How to Choose a Roofing Contractor: A 15-Point Vetting Checklist for 2026

By The Roofing Brief Team. Last reviewed: October 2026.

How to choose a roofing contractor comes down to checks you can verify yourself before you sign: an active state license or local registration, a certificate of insurance showing at least $1 million per occurrence in general liability, workers compensation for every person on the roof, an itemized written bid that names the shingle line and underlayment, and a deposit inside your state’s legal cap. In California that cap is $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, under Business and Professions Code 7159.5. A wrong pick costs more than a wrong shingle color: a manufacturer warranty that never registers, a lien from an unpaid supplier, or an injury claim from an uninsured worker. In Florida, the 2022 assignment-of-benefits reform (Fla. Stat. 627.7152(13)) and the roofing solicitation law (Fla. Stat. 489.147) add 2 more checks.

The Short Answer: 15-Point Vetting Checklist

Score every bidder on these 15 points. A contractor who fails 2 or more should come off your list.

#	Vetting point	Pass criteria
1	State license	Active license, on state contractor database, no recent disciplinary action
2	General liability insurance	$1M minimum, current COI naming you as cert holder
3	Workers comp insurance	Current, covers all subcontractors on your roof
4	Years in business / entity	5-plus years, registered with Secretary of State
5	BBB accreditation	A or A-plus rating, no open complaints
6	Google reviews	50-plus reviews, 4.5-plus stars, recent reviews within 90 days
7	Manufacturer certification	GAF Master Elite, OC Platinum, CertainTeed ShingleMaster PREMIER, or equal
8	Local references	5-plus addresses within 25 miles you can drive past
9	Written, itemized estimate	Brand, mil, color, underlayment, labor broken out
10	Contract terms	Deposit inside your state’s cap (California: lesser of $1,000 or 10%), no vague material spec
11	Permit process	Contractor pulls and pays for permit in their name
12	Workmanship warranty	5 to 25 years on labor, separate from material warranty
13	Cleanup and disposal	Magnetic nail sweep, dump fees included, dumpster on site
14	Communication cadence	Daily progress updates, single point of contact named
15	Payment schedule	Deposit / mid-project / final, all tied to verifiable milestones

Decision table: what to do with what you find

If you find	Threshold	Do this
License expired, suspended or in the wrong classification	Any one of the three	Drop the bidder. In California the roofing classification is C-39; in Florida look for a CCC or RC license number.
General liability per occurrence	Under $1,000,000	Ask for a higher limit or drop the bidder. $1 million is the liability minimum GAF sets for its certified contractors.
No workers comp certificate for a crew or subcontractor	Any worker on your roof	Drop the bidder, or get the subcontractor’s own certificate. In Texas, ask whether the firm is a nonsubscriber.
Deposit requested	Over the lesser of $1,000 or 10% in California; over 10% in Florida	In California, refuse it. In Florida, a deposit over 10% obliges the contractor to apply for permits within 30 days and start within 90 days of permit issue (Fla. Stat. 489.126).
Architectural asphalt bid per sq ft of roof surface	Under $5 or over $8	Under $5, ask what is excluded (decking, permit, flashing). Over $8, ask which line items explain it; multi-layer tear-off, decking and steep pitch add $1 to $4 per sq ft per our 2026 Roofing Cost Report.
Google review pattern	Under 50 reviews, or a burst of 40 five-star reviews in a week	Give more weight to BBB and attorney general complaint records; a burst can signal bought reviews, which the FTC’s 2024 review rule bans.
Offer to pay, waive or rebate your deductible	Any offer	Decline. Florida bans the offer (Fla. Stat. 489.147) and Texas requires the insured to pay the deductible (Bus. and Com. Code 27.02).
Contract signed at your door after a pitch	$25 or more	You can cancel by midnight of the third business day under the FTC Cooling-Off Rule.

