How do I spot a storm-chaser roofing scam after a hailstorm?

Large storms draw traveling crews who go door-to-door promising fast, insurance-covered roof repairs — the Texas Department of Insurance warns homeowners to watch for them after major weather events. Cypress had a real one: NOAA's Storm Events Database recorded an EF-1 tornado and an estimated 104 mph wind gust there during the May 16, 2024 derecho.

The pattern is familiar after any serious Texas hailstorm: unfamiliar trucks in the neighborhood, door-to-door pitches promising a “free roof,” and pressure to sign before the insurance adjuster has even shown up. The Texas Department of Insurance has published specific guidance on exactly this pattern — here’s what it says to watch for, and what to do instead.

Why do storm-chaser scams follow hailstorms and derechos in Texas?

Large storms draw traveling crews who go door-to-door promising fast, insurance-covered roof repairs — the Texas Department of Insurance warns homeowners to watch for them after major weather events. Cypress had a real one: NOAA’s Storm Events Database recorded an EF-1 tornado and an estimated 90-knot (about 104 mph) wind gust there during the May 16, 2024 derecho.

That derecho brought widespread flash flooding and multi-day power outages to hundreds of thousands of households across the Houston area, with nine fatalities in Houston — the kind of visible, widespread damage that draws traveling repair crews from outside the area. It’s exactly the situation the Texas Department of Insurance’s contractor-scam guidance is written for.

What are the biggest red flags of a storm-chaser roofing scam?

The Texas Department of Insurance flags several specific warning signs: a contractor who wants full payment up front, an out-of-town crew asking for a down payment before starting work after a disaster (which is against the law), and a contract that assigns your entire insurance payout to the contractor.

The Texas Department of Insurance recommends getting at least three written bids and comparing them against your adjuster’s own damage report before agreeing to anything, and hiring locally rather than whoever happens to be canvassing the neighborhood that week.

Is it legal for a roofer to waive or cover my insurance deductible?

No. The Texas Department of Insurance says waiving, rebating, or otherwise absorbing a customer’s insurance deductible is illegal for a contractor, punishable by up to a $2,000 fine and up to six months in jail. A contractor offering to “cover your deductible” as a sales pitch is offering to break the law on your behalf.

A related 2019 law, House Bill 2102, separately addresses deductible-payment procedures under Insurance Code chapter 707 — a different bill from the one covering the adjuster rule below (House Bill 1183 and House Bill 2103), but both exist to keep a contractor’s role limited to the repair itself, not the insurance transaction.

Can a contractor legally offer to handle your insurance claim for you?

No. Under Texas Insurance Code chapter 4102, only a licensed public insurance adjuster can adjust your claim — a contractor may not act as one or advertise that service for a roof it’s also bidding to repair. That rule traces to House Bill 1183 (2013) and House Bill 2103 (2019), not House Bill 2102.

A contractor can still support and document your claim — showing the adjuster the damage, providing a written bid, pointing out areas that may have been missed — without crossing into adjusting it. And it works the other way too: a licensed adjuster who already adjusted your claim can’t then also take on the repair work itself.

What should you do instead of hiring a storm-chaser?

The Texas Department of Insurance recommends getting at least three written bids and comparing them against your adjuster’s report, hiring a local, verifiable contractor rather than an out-of-town crew, and never paying the full price before work starts. Put every promise — scope, price, timeline — in writing before you sign anything.

In order, before you sign anything:

1. Get at least three written bids and compare to your adjuster’s report.
2. Confirm the contractor has a real, local address, reachable after the job.
3. Get every promise in writing — scope, materials, price — before signing.
4. Never pay the full price before work starts.
5. Keep your own copies of the insurance paperwork and deductible proof.

None of this requires a contractor to “handle” your claim for you — a contractor’s legitimate role is to document damage and give you a bid, not to adjust or negotiate the claim itself (see how to file a roof insurance claim in Texas for how that process actually works).