Am I Being Scammed By This Roofer?
If you're asking that after someone knocked on your door post-storm, you're not paranoid. Florida's Attorney General is actively suing one roofing company for the exact pattern you're probably seeing right now.
A storm passes through your neighborhood. A day or two later, a truck slows down on your street, and someone knocks on your door saying they noticed damage on your roof from the road. They offer a free inspection. Maybe they mention your insurance will cover it. Maybe they say you'll only owe your deductible.
That scene plays out across Florida after almost every significant storm, and most of the time, it's completely harmless. Plenty of legitimate local roofers, including our own crews, canvass neighborhoods after storms because that's genuinely where the damage is. The knock on the door isn't the scam. What happens between the knock and the signature is where things go wrong, and in 2026, one Florida case shows exactly how far wrong it can go.
A knock on the door isn't the red flag
It's tempting to treat every unsolicited roofer as a threat, but that's not quite right, and it's not fair to the legitimate contractors who do this work honestly. Storm damage genuinely is easiest to spot right after it happens, and a local company that's actually going to be in business next year has every reason to introduce itself to a neighborhood it just finished serving.
"Joey and Eddie were making their rounds in my neighborhood and were offering a free inspection. This is how I first got involved with JAEA. Then hurricane come through. Filed claim with insurance and had some complications with them. Consulted with JAEA and they had an attorney to help with legalities... I am very happy with the service and the roof replacement."
The difference between that story and a scam isn't the knock. It's what the company does next: whether they're licensed, whether the inspection is actually free with no strings, whether the report is written down, and whether anyone asks you to sign something before you understand what it says.
What's actually illegal, in plain terms
Florida law doesn't leave much room for interpretation on the tactic that shows up in almost every roofing scam story: promising to waive, pay, or rebate your insurance deductible in exchange for the job.
Under Florida Statute §489.147, it is insurance fraud, punishable as a third-degree felony, for a contractor to knowingly pay, waive, or rebate all or part of your deductible in order to get your business. The law also requires roofing advertisements and solicitations to disclose this in writing, in a font at least half the size of the largest text used. The statute took effect in 2021 and was strengthened in 2022. Read the current statute on the Florida Senate's site →
So when a contractor tells you "you'll only ever pay your deductible" or hints that they can "make the rest disappear," that's not a perk. It's the opening line of a conversation that, in the worst cases, ends with a lien on your home.
The case that shows how far it can go
This isn't a hypothetical. In September 2025, the Florida Attorney General's Office sued a Jacksonville-based roofing company, Florida Roof Specialists, and its president, alleging a pattern that will sound familiar: sales reps went door-to-door after storms, often in Tampa Bay-area neighborhoods, telling homeowners their only out-of-pocket cost would be the deductible. Homeowners signed an Assignment of Benefits agreement believing that was the extent of it.
Florida Attorney General v. Florida Roof Specialists
Following an investigation into more than 130 consumer complaints, the Attorney General's Office filed suit alleging the company's liens against homeowners were "frivolous" and "baseless," and asked the court to declare the underlying contracts unenforceable. Some homeowners received supplemental bills nearly matching what their insurer had already paid, and when they didn't pay, the company filed liens and, in a number of cases, foreclosure lawsuits against their own customers. By March 2026, the Attorney General was seeking a temporary injunction to stop further collection action while the case continued.
The point of including this isn't to scare you away from ever using a contractor who approaches you first. It's to show, with a real and ongoing case, exactly what the end of this road can look like when the early warning signs get ignored: an unclear AOB, a bill that shows up after the work is done, and pressure to sign quickly.
What to actually look for
Most homeowners can't tell a legitimate storm canvasser from a storm chaser by the truck or the pitch alone. The tell is almost always in the details around the paperwork.
| Warning sign | What a legitimate contractor does |
|---|---|
| ✕Hints your deductible will be waived or covered | ✓States clearly you're responsible for your deductible, in writing |
| ✕Pressures you to sign an AOB same-day | ✓Explains what an AOB does and gives you time to read it |
| ✕Can't provide a Florida license number on the spot | ✓Has a current, verifiable Florida license |
| ✕Damage found matches every house on the block, identically | ✓Documents damage specific to your roof, with photos |
| ✕No local address, or a truck from out of state | ✓Has a real local office and a history in your county |
| ✕Wants full payment upfront, before any work starts | ✓Works on a standard draw schedule tied to job milestones |
The two-minute check that catches most of this
Before anyone gets on your roof or signs anything on your behalf, verify their license directly through the state, not through whatever number is printed on their business card.
- Search their name or license number at the Florida DBPR license portal. A contract with an unlicensed contractor isn't enforceable in Florida, which cuts both ways: it also means you have no protection if something goes wrong.
- Confirm the license status reads "Current, Active," not "Inactive" or "Delinquent."
- Check whether the license type actually matches the work: roofing repairs and replacement require a Certified or Registered Roofing Contractor license, not a general handyman registration.
- Ask how long they've held a Florida license and worked in your specific county, not just how long the company has existed nationally.
Our license numbers are public specifically so you can check them: CCC1334804 (Certified Roofing Contractor) and CGC1534283 (Certified General Contractor). Look us up alongside anyone else you're considering.
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What it looks like when it goes right
"I was nervous to let any roofing company on our roof, however Christian Sandberg with JAEA came to us after a storm and was honest with us from the start. If you need a roof inspection or a re-roof, call Christian with JAEA!"
That's the outcome you want from a post-storm knock: a real inspection, a real report, and a name you can call back. It's the same standard we hold ourselves to in Port St. Lucie as in Orlando. The credentials and the license numbers exist so you don't have to take our word for any of it. Verify them, and verify anyone else's too.
Common questions
Is it illegal for a roofer to offer a free inspection after a storm?
Can a roofing contractor legally waive my insurance deductible?
What is an Assignment of Benefits (AOB), and should I sign one?
How do I verify a roofing contractor's license in Florida?
What happened with Florida Roof Specialists?
Should I ever work with a roofer who knocked on my door?
Related reading
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