Rules and limits that apply when you hire a roofer

Rule	Threshold or requirement	Primary source
California down payment cap	$1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less	CSLB contract payment rules (Bus. and Prof. Code 7159.5)
Florida deposits over 10%	Apply for permits within 30 days of payment; start work within 90 days after permits issue	Fla. Stat. 489.126(2)
Florida roofing solicitation	No rebate, gift card, cash or deductible waiver in exchange for an inspection or claim; fines up to $10,000 per violation	Fla. Stat. 489.147
Florida assignment of benefits	Post-loss benefit assignments void for residential and commercial property policies issued on or after January 1, 2023	Fla. Stat. 627.7152(13)
Door-to-door sales	3 business days to cancel sales of $25 or more made at your home	FTC Cooling-Off Rule
Fall protection on homes	Guardrails, safety nets or personal fall arrest at 6 feet or more above a lower level	OSHA 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13)
Fake and bought reviews	Banned since October 21, 2024	FTC rule, 16 CFR Part 465
Texas workers comp	Most private employers are not required to carry it; those that opt out file a notice with the state	Texas Department of Insurance

Point 1: State License Verification

Most states license roofing or general contractors through a state board with a free online lookup. Florida licenses through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), searchable at MyFloridaLicense. California licenses through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), which issues the C-39 Roofing classification and runs a license check. Texas has no statewide roofing license; cities may require contractor registration, and the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas (RCAT) runs a voluntary licensing program. North Carolina, Arizona, Georgia and Tennessee maintain searchable state contractor databases.

Type the license number into the state database and confirm 3 things: the license is active, it shows no recent disciplinary action, and the classification covers residential roofing (C-39 in California; a CCC or RC number in Florida). An expired or suspended license also rules a contractor out of GAF’s certified tiers, which require a state license wherever the state requires one. Illinois homeowners can follow our Illinois roofing license lookup steps.

No state roofing license, as in Texas? Ask for the city or county registration, a sales tax permit and a surety bond number.

Point 2: General Liability Insurance Proof

General liability insurance pays for damage your contractor causes to your home or a neighbor’s, such as a shingle bundle dropped through a skylight. GAF’s Residential Program Guidelines require at least $1 million in liability insurance before a roofer can join its certified tiers, which makes $1 million a sensible floor for any bidder.

Require a current Certificate of Insurance (COI) with $1 million minimum per-occurrence and $2 million aggregate limits. Better contractors carry $2 million per-occurrence and $5 million aggregate. The COI should name you as certificate holder and come directly from the contractor’s agent or carrier, not forwarded by the contractor. Call the carrier at a number you look up yourself to confirm the policy is in force and has not been cancelled, because a policy cancelled after the COI was issued is a common scam vector.

Coverage type	Minimum acceptable	Better tier	Why it matters
General liability per occurrence	$1,000,000	$2,000,000	Damage to your home or neighbors
General liability aggregate	$2,000,000	$5,000,000	Annual cap across all jobs
Workers compensation	State statutory minimum	$1,000,000 employer liability	Worker injury on your roof
Commercial auto	$500,000 CSL	$1,000,000 CSL	Truck accidents en route
Tools and equipment	$25,000	$100,000	Theft from your site
Pollution liability	Optional	$1,000,000	Spilled adhesives, blown insulation

These limits are editorial screening thresholds, not legal requirements; your state may set its own minimums for licensed contractors.

Point 3: Workers Comp Insurance

Workers compensation is the most-skipped coverage check. If an uninsured worker is hurt on your roof, the worker may look to the homeowner and the homeowner’s liability policy. The risk is not abstract: in 2023, falls, slips and trips caused 110 of the 134 deaths among roofing contractors and 421 of 1,075 construction deaths (39 percent), per the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. Our roofing safety fatality report tracks the trend.

Require a current workers comp certificate for every worker on your roof, including subcontractors, and ask in writing: “If you sub out the tear-off, does the sub carry workers comp?” Also ask how the crew meets OSHA 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13), which requires guardrails, safety nets or personal fall arrest for residential work 6 feet or more above a lower level. Sole proprietors with no employees are exempt from workers comp in many states.

Texas is the outlier: the Texas Department of Insurance says Texas does not require most private employers to carry workers compensation, and employers that opt out (nonsubscribers) must file a notice with the Division of Workers’ Compensation. In Texas, ask whether the roofer is a nonsubscriber and, if so, for proof of an occupational accident policy. In California, Washington, New York and other states with strict enforcement, get the certificate from the carrier or state fund.

