How to Avoid Roofing Scams After a Hurricane in Florida
After every Florida hurricane, out-of-town "storm chasers" flood damaged neighborhoods — and homeowners lose deposits, sign away claim rights, or get roofs that fail the next inspection. Here's how Treasure Coast homeowners spot the scams, from Leeward Roofing, a licensed local contractor (CCC1337211) based in Sebastian since day one.
The Red Flags, In Order of Frequency
Door-knockers who "found damage" you can't see photos of — legitimate contractors document everything.
Offers to waive or "eat" your deductible — that's insurance fraud in Florida, and it's the homeowner who signs the claim.
Pressure to sign an assignment of benefits (AOB) on the spot, handing control of your claim to the contractor.
Big cash deposits before any permit is pulled — then the truck never comes back.
No verifiable Florida license — every legitimate roofer has a CCC number you can check in seconds.
Your 60-Second Contractor Check
Look up the license at myfloridalicense.com (ours: CCC1337211). Our guide to choosing a roofing contractor covers the full vetting checklist.
Confirm liability insurance and workers' comp certificates.
Search the company name plus "reviews" — a real local roofer has years of local history.
Get the scope and price in writing, tied to a permit, before any money moves.
Storm Scam FAQs
Storm damage and not sure who to trust? Start with the Hurricane Command Center, our insurance claim help, or call 772-589-2400.
Is signing an AOB always bad?
Not always — but never sign one at the door under pressure. Florida law gives you cancellation rights, and you can pursue your claim without assigning it. Read anything twice; better, have your insurer or attorney look first.
What if I already paid a deposit and they vanished?
Report it to the Florida DBPR and your county's consumer protection office, and notify your insurer in writing. Then get a legitimate local contractor to document current conditions before more weather moves in.
Roof opened up in the storm? Tarp first, argue later.
Insurers can and do exclude damage that got worse because nothing was done. Getting a tarp on within a day or two protects the roof and protects the claim at the same time.
- Look for lifted shingles, displaced tile and bent flashing from ground level.
- Photograph debris and any detached material where it landed.
- Call for tarping before the next band arrives, not after.
- Ask any contractor for their licence number and check it at myfloridalicense.com.
Recent Leeward jobs
Real Treasure Coast roofs installed by our own crews — not stock photography.
The deductible question that ends the conversation
Ask any door-knocker one thing: “Will you cover my deductible?” The answer tells you everything.
Why it works
Offering to absorb, waive or rebate a homeowner’s insurance deductible is insurance fraud in Florida, and Florida Statute 489.147 specifically prohibits a contractor from offering anything of value to offset it. A legitimate contractor will say no without hesitating and will usually explain why. Anyone who says yes has just told you how they run their business.
And why it is your problem, not theirs
The claim is in your name. The signature on the paperwork is yours. When a carrier investigates an inflated or fraudulent claim, the storm-chase crew has left the state and you are the one holding it. This is the single most important thing to understand about post-storm roofing.
Florida also bans the advertising of it
Under the same statute a contractor cannot advertise, promise or otherwise offer to pay or rebate a deductible. If you see it in a flyer or a door hanger, that is a documented violation you can report to the DBPR.
What a legitimate discount looks like
Contractors can offer genuine discounts on their own price — a seasonal promotion, a referral credit, a cash-payment reduction. What they cannot do is structure it specifically to offset your deductible, or invoice the carrier for more than you are actually paying.
The eight tactics that follow every named storm
They arrive within 72 hours. Every one of these is real and documented in Florida.
The unsolicited knock
Legitimate contractors in this market are busy with referral work after a storm. Crews driving neighbourhoods are looking for people who have not had time to think. It is not automatically a scam, but the base rate is poor.
Manufactured urgency
“Today-only pricing.” “We have one crew left in the area.” Material pricing does not change hourly, and a real estimate is valid for weeks. Pressure is the tell.
The AOB on the tailgate
An assignment of benefits transfers control of your insurance claim to the contractor. Once signed you may lose the ability to direct your own repair or settle the claim yourself. Never sign one at a first meeting, and read anything presented as a simple “inspection authorisation.”
Manufactured damage
Some crews create damage during a “free inspection” to support a claim. If a roof passes inspection and mysteriously fails weeks later after someone was up there, that is what happened — and the fraudulent claim carries your name.
Stock photographs as your damage
If someone shows you generic hail or wind photos rather than pictures of your own roof, end the conversation. There is no legitimate reason for it.
Full payment up front
A reasonable deposit is standard. Paying in full before material is delivered is how people lose an entire roof budget to a company that dissolves.
No verifiable Florida licence
Roofing requires a state CCC or CGC licence. Verify it at myfloridalicense.com and check the name matches your contract exactly. “Working under” someone else’s licence is illegal and common after storms.
No physical local address
A PO box, an out-of-state area code, a magnetic sign on a truck. Ask where the shop is and how long it has been there, then watch the reaction.
Hurricane roofing scam FAQs
Is it legal for a roofer to cover my insurance deductible?
No. It is insurance fraud in Florida, and Statute 489.147 specifically prohibits a contractor from offering anything of value to offset a homeowner’s deductible, and from advertising that they will. Anyone offering it is telling you how they operate - and the claim is in your name, not theirs.
Should I sign an assignment of benefits after a storm?
Be extremely cautious, and never at a first meeting. An AOB transfers control of your insurance claim to the contractor, and you may lose the ability to direct your own repair or settle the claim yourself. Read anything presented as a routine inspection authorisation before signing.
Are all door-knocking roofers scams?
Not all, but the base rate is poor and the pattern is consistent - manufactured urgency, deductible offers, AOB paperwork, no local address and an out-of-state phone number. Legitimate contractors in this market are generally busy with referral work after a storm.
How do I verify a Florida roofing contractor?
Search the licence number at myfloridalicense.com and confirm it is active, unexpired and in the exact business name on your contract. Check Sunbiz.org for how long the company has existed. Request a certificate of insurance sent directly from their insurer. All three are free and take ten minutes.
What is manufactured damage?
Damage deliberately created by a crew during a free inspection to support an insurance claim. It happens after every major Florida storm. If a roof passes inspection and then fails shortly after someone was up there for an unrelated reason, that is worth considering - and the resulting claim carries your name.
How much should I pay up front?
A reasonable deposit is standard practice, with a progress payment around dry-in and the balance on completion. Paying in full before material is delivered is how homeowners lose entire roof budgets.
A contractor wants me to pull the permit myself. Is that normal?
No, and it is a significant red flag. The contractor should pull it in their name under their licence. Asking you to pull an owner-builder permit transfers liability to you, and it is frequently because they cannot pull one themselves.
The bid is 30% below everyone else. What is missing?
Roofing material costs roughly the same for everyone, so something is out of scope - usually the tear-off (a layover instead), the deck re-nailing, new accessories such as pipe boots and valley metal, or the permit itself. Ask what is excluded and the gap normally explains itself.
Where do I report a contractor?
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation handles licence complaints, and the Department of Financial Services handles insurance fraud. Deductible-rebate offers in writing or in advertising are documented violations.
What if the contractor has already disappeared?
Check with your building department whether a permit was ever pulled and closed for the work. Unpermitted or open permits affect resale and insurance. Florida also operates a recovery fund for losses caused by certain licensed contractors - the DBPR can explain eligibility.
Proudly serving the Treasure Coast
Let's take a look at your roof. Free.
No pressure, no obligation, and an honest answer even when that answer is "you don't need a new roof yet."
- Free, itemized estimate in writing
- Most inspections scheduled within 24 hours
- We handle permits and insurance paperwork
- Licensed CCC1337211 and fully insured
Request your free estimate
Four quick fields. That's all we need.