Why 15 Questions, Not 5
Most “questions to ask” lists are 5 generic prompts: are you licensed, do you have insurance, do you offer warranty. The right answer to every one is “yes” — and a storm chaser can answer “yes” just as fast as a real local contractor. The list below is built to surface the differences. Each question targets a specific failure mode we have seen DFW homeowners hit over the past 7 years. Reactions to questions 1, 4, 12, and 15 in particular tell you almost everything you need to know.
Question 1
Are you a GAF Master Elite, Owens Corning Platinum, or CertainTeed Master Shingle Applicator contractor — and can you prove it on the manufacturer website?
Why it matters: Less than 2% of US roofers earn GAF Master Elite. Less than 1% earn Owens Corning Platinum. These tiers are earned, not bought, and they unlock the strongest manufacturer warranties (Golden Pledge, Platinum Protection, SureStart Plus). Verify on gaf.com or owenscorning.com — never on the contractor’s own marketing.
Red flag answer: Vague claims like “we use GAF” or “GAF certified.” Anyone who buys a bundle of shingles is technically “authorized.” Master Elite is the tier you want.
Question 2
What is your physical business address — and how long have you been at it?
Why it matters: Storm chasers operate from PO boxes, hotel rooms, or rental trucks during storm season. A contractor with a permanent office in DFW for 3+ years has stake in their reputation. JRH operates from a permanent office in Little Elm.
Red flag answer: PO box only, out-of-state corporate address, or no consistent address that surfaces across multiple business records (Secretary of State, BBB, Google Business Profile).
Question 3
Can I see your Certificate of Insurance directly from your carrier?
Why it matters: Texas does not require state roofing licensure but requires liability and workers compensation coverage on any commercial work. The COI lists the contractor as the named insured, the policy numbers, the coverage limits, and the effective dates. Have your contractor email it to you directly from their broker if there is any doubt.
Red flag answer: A contractor-provided photocopy or a refusal to provide the COI at all. Some out-of-state “roofers” carry coverage only in their home state, which does not protect Texas property owners.
Question 4
What is your bonding capacity?
Why it matters: Bonding capacity is what a surety insurer guarantees the contractor can complete on a given project. For residential work, $500K-$1M is standard. For commercial work in DFW, $5M+ separates serious commercial roofers from the rest. JRH carries $10M+ in bonding capacity, which makes us eligible for federal contracting (SAM.gov registered) and large multi-family projects.
Red flag answer: Cannot answer the question, or claims to be “self-insured.”
Question 5
Will you pull the building permit for this project — and put it in writing?
Why it matters: Texas requires roofing permits in nearly every DFW jurisdiction. Permits include the inspector verifying that the work was completed to code (the 25% Rule, drip edge, ice-and-water shield, ventilation, decking nailing pattern). A roof installed without a permit is unverified work, and it surfaces as a problem when you sell the home and the buyer’s inspector pulls permit history.
Red flag answer: Offers to do the work “under the table” without a permit, or asks you to pull the permit yourself as a homeowner.
Question 6
What is your 3-day right of cancellation policy?
Why it matters: Texas law gives every homeowner a 3-business-day right to cancel a residential improvement contract. The contract must include a written notice of this right. Not optional.
Red flag answer: Pressures you to “sign now to lock in pricing” or refuses to give you a copy of the contract to review at home.
Question 7
How are change orders documented and approved?
Why it matters: Once a tear-off begins, hidden conditions surface — rotted decking, deteriorated underlayment, failing pipe boots. The professional pattern: stop work, photograph, write a change order, get your signature before continuing. A handshake “we found some bad wood” midway through is how surprise charges land.
Red flag answer: No formal change order process, or pricing on additional work is “decided at the end.”
Question 8
Do you use sub-contractors or in-house crews?
Why it matters: Some roofers sub everything — the crew on your roof has no relationship with the contractor you signed with. Others run W-2 in-house crews under direct supervision. In-house is generally tighter quality control. JRH runs in-house crews for residential and supervises hand-picked sub crews on commercial. Ask which one applies to your job.
