract of $1,000 or more paid from a claim must print the deductible notice in bold. - Get the scope, the price, the payment schedule and the warranty in writing. A contract signed at your door can be canceled until midnight of the third business day. - Compare bids line by line. When one is thousands lower, the gap is almost always a missing line. ## Why hiring a roofer in Texas takes more checking. In most trades a state license does some of the checking for you. Roofing in Texas has none: the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation does not license roofing contractors, and [a 2025 bill to license reroofers](https://mammothroofs.com/blog/roofing-reform/) died without a vote in the Texas House. Texas also lets private employers skip workers' compensation, and hail season brings crews from out of town. So the checking falls to you, and every check below can be made by phone. We are a roofing company; use this list on everyone, us included. ## 1. Check who stands behind the name. With no state license to look up, build the record from four public places. - **The RCAT license.** The Roofing Contractors Association of Texas runs a voluntary license. The holder must have been a principal of a Texas roofing company for two years, passed RCAT's exams and carry $300,000 of general liability insurance for residential work (or a $100,000 bond). Check RCAT's directory. - **The BBB file.** A Better Business Bureau rating, A+ to F, is the bureau's opinion of how a business treats customers, built partly from its complaint history. Read the complaints and the replies. - **The state's record.** The Texas Comptroller's franchise tax account status search shows whether the legal name on the contract is a Texas entity with an active right to do business. - **The city's list.** Boerne, Cibolo, Live Oak and Richardson only let a contractor registered with the city (or, in some, the homeowner) pull a roof permit. Ask whether the roofer is on your city's list. Then ask how long the company has been at its address; years at one Texas address are hard for a storm chaser to fake. Mammoth started in Boerne in 2017; our BBB accreditation (since March 9, 2018) and RCAT license #03-0528 link to their sources on our [reviews and credentials page](https://mammothroofs.com/reviews/). ## 2. Ask for two insurance certificates, and read them. "We're fully insured" can mean almost anything in Texas, so ask for paper. **General liability** pays for damage the contractor does to your property. **Workers' compensation** pays for the roofer's own people when they are hurt; Texas lets private employers opt out, and the Texas Department of Insurance calls them non-subscribers. Without it, a fall on your roof has nowhere to go but a lawsuit. Ask for the certificate of insurance with your name and address as certificate holder, then read four things: the insured's legal name (it should match the contract), the policy dates, the limits, and the workers' compensation section (filled in, not "N/A"). Call the insurers listed to confirm both, as the Department recommends, and ask whether the policy covers the crew on your roof, since many companies subcontract. Even RCAT's license accepts a filed non-subscriber notice instead of workers' compensation, so always ask. Our [workers' comp guide](https://mammothroofs.com/guides/workers-comp-for-roofing/) reads a certificate line by line. ## 3. Ask what happens to your deductible. If insurance is paying, you will hear some version of "we'll take care of your deductible". The honest answer is always the same: you pay it. Insurance Code section 707.002 says the policyholder pays. Business and Commerce Code section 27.02, tightened by House Bill 2102 in 2019, makes it a Class B misdemeanor for a contractor to pay, waive, absorb or rebate it without the insurer's consent, and requires contracts of $1,000 or more paid from a claim to say so in at least 12-point bold type. Your insurer can hold back depreciation until you show proof you paid (Insurance Code section 707.004). So look for the bold notice. Without it, the deductible is being hidden in an inflated estimate or in corners cut on your roof. Our [deductible guide](https://mammothroofs.com/guides/roof-insurance-deductibles/) works through the arithmetic of the percentage deductibles most Texas policies now carry. ## 4. Get the scope and the price in writing, line by line. A real estimate names its parts: the roof's size in squares (one square is 100 square feet) and pitch, the shingle by brand and line, the