Point 4: Years in Business + Business Entity Verification

Contractor turnover is high. In the BLS Business Employment Dynamics construction survival table, 56.3 percent of construction establishments opened in the year to March 2020 were still operating in March 2025, so about 44 percent had closed, sold or stopped reporting within 5 years. A contractor with 5 or more years under the same entity name has outlasted that window; a brand-new LLC with only a Facebook page has not. Our roofing business formation and survival report breaks the numbers down further.

Verify the business entity at your state’s Secretary of State website. Check the registration date, the registered agent, and the principal office address. A storm-chaser red flag is a registered agent in a different state from where the work is being done; a Texas LLC with a Wyoming registered agent offering roofing in Florida is structured for fast disappearance.

If the state record shows a name change within the last 3 years, search the old name in the license database, the BBB and your attorney general’s complaint records before you sign.

Point 5: BBB Accreditation and Rating

BBB accreditation is not automatic: the business pays an annual fee and agrees to the BBB Standards for Trust, including complaint mediation. The BBB letter grade runs from A+ to F and is assigned whether or not a business is accredited, so read the grade and the accreditation status separately.

On the BBB profile, check 3 signals for the past 3 years: total complaint count, the share resolved, and the type of complaint. A high-volume contractor will have some complaints; the question is whether they were resolved. A contractor with 30 unresolved complaints over 3 years is a hard pass. A contractor with 50 complaints all marked resolved is normal for a high-volume operator and not disqualifying.

BBB is not the only signal. Cross-reference Angi (formerly Angie’s List), HomeAdvisor, and your state Attorney General’s consumer complaint database. A clean BBB profile next to an open attorney general complaint is a reason to ask questions.

Point 6: Google Business Profile and Review Volume

Google reviews are the highest-signal source of homeowner feedback because they are tied to verified Google accounts and are harder to fake than third-party review platforms. Look for three things: review count over 50, average star rating at 4.5 or higher, and recent review velocity with multiple reviews in the past 90 days. Our ranking of roofer ratings by state shows how average star ratings and review counts vary across the country.

A 4.9 average from 8 reviews tells you less than a 4.6 from 240. Sort by newest, read every 3-star and 4-star review from the past 90 days, and read the owner’s replies to negative reviews: a specific, professional reply is a better sign than a defensive one or none.

Watch for bursts such as 40 five-star reviews in one week with similar phrasing and no job detail. Since October 21, 2024, the FTC’s Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (16 CFR Part 465) bans buying or selling fake reviews, so a burst is a reason to discount the profile.

Point 7: Manufacturer Certifications

Major shingle manufacturers run certification programs that elevate qualifying contractors above the general installer base. The top three:

• GAF Master Elite: GAF’s top residential tier; GAF says only 2 percent of roofers in North America are invited to become Master Elite contractors. It enables the Golden Pledge warranty, whose workmanship coverage is 25 years non-prorated on Timberline HDZ and 30 years on Timberline UHDZ, per GAF’s warranty terms.
• Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor: Owens Corning’s top contractor tier. Enables the Platinum Protection Roofing System Limited Warranty.
• CertainTeed ShingleMaster PREMIER: CertainTeed lists ShingleMaster, ShingleMaster PRO and ShingleMaster PREMIER, and every level requires passing the Master Craftsman Roofing Contractor test on the Shingle Applicator’s Manual. PRO and PREMIER contractors can offer SureStart PLUS 4-Star or 5-Star extended warranties with workmanship coverage; confirm current terms with CertainTeed.

For metal roofing, the comparable certifications are McElroy Metal, Englert, Drexel, ATAS, and the Metal Roofing Alliance Member program. For commercial single-ply, certifications come from Carlisle, GAF, Elevate (formerly Firestone), and Johns Manville and are typically required for the manufacturer’s no-dollar-limit warranty.

The entry requirements differ by maker. GAF’s Residential Program Guidelines list a state license where required, at least $1 million in liability insurance, workers compensation and a review of the company’s record, plus volume, warranty registration and learning-credit minimums to keep Master Elite status; no GAF tier lists a technical exam. CertainTeed is the exception among the three, because its Master Craftsman test is mandatory for every ShingleMaster level. Confirm any credential on the maker’s own contractor locator, since a badge on a truck can be out of date. Our GAF Roofing Academy guide explains how GAF certification tiers and training work. For the locator steps, see our guide on how to verify a GAF certified roofer.

