Roof Replacement, Ethics, & Texas Law
In 2019, HB2102 was passed into law in Texas to reduce scams and insurance fraud. Yet, even in 2024, most homeowners do not know their legal obligations, or those of their prospective roofing contractors, under the law. In this brief article, let’s discuss roof replacement, ethics, and Texas law. It may keep you and your chosen roofing contractor out of trouble and avoid denial of coverage.
Recent Experiences
Deductible Included?
One of the best roofing contractors in the state called me to relay his uncomfortable homeowner experiences in the field after Hurricane Beryl. He told me the homeowner called our company because of our fine work on neighboring homes. Then she said, “You guys have the job, but I don’t want to be paying any deductible. I don’t want to pay any money out of pocket”.
Can You Say It’s Wind Damage?
Another prospect called and wanted us to inspect their roof for wind damage after Beryl. It turns out there was quite a lot of hail damage from multiple storms (yes, we can tell the age of the damage). However, we found no evidence of wind damage. The homeowner wanted us to lie on our inspection report and our proposal. His coverage is more favorable for wind damage vs hail damage.
Awkward and Illegal
These requests are more common than one might think. Before 2019, it was common for Stormchaser roofing companies to offer zero out-of-pocket proposals for roof replacements. Contractors would mark up their roofing proposals to cover the deductible. Fraud was rampant, along with rising roofing costs. Then, HB2102 was passed into law in 2019, which explicitly says, among other things, that the insured must pay their deductible.
It’s Unethical Too
Our little company, Home Exterior Systems, is no stranger to nasty weather events in Houston. These events have brought some unscrupulous scammers looking to make a quick buck off desperate homeowners seeking quick fixes and bargain repairs. These scammers have worked the system for years, and the damage has been significant. Higher costs and shoddy or even dangerous quality have resulted. It’s embarrassing for our profession to see this, and we refuse to play those games.
Please Don’t Ask Us to Break the Law
A residential roof we install is proven and guaranteed. We do not cut corners or play games, especially if the result means less value and less security for your home. If our proposal is more or less than the others you get, we’re happy to detail precisely the differences if you ask. We charge a very fair price for our award-winning work. We pledge to follow roof replacement ethics & Texas law.
The Install Matters!
Most homeowners do not realize how many ways an unscrupulous, unethical roofer can cut corners. To the untrained eye, you may not notice anything obvious. Realizing your mistake may take a year or two. Incorrect starter, ridge, or hip shingles that fail in the first high wind gusts. Or perhaps you have leaky valley flashing and roof jacks during the first wind-driven rain. You will discover that your manufacturer’s warranty is worthless due to incorrect installation, and the roofer is long gone.
You Deserve The Best Contractors In Your Area
Do your homework. Check out your contractors and be thorough. Question them about proposal details. Check out their certifications. Call some of their reference customers. Pick a local with a good reputation who has been in business for many years. Be willing to wait, if possible, since the best contractors are always busy with a backlog of work (that’s a good thing).