underlayment, where the ice and water shield goes, the flashings replaced rather than reused, the ventilation, the permit, and a per-sheet price for rotten decking. "Replace roof" and a total leaves those decisions to the crew. Texas law agrees. Before you sign a contract to repair your home, the Property Code requires the contractor to give you a "Know your rights" disclosure, which warns that a promise left out of the written agreement may not be enforceable. Our guide to [comparing estimates](https://mammothroofs.com/guides/how-to-compare-roofing-estimates/) lists every line, and our [cost guide](https://mammothroofs.com/guides/what-does-a-new-roof-cost/) shows normal prices in San Antonio in 2026. ## 5. Check the manufacturer credential, and what it covers. Shingle makers credential the roofers who install their systems. CertainTeed describes its credential as recognition for completing specialized training, and offers its SureStart PLUS extended warranty only on its Integrity Roof System installed by a credentialed contractor. Mammoth holds CertainTeed's SELECT ShingleMaster credential. Confirm any credential in the maker's own directory. A credential makes the maker's enhanced warranty possible, but only when the full system goes on and the roof is registered in time. It does not prove the crew on your roof took the training, and it does not replace the contractor's workmanship warranty, the one that answers a leak at a flashing in the first ten years. Ask to see both warranties before you sign. Our [warranty guide](https://mammothroofs.com/guides/roofing-warranties-explained/) explains the difference. ## 6. Find the local office. A warranty is a promise to come back, worth only as much as the company's chances of still being here. Look for an office in your part of Texas and roofs done in your town. An out-of-state plate or a business card with no street address is the classic sign of a crew that arrived with the storm. Ask who pulls the permit, because a local roofer knows your city's rules and they differ. San Antonio requires a permit any time a roof is replaced. Austin exempts a like-for-like shingle replacement that leaves the structure alone. Dallas exempts only work worth $500 or less. Fort Worth needs none for shingles alone, but does once any decking is replaced. Our [offices](https://mammothroofs.com/locations/) are listed by town. ## 7. Read reviews for patterns, not stars. Read the recent reviews first, then the lowest, and look for the same complaint more than once: missed start dates, nails in the driveway, a leak that came back. Read the owner's replies: facts and a fix are what you want when something goes wrong. Be wary of a burst of five-star reviews right after a storm from accounts with no other reviews. Then call a reference on a roof finished a few years ago, as the Texas Department of Insurance advises. Our own Boerne Google profile showed 4.9 stars from 351 reviews at our last check (October 21, 2026); read the worst of them first. ## 8. Read the contract for the terms that matter. Before you sign, check the contract for these, and for blank spaces someone could fill in later. - **The start date and the time to finish.** - **The payment schedule.** A modest amount at signing or delivery, the balance on completion. The Texas Department of Insurance warns against a large down payment; after a declared disaster, it says, out-of-area contractors may not ask for one before starting. Pay by check or card. - **The scope**, with products named and decking priced per sheet; any later change agreed in writing. - **The cleanup and the warranty**, both in writing: a magnet sweep for nails, and the workmanship years, what voids them and how they transfer. - **Lien protection.** An unpaid supplier or subcontractor can put a lien on your home even after you paid the roofer. Get the subcontractor and supplier list the contractor must give you before work starts, and at final payment a lien waiver in the form Property Code section 53.284 prescribes. - **Nothing that hands over your claim.