Point 8: Local References You Can Drive To

Ask for the addresses of 5 or more jobs finished within 25 miles of your home in the last 24 months, and drive past at least 3. Look at the ridge line for sag, the valleys for flashing fit, the rake edges for clean cuts, and the eaves and rakes for drip edge, which IRC R905.2.8.5 requires on shingle roofs. A lawn still rutted from the dumpster 6 months later tells you how that contractor handles cleanup.

Call 2 of those homeowners and ask:

1. Did the project finish on the quoted timeline?
2. Did the final price match the estimate, and were change orders signed before the work?
3. Have you had any leaks or callbacks since, and how fast did the contractor respond?

No local references, or only out-of-state ones from past storm markets, is a hard pass: that contractor may not come back for warranty work.

Point 9: Written Estimate with Itemized Breakdown

A vague single-line estimate is the most common red flag in the roofing industry. “Replace roof: $14,500” tells you nothing and gives the contractor maximum flexibility to substitute cheaper materials, skip steps, or upcharge later. Require itemized line items including:

• Tear-off scope (number of layers, dumpster size, deck inspection)
• Decking replacement allowance (per sheet of OSB or plywood)
• Underlayment type and brand (synthetic, felt, ice and water shield)
• Shingle brand, model line, color, and warranty tier
• Flashing material (aluminum vs galvanized, new vs reused)
• Drip edge, starter strip, ridge cap brand and quantity
• Ventilation (ridge vent, soffit vent, gable vent, attic fan)
• Pipe boots, vent stack collars, skylight flashings
• Permit cost (separate line item)
• Labor (separate line item)
• Cleanup and magnetic nail sweep
• Workmanship warranty term

A complete bid also states the ice barrier coverage; where there is a history of ice damming, IRC R905.1.2 requires an ice barrier from the eave edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line. If one bidder gives a single number while the others itemize, ask for the line items in writing and drop the bid if they never arrive. Our guide to getting a free roof estimate covers what an itemized proposal should include.

For ballpark pricing context before getting estimates, see how much does a new roof cost and the roof replacement cost calculator.

Bid sanity check: architectural asphalt by roof size

Roof surface (not floor area)	Installed at $5 to $8 per sq ft	With multi-layer tear-off, decking or steep pitch (+$1 to $4 per sq ft)
1,500 sq ft (15 squares)	$7,500 to $12,000	$9,000 to $18,000
2,000 sq ft (20 squares)	$10,000 to $16,000	$12,000 to $24,000
3,000 sq ft (30 squares)	$15,000 to $24,000	$18,000 to $36,000

Ranges are computed from the $5 to $8 per sq ft architectural asphalt baseline and the $1 to $4 per sq ft adder in our 2026 Roofing Cost Report; regional labor shifts both columns.

Point 10: Contract Terms Review

The contract is the legal instrument that protects you. Read every line. Red flag items include:

• A deposit above your state’s limit: California allows no more than $1,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, and Florida attaches 30-day permit and 90-day start deadlines to any deposit over 10 percent
• Material specifications listed as “or equivalent” without a maximum substitution clause
• Indemnification clauses making you liable for contractor injuries or third-party damage
• Mandatory binding arbitration in a distant state (preventing you from filing in local small claims court)
• Mechanic’s lien language that allows lien filing even after final payment
• Insurance-claim assignments where contractor takes power over your insurance settlement
• Vague timeline (“start within reasonable time”) rather than specific start and completion dates
• Change order language allowing unilateral price changes without your written consent

On a contract over $20,000, consider paying a local construction or real estate attorney to review it, and ask for a flat fee before you send the document.

Point 11: Permit Process

Most jurisdictions require a building permit for a residential reroof. The permit triggers a building department inspection, the only third-party check that the work meets code, including the 2021 IRC R908.3.1.1 rule that bars a new roof covering over an existing roof that already has 2 or more applications. A contractor who suggests skipping the permit is asking you to absorb that compliance risk at resale or claim time.

The contractor should pull the permit in their name and list the fee as a pass-through line item. Search your address in the municipal permit portal before tear-off starts; under IRC R105.5, which most local codes adopt, a permit lapses if work does not start within 180 days of issue.