Red flag answer: Cannot tell you who will actually be on the roof, or refers to crews as “our partners” without specifics.
Question 9
What is your workmanship warranty — and how is it different from the manufacturer warranty?
Why it matters: Two separate warranties. (a) Manufacturer warranty (50 years on materials, etc.) covers shingle defects. (b) Workmanship warranty (typically 5-25 years) covers installation errors. The Golden Pledge from a GAF Master Elite contractor combines both into one 50/25 package — but you only get that combined coverage if your contractor IS Master Elite.
Red flag answer: A 1-year or “limited” workmanship warranty. That is a shop-warranty floor, not a real warranty.
Question 10
Is your warranty transferable if I sell the home?
Why it matters: Most premium warranties (Golden Pledge, Platinum Protection) transfer to a subsequent owner one time. That transferability is genuinely valuable at resale — buyers’ agents look for it. A non-transferable warranty drops dollar value at sale.
Red flag answer: Warranty is “contractor only” or non-transferable.
Question 11
How do you handle insurance claims — do you meet the adjuster on the roof?
Why it matters: On any insurance-claim roof, the contractor should be physically on-site when the adjuster inspects. We compare notes, point out missed damage, and document the agreed-on scope in real time. Contractors who stay home and let homeowners face the adjuster alone leave money on the table — sometimes thousands per claim.
Red flag answer: Says “just have the adjuster come out and let us know what they say.”
Question 12
Are you SAM.gov registered or qualified for federal/government contracts?
Why it matters: Most residential contractors are not. The few who are qualified for federal contracts (military housing, federal facility roofing, multi-family HUD work) have passed deeper compliance checks — financial statements, safety record, performance history. JRH is SAM.gov registered. Even on a residential job, that signal indicates the contractor operates at a higher financial-discipline tier than typical.
Red flag answer: Has no idea what SAM.gov is, or claims to be registered without being verifiable on sam.gov directly.
Question 13
Can you show me three local jobs you have completed in the last year — addresses I can drive past?
Why it matters: A real DFW contractor has dozens of completed jobs in any given month. Driving past three of them, even just from the curb, gives you ground-truth on workmanship. Ask for jobs in your specific area — Frisco roofs in Frisco, Plano roofs in Plano, etc.
Red flag answer: Vague references like “we have done a lot in your area” without specifics, or addresses outside DFW.
Question 14
What does your payment schedule look like — and what is the maximum I should pay before the work is done?
Why it matters: Texas custom is: small deposit (5-10% or material deposit), progress payment after material delivery (or after tear-off completion), final payment at substantial completion, with retainage held until final inspection. A contractor demanding 50% up front is a major risk — that money is gone if they walk off the job.
Red flag answer: More than 30% requested up front, or insistence on cash-only payment.
Question 15
Will you waive my deductible? What about “deductible-free” pricing?
Why it matters: This is a TRAP question — and the right answer is “NO, that is illegal.” Texas Insurance Code Section 2702 makes deductible waiver schemes a Class B misdemeanor. Any contractor who says yes to this is asking you to participate in insurance fraud. Walk away.
Red flag answer: “Yes” or “sometimes” or “we can work something out.”
How Many of These Should the Right Contractor Pass?
Pass: at least 13 out of 15. The two that often surface as “yes-but” for legitimate contractors:
- Question 4 (bonding capacity) — many residential-only roofers do not carry $5M+ bonding because they do not pursue commercial or federal work. That is fine for residential. Just confirm the answer matches their actual scope.
- Question 12 (SAM.gov) — same logic. Residential-only roofers rarely register. Not a deal-breaker if their scope is residential only.
The other 13 should all be clean. Specifically: questions 1, 5, 9, 10, 11, and 15 are non-negotiable. If a contractor cannot pass those six, walk.
A Note on Estimates
Get the estimate in writing, line-item, with materials clearly specified. A “total $18,500” one-line bid is not an estimate — it is a price. The line items should include: tear-off, decking allowance, underlayment type and brand, ice-and-water shield placement, drip edge metal, starter strip, ridge cap shingles, exposure pattern, ventilation calculation, pipe boot replacement, flashing details, and disposal. A contractor who refuses to break it down is hiding something.
How JRH Construction Answers Every One of These
- Q1: GAF Master Elite (verifiable on gaf.com), Owens Corning Platinum Preferred
- Q2: Permanent office at 1767 Old State Highway 24 Suite 210, Little Elm, TX 75068. Founded 2019.
- Q3: Direct COI from broker available on request — full general liability and workers comp
- Q4: $10M+ bonding capacity (SAM.gov verified)
- Q5: Permits pulled on every DFW jurisdiction job — included in our standard contract
- Q6: 3-day right of cancellation written into every contract per Texas law
- Q7: Written change orders for any deviation; signed before continuing work
- Q8: In-house residential crews; supervised hand-picked sub crews for large commercial
- Q9: 25-year workmanship warranty (Golden Pledge level) on Master Elite installations
- Q10: Yes — Golden Pledge transfers one time to subsequent owner
- Q11: Yes — we attend every adjuster meeting and document the scope in real time
- Q12: SAM.gov registered (CAGE code on request) — federal contracting eligible
- Q13: 600+ DFW jobs completed; happy to provide local addresses
- Q14: Standard schedule: small deposit at signing, progress payment after material delivery, final at substantial completion
- Q15: No — deductible waiver is a Class B misdemeanor in Texas. We follow the law.
Want to walk through these in person? Start with a 60-second roof check or schedule the in-person inspection.
FAQ
How do I verify a roofer is actually licensed in Texas?
Texas does not have a state-level roofing license. Verify instead through: (1) the Texas Department of Insurance for a registered roofing contractor under HB 2102 (if applicable), (2) the city building department where the work will be performed for the contractor permit history, and (3) the GAF or Owens Corning manufacturer directories for active certification status. JRH Construction is verifiable through all three.
What insurance should a roofing contractor carry in Texas?
At minimum, $1M general liability and $500K-$1M workers compensation. Premium contractors carry $2M+ general liability and excess umbrella coverage. JRH Construction carries $10M+ in bonding capacity and full general liability + workers comp. Ask for a Certificate of Insurance directly from the carrier — never accept a contractor-provided photocopy.
Should I always get three estimates before signing?
Three is standard advice but two from qualified contractors is usually enough. The bigger issue is making sure all bids are scoped against the same line items — like-for-like materials, same warranty tier, same workmanship period. A "cheaper" bid that quietly excludes drip edge, ice-and-water shield, or proper underlayment is not actually cheaper.
What does a real Texas roofing contract include?
Texas Property Code Section 53 requires roofing contracts to include: a clear scope of work, total price, payment schedule, warranty terms, the contractor’s legal name and address, and a 3-day right of cancellation notice. Anything that omits these is not enforceable as a Texas roofing contract.
Can a contractor file a lien on my house if I do not pay?
Yes. Under Texas Property Code Chapter 53, a roofing contractor who has not been paid for completed work can file a Mechanic’s Lien (M&M Lien) against the property. This is your protection too — make sure the contractor uses lien waivers properly when releasing payment to subs and material suppliers, so you do not get a lien from a sub-contractor the GC failed to pay.
How long should a residential roof installation take in DFW?
A standard 2,500-3,500 sqft asphalt shingle roof takes 1-2 days for a properly staffed crew. Larger or more complex roofs (designer shingles, multiple slopes, steep pitch, copper accents) take 3-5 days. A roof job that drags into a third week is a red flag for either crew shortage or a contractor running too many jobs simultaneously.
What happens if it rains during installation?
A reputable contractor never tears off more roof than the crew can dry-in by end of day. If a storm rolls in unexpectedly, the crew tarps off any open sections immediately. We carry insurance for water damage from work-in-progress — but more importantly, we run the schedule conservatively to avoid the situation entirely.
Get a Free Estimate from JRH
Bring this list. Ask every question. We will answer all 15.