** The Department warns against contracts that give the contractor "the value of insurance proceeds". If the roofer sold you the job at your home, Business and Commerce Code chapter 601 lets you cancel until midnight of the third business day after you sign. ## 9. After a storm, slow the door-knockers down. The Texas Department of Insurance warns that out-of-town scam artists may be the first at your door after a disaster. Sign nothing to get an inspection; scammers, the Department says, call a contract an estimate or a release just to get on your roof. Keep the claim yours: a Texas roofer may not act as your public adjuster or negotiate your claim on a job it is doing (Insurance Code section 4102.163). Call the number on the company's website, not the card, to confirm who is at your door. Then [get the roof graded](https://mammothroofs.com/services/roof-inspection/) before you decide anything. See [the first 48 hours after a storm](https://mammothroofs.com/guides/what-to-do-after-a-storm/), and our [storm damage repair](https://mammothroofs.com/services/storm-damage-repair/) and [insurance claims](https://mammothroofs.com/services/insurance-claims/) pages for what a roofer may do on a claim. ## The red flags, in one list. - An offer to pay, waive or "work with" your deductible. - Pressure to sign today. - Most of the money before materials arrive, or cash only. - Blank spaces in the contract, or a clause that signs your insurance proceeds over. - No workers' compensation certificate. - Damage only this roofer can find, with no photographs. - An offer to handle your insurance claim for you. - "Lifetime warranty" with no document behind it. Any one of them is a reason to get a second opinion. ## Questions to ask every roofer. - What is the company's legal name, and how long have you been at this address? - Who holds your RCAT license? - Can I have both insurance certificates with me as holder, and do they cover the crew? - Will you pull the permit, and who inspects the finished roof? - Which shingle, underlayment and flashings are you quoting, and how many nails per shingle? - What does each sheet of rotten decking cost, and what is the payment schedule? - Can I see both warranties before I sign, and will you register the roof? - When do you start, and who is my contact if there is a delay? ## A worked example: two bids for the same roof. Take a 2,000 square foot single-story San Antonio home with 22 to 26 squares of roof, where our cost guide puts an [architectural shingle replacement](https://mammothroofs.com/services/roof-replacement/) at roughly $8,000 to $13,000. After a hailstorm, Bid A says $8,000 and Bid B says $13,000. | Line | Bid A: $8,000 | Bid B: $13,000 | | --- | --- | --- | | Measured | From the driveway | 24 squares, on the roof | | Underlayment | "Felt" | Synthetic, named | | Ice and water shield | Not mentioned | Eaves, valleys, every penetration | | Flashings | "Reuse where possible" | New, with a named pipe flashing system | | Ventilation | Not mentioned | Intake and exhaust, with counts | | Decking | Not mentioned | Priced per sheet | | Permit | "Homeowner to obtain" | Pulled by the roofer ($150 to $500) | | Deductible | "We'll take care of it" | The bold notice on the contract | | Workers' comp | "We're insured" | Certificate, confirmed | | Warranty | "Lifetime", no document | 10-year workmanship document | On the totals, Bid A saves $5,000. On the lines, it is a different roof, missing the parts that stop leaks, with a deductible offer that is a crime in Texas and will be paid for somewhere you cannot see. Ask Bid A to price Bid B's scope; if the gap closes completely, the cheaper roofer is simply cheaper, and with the paperwork in order that is a fair choice. ## What to do, in order. - Get two or three written bids, each after an inspection of the roof and the attic. - Look up each company's RCAT license, BBB file and Texas entity record. - Get both insurance certificates and call the carriers. - Compare the bids line by line before the totals. - Read the contract for the deductible notice, the payment schedule and blank spaces. - At final payment, walk the job and collect the warranties and the lien waiver. ## Frequently asked What are the warning signs of a roofing scam?A knock right after a storm and pressure to sign today; a large deposit before any materials arrive; an offer to cover your deductible; damage only one roofer can find, with no photos; a bid far below the others that grows once the work starts; and no brand names in the contract. Any one of them is a reason to get a second opinion. How do I avoid surprise charges once the job starts?Ask what the quote leaves out before you sign. Rotten decking under the old shingles is the usual one, so the quote should price it per sheet. Agree any change in writing before the work is done, and don't pay for extras nobody agreed to. What should I ask about the schedule?When the work starts and finishes, who your contact is while it's underway, and how you'll hear about a delay or a change in scope. Get the answers before you sign. What insurance should a roofing contractor have?General liability, for damage to your property, and workers' compensation, for the crew. Texas requires neither. RCAT asks its licensed residential roofers for $300,000 of general liability or a bond, a fair floor for anyone. Confirm both certificates with the carriers. Does Texas require roofers to be licensed?No. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation does not license roofing contractors, and a 2025 bill to license reroofers died without a House vote. The closest things are the voluntary RCAT license and city registration in places such as Boerne and Richardson. #### Sources and notes - Roofing Contractors Association of Texas, "Become a licensed roofer in Texas" (no TDLR licensing; the voluntary license's requirements): [rcat.net](https://www.rcat.net/licensing.html); "Selecting a roofing contractor": [rcat.net](https://www.rcat.net/selecting-a-roofing-contractor.html) - Texas Legislature Online, House Bill 3344, 89th Legislature (last action May 8, 2025; no House vote): [capitol.texas.gov](https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB3344) - Better Business Bureau, "Overview of BBB ratings": [bbb.org](https://www.bbb.org/overview-of-bbb-ratings); Texas Comptroller, franchise tax account status search: [comptroller.texas.gov](https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/franchise/account-status/search) - Each city's roof permit and contractor rules: Boerne [ci.boerne.tx.us](https://www.ci.boerne.tx.us/Faq.aspx?QID=174), Cibolo [cibolotx.gov](https://www.cibolotx.gov/faqs/index.php), Live Oak [liveoaktx.net](https://www.liveoaktx.net/departments/permits-and-inspections/frequently-asked-questions), Richardson [cor.net](https://www.cor.net/departments/building-inspection/residential/permit-types/roof-repair-replacement), San Antonio [sa.gov](https://www.sa.gov/Directory/Departments/DSD/Constructing/Residential/Permits), Austin [austintexas.gov](https://www.austintexas.gov/page/work-exempt-building-permits), Dallas [dallascityhall.com](https://dallascityhall.com/departments/sustainabledevelopment/buildinginspection/Pages/building_inspection_faqs.aspx), Fort Worth [fortworthtexas.gov](https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/files/assets/public/v/2/development-services/documents/resources-applications-forms-videos/r/roofing-faq.pdf) - Texas Department of Insurance: contracting scams [tdi.texas.gov](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/tips/contractor-scams.html); signs of a scam [tdi.texas.gov](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/consumer/storms/know-signs-of-contractor-scam.html); roofing and insurance law [tdi.texas.gov](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/consumer/storms/roofing-and-insurance-know-the-law.html); workers' compensation coverage [tdi.texas.gov](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/wc/employer/coverage.html) - Texas Business and Commerce Code §27.02 (as amended by House Bill 2102, effective September 1, 2019): [statutes.capitol.texas.gov](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/BC/htm/BC.27.htm); chapter 601: [statutes.capitol.texas.gov](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/BC/htm/BC.601.htm) - Texas Insurance Code §707.002 and §707.004: [statutes.capitol.texas.gov](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/IN/htm/IN.707.htm); §4102.163: [statutes.capitol.texas.gov](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/IN/htm/IN.4102.htm) - Texas Property Code §53.255, §53.256 and §53.281 to §53.284: [statutes.capitol.texas.gov](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PR/htm/PR.53.htm) - CertainTeed, "Why credentialing matters": [certainteed.com](https://www.certainteed.com/why-credentialing-matters) - Mammoth Roofing & Exteriors: [the cost guide](https://mammothroofs.com/guides/what-does-a-new-roof-cost/) (price ranges and permits) and [reviews and credentials](https://mammothroofs.com/reviews/) Homeowner education from a roofing contractor, not legal advice. The Texas Department of Insurance's consumer help line is 800-252-3439; deductible waivers can be reported to the Texas Attorney General at 800-621-0508. ## Already have a quote? Get the honest read before you sign. Bring the other roofer's estimate to a free Roof Grade. We inspect the roof, attic first, then go through their scope line by line, in writing. If their price is fair, we say so.