Ask which inspections your city requires, often an in-progress or deck nailing inspection plus a final, and get a copy of each sign-off.

Point 12: Workmanship Warranty

There are two warranties on every roof: the material warranty from the manufacturer (typically 30 to 50 years for asphalt, 40 to 70 for metal, 20 to 30 for TPO and EPDM) and the workmanship warranty from the contractor. The manufacturer warranty covers product defect. The workmanship warranty covers install errors, which manufacturer warranties exclude and which are a leading cause of premature roof failures.

Require a written workmanship warranty of at least 5 years; 10 to 25 years is standard from top contractors. Read what is covered. A workmanship warranty that covers only “leaks at the field” but excludes flashing, valleys, penetrations, and ridge details is barely worth the paper. The right warranty covers all install-related defects on the entire roof assembly.

Check that the contractor has been in business at least as long as the warranty term. A 25-year workmanship warranty from a 3-year-old business depends on a company outlasting the 5-year window that about 44 percent of new construction establishments do not survive, per the BLS table above. A manufacturer-backed workmanship warranty such as GAF Golden Pledge or CertainTeed SureStart PLUS does not depend on the contractor staying in business.

Point 13: Cleanup and Disposal Protocol

A tear-off sends every old shingle, nail and underlayment scrap off the roof, and the cleanup terms decide what stays in your yard. Require:

• On-site dumpster or dump trailer sized to the job
• Tarps or plywood protecting landscaping, AC condenser, pool, and decking
• Magnetic nail sweep of yard, driveway, and street at end of each day
• Final magnetic sweep on project close
• Dump fees included in contract (not added as surprise upcharge)

The magnetic sweep is non-negotiable: stray roofing nails in a lawn or driveway puncture tires and feet long after the crew leaves.

Point 14: Communication Cadence Expectations

Put communication terms in the contract: one named point of contact (usually the production manager, not the salesperson), a daily text or email update, and a reply within 4 hours to problems raised during install.

Get the production manager’s direct cell number before signing.

For any project over 3 days, ask whether the contractor will do a mid-project walkthrough with you to flag any decking surprises or deviations from spec. This is standard at top contractors and a useful signal of operational discipline.

Point 15: Payment Schedule

The payment schedule is a common place for homeowners to get burned. A bad contractor takes 50 percent upfront, buys materials with your money, and disappears partway through the job. The right schedule is tied to verifiable milestones:

Milestone	Payment
Signing (deposit)	0 to 10 percent (California cap: lesser of $1,000 or 10%)
Materials delivered to site	30 to 40 percent
Tear-off complete, deck repaired	20 to 30 percent
Final completion + city inspection passed	20 to 30 percent

California limits home improvement down payments to $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. Florida’s contractor law sets deadlines rather than a percentage cap: a contractor who takes more than 10 percent must apply for permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after the permits issue, per Fla. Stat. 489.126. Pay by check or credit card, never cash; a card payment gives you a chargeback path if the contractor disappears.

Sample Estimate Comparison Across Three Bids

To make the itemized-estimate concept concrete, here is an illustrative example of three hypothetical bids for a 2,400 square foot single-story home. The figures are for illustration only, not from real bids. All three bids covered tear-off of one layer of architectural shingle, install of new GAF Timberline HDZ, synthetic underlayment, new flashings, ridge vent, and city permit.

Line item	Bid A (cheapest)	Bid B (middle)	Bid C (highest)
Tear-off and disposal	$1,200 (bundled)	$1,650	$1,900
Decking replacement allowance	$0 (extra)	$300 (3 sheets included)	$500 (5 sheets included)
Synthetic underlayment	Generic, 2 layers	GAF FeltBuster	GAF Tiger Paw
Ice and water shield	Eaves only	Eaves + valleys	Eaves + valleys + penetrations
Shingle brand	“30-year architectural”	GAF Timberline HDZ	GAF Timberline HDZ
Flashing	Re-use existing	New aluminum	New galvanized
Ridge cap	Cut from field shingle	GAF Seal-A-Ridge	GAF TimberTex
Pipe boots	Generic rubber	Lifetime silicone	Lifetime silicone
Workmanship warranty	1 year	10 years	25 to 30 years (GAF Golden Pledge, depending on shingle)
Permit handling	Homeowner pulls	Contractor pulls	Contractor pulls
Total	$11,400	$14,800	$18,900

Bid A looks cheapest by $3,400 but quietly excludes decking, reuses old flashing, leaves the homeowner to pull the permit, and offers a 1 year workmanship warranty. Bid B carries a real material spec, an included decking allowance, a contractor-pulled permit and 10 years of workmanship coverage. Bid C buys the Golden Pledge workmanship term; whether that is worth $4,100 more than Bid B depends on how long you plan to own the house.

