What should you ask a Cape Fear roofer before you sign?

After every major hurricane on the coast, out-of-state crews arrive within days. In North Carolina, a general contractor license is only required for projects of $40,000 or more (G.S. 87-1), so check insurance, references, a local address and the permit carefully for a typical re-roof.

What does North Carolina require of a roofer?

Short answer: North Carolina has no separate state license for roofers on smaller jobs. A general contractor license from the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors is required when the total cost of a project is $40,000 or more (G.S. 87-1), and roofing work at that size falls under the board's building, residential, or specialty roofing classifications. Below that amount, ask for proof of liability insurance and workers' compensation, and check the local building permit office.

Many reroofs on the Cape Fear coast cost less than $40,000, so a roofer may legally work without a state license. That makes the other checks on this page more important, not less. When a contractor does hold a license, look it up yourself on the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors lookup and check that the name matches the contract and the truck.

How do you confirm insurance?

Short answer: ask the roofer's insurance agent to send you certificates for general liability and workers' compensation, and call the agent to confirm they are active.

Roof work is dangerous, and after a hurricane many crews are temporary hires. If an uninsured worker falls or a crew damages a neighbor's car or house, you do not want to be the one exposed. Ask to be named as a certificate holder so you are told if the coverage ends during the job.

Why does a local address matter on the coast?

After Florence in 2018, out-of-area crews came to the Cape Fear area, and some left when the work slowed. A roof warranty is only useful if the company is still around to honor it. Ask for a physical address in the three-county area, look it up, and ask how many hurricane seasons the company has worked here. A new "local office" set up after a storm, out-of-state plates or a phone number from another state are reasons to dig deeper.

Which coastal details should the contract spell out?

Short answer: the product and its wind rating, fastening, underlayment, edge metal and flashing, plus the price, schedule, permit, warranty and cancellation terms.

• Wind-rated materials: the shingle or metal panel brand, line and rated wind speed, and the fastening pattern the manufacturer requires for that rating.
• Salt air: corrosion-resistant nails, screws, drip edge and flashing, especially within sight of the ocean or sound.
• Underlayment: what type, and where self-adhered membrane goes, such as valleys and around penetrations.
• Decking: a price per sheet if rotten wood is found.
• Payment: tied to completed work, with the last payment after the final inspection.
• Cleanup: nail sweeps and protection of landscaping, decks and pools.

North Carolina does not have a roofing-specific contract law like South Carolina's or Tennessee's. A 2023 bill that would have added one (Senate Bill 622) did not pass. That makes the written contract more important: get the scope, materials, price, start date, and what happens if your insurer denies the claim in writing before you sign. A contractor who offers to cover or hide your deductible is asking you to misstate the loss to your insurer, which can expose you to insurance-fraud problems. Only a licensed public adjuster may represent you on the claim for a fee.

The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule also generally gives you three business days to cancel many sales made at your home, with exceptions such as some emergency repairs.

Who handles permits and inspections here?

A reroof generally needs a permit. Ask the contractor to pull it in their name and schedule the final inspection. Depending on your address, that may be the county building office or a town's own office; several beach towns run their own inspections. See the county and town pages for local offices.

What should the warranties cover?

• Workmanship: covers installation errors. Get the term and coverage in writing.
• Manufacturer: covers material defects. Some products have coastal limits, such as reduced coverage near salt water, and enhanced warranties often require a certified installer and registration. Ask for the warranty document for your exact product and location.

Can a roofer pay your deductible?

Short answer: A contractor who offers to cover or waive your deductible may be overstating the loss to your insurer, which can create insurance-fraud problems for you. Treat it as a warning sign and ask your insurer.

With named-storm deductibles that can reach thousands of dollars, offers to "cover" them are common after hurricanes. A real discount belongs in the price on the contract, and that is the price your insurer should see.

Can a roofer talk to your insurer for you?

Short answer: Only you, or a licensed public adjuster you hire, should negotiate the claim itself; ask any contractor who offers to do it whether they hold a public adjuster license.

Your roofer can measure, photograph, estimate and attend the inