Before you sign with
the door-knocker.
After every big hail storm, out-of-town crews flood Colorado Springs. Some are legitimate. Many are not. Here's how to tell the difference in five minutes — from a local roofer who cleans up after them every year.
How to spot a storm chaser.
1. They knocked on your door first
Established local roofers are busy after a storm — they don't need to canvass. Door-knocking within days of a storm is the storm-chaser business model.
2. Out-of-state plates and area codes
Check the truck and the phone number. A Texas plate and an 800-number mean the "local office" is a PO box that closes when hail season ends.
3. They offer to "cover your deductible"
This is illegal in Colorado. A contractor who opens with insurance fraud will cut corners on your roof too. Walk away.
4. Pressure to sign today
"This price is only good right now" is a script. Colorado law gives you 72 hours to cancel a roofing contract after your insurer denies a claim — but the better move is to never sign under pressure.
5. No local, verifiable address
Ask for the physical office address and look it up. Ours is on Ford Street in Colorado Springs — has been for years. A storm chaser gives you a hotel or a mail drop.
6. No PPRBD license or permit talk
Every reroof here needs a Pikes Peak Regional Building Department permit and final inspection. A roofer who says you can "skip the permit" plans to be gone before reinspection.
7. The warranty has no address either
A "lifetime workmanship warranty" is worth exactly as much as the company's ability to answer the phone in year seven. Ask: who honors this if you're gone?
The 5-minute vet
1. Google the company + "reviews" — read the 1-star ones.
2. Verify the physical address exists.
3. Ask for their PPRBD contractor license.
4. Ask for proof of insurance ($1M+ liability).
5. Ask for two local references from over a year ago.
Colorado law is on your side.
Colorado's residential roofing law (SB12-038) exists because of storm chasers. It requires roofing contracts to be in writing, prohibits contractors from paying or waiving your deductible, and gives you 72 hours to cancel after signing — or after your insurance claim is denied. If a roofer violates any of it, report them to the Colorado Division of Insurance and the El Paso County DA's consumer unit.
And take your time. Hail damage doesn't get worse in a week, and most Colorado policies give you a full year to file. The only urgency is the one the door-knocker manufactures.
Get a second opinion
Already signed something? Not sure the door-knocker's "free inspection" was honest? We'll inspect it free and tell you straight — even if the answer is "your roof is fine."
We'll still be here in year seven.
Local office, local crews, PPRBD-permitted work, and a warranty that answers the phone.