Storm-Chaser Red Flags

Storm-chasers are out-of-state contractors who arrive in hail and hurricane markets within days of a major event. The pattern: a free roof inspection, a claim of significant damage, an offer to “handle the insurance claim for you,” a large deposit, and no one to call when a warranty issue appears. Florida targets the inducement directly: under Fla. Stat. 489.147, a roofing contractor who offers a rebate, gift card, cash or deductible waiver for an inspection or claim faces fines up to $10,000 per violation. Red flags include:

• Out-of-state license plates on the truck
• Door-knock pitch within 30 days of a major storm
• “Today only” pricing or “sign before we leave the neighborhood”
• “We’ll waive your deductible” (Florida bans the offer under Fla. Stat. 489.147, and Texas Bus. and Com. Code 27.02 requires the insured to pay the deductible)
• “We handle the insurance claim for you” or AOB (assignment of benefits) requests
• Refusal to provide local references
• Cash-only or wire-transfer payment requirements
• Generic company name with no local office or local phone number
• Pressure to climb on the roof immediately without a written estimate

If a contractor knocks on your door after a storm, the right answer is “thank you, I’ll call you after I get three local estimates.” Then never call. Anyone running a legitimate post-storm operation can wait 72 hours for you to do due diligence.

Already signed at the door? For a sale of $25 or more made at your home, the FTC Cooling-Off Rule lets you cancel by midnight of the third business day.

The Cheapest Quote Is Almost Never the Right One

Get 3 estimates, set aside the lowest and highest, and choose from the middle on the 15-point checklist. It is a rule of thumb.

Our 2026 Roofing Cost Report puts architectural asphalt at $5 to $8 per square foot installed. A bid well under $5 usually means something on the itemized list is missing: a lower shingle line, thinner underlayment, reused flashing, no permit, or a 1 year workmanship term.

A bid well over $8 per square foot needs a line-item explanation. Multi-layer tear-off, decking replacement and steep pitch add $1 to $4 per square foot per the same report; heritage homes, specialty materials and complex geometry can justify more.

Not sure you need a new roof? Check the signs you need a new roof and how long does a roof last first.

Florida-Specific Considerations

Florida’s December 2022 property insurance reform (SB 2-A) ended assignment of benefits for new policies: under Fla. Stat. 627.7152(13), an assignment of post-loss benefits under a residential or commercial property policy issued on or after January 1, 2023 is void. That removes the “sign this and we handle the claim” pitch. See our deep-dive on the Florida AOB roofing reform for the full picture.

Florida-specific checklist items:

• Contractor must hold Florida DBPR license; verify at myfloridalicense.com
• Roofing-specific license types: Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC) or Registered Roofing Contractor (RC)
• Contractor must carry Florida workers comp or a valid exemption
• OIR Form 1802 wind mitigation inspection should be completed after install for insurance discount stacking
• Florida Building Code requires secondary water resistance (peel-and-stick) in HVHZ counties (Miami-Dade, Broward)
• 25 percent rule: the Florida Building Code requires the whole roof to meet current code when 25 percent or more of it is repaired, replaced or recovered, but an exception in Fla. Stat. 553.844(5) (amended in 2022) covers roofs built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later: on those roofs, only the repaired, replaced or recovered portion must meet the current code, and local governments may not amend that exception. Ask your contractor which rule applies to your roof’s permit history.
• AOB language must be reviewed line-by-line; do not sign any document granting the contractor authority over your insurance proceeds

For Florida homeowners filing insurance claims, get the carrier’s adjuster on site before signing any contractor agreement. Fla. Stat. 489.147 also bars a roofing contractor from interpreting your policy or advising on coverage unless licensed as a public adjuster. Independent public adjusters can help if the carrier and contractor disagree on scope.