How to Choose a Roofing Company in Amarillo

An annual city registration, a $20,000 surety bond and liability insurance, before the roofer touches any roof that needs a permit. No person in the business of roofing may work on a roof that needs a permit inside Amarillo city limits until they have registered with the city. For a residential roofer, the city's rules list:

• an annual city registration
• a $20,000 surety bond
• general liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate, plus $300,000 for products and completed operations
• a clause giving the City of Amarillo thirty days' notice if the policy is cancelled

The city also says a registered contractor must give any customer who asks the name of its insurance carrier, the policy number and its agent's contact details.

Ask for the registration, then contact Building Safety at 806-378-3041 or building@amarillo.gov. Our vetted local roofing pros have their registration confirmed the same way before any request reaches them; how we vet our roofing pros explains the rest. Canyon keeps a separate register with its own fee and bond, so a job there needs a Canyon registration too.

Materials, nailing, decking, tear-off, code items, the permit and the warranty, each in writing:

1. The shingle or panel, and the underlayment type.
2. The nailing pattern.
3. A per-sheet price for replacement decking; a good contractor prices it up front and photo-documents every sheet replaced.
4. Tear-off of the existing layers, which Amarillo requires under shingles.
5. Drip edge, replaced vents and flashings, and the attic ventilation plan.
6. Who pulls the permit, and whose warranty covers workmanship.
7. The address of the physical office.

Check the totals against the Amarillo roof cost guide.

An offer to waive your deductible, a demand for full payment up front, blank spaces in the contract and a roofer offering to handle your claim. The state insurance department lists them in its storm advice:

• An offer to waive your deductible. It's illegal to waive a homeowners deductible under state law, and your insurer may ask for proof that you paid it.
• Payment in full up front. Don't pay it, and don't make the final payment until the work is done.
• Blank spaces in the contract. Never sign one.
• Unchecked references. Check references and phone numbers, and call the Better Business Bureau about complaints.
• A roofer offering to handle the claim. Texas doesn't allow a contractor to act as a public adjuster on a job it is doing.

In Canyon, a roofer selling door to door also needs a separate solicitation permit.

Contracts of $1,000 or more that involve an insurance settlement must include a notice that the policyholder must pay the deductible. Texas law requires homeowners to pay their insurance deductible. A contractor may not waive or rebate it, and violations can be reported to the Texas Attorney General at 800-621-0508. The hail claims article covers the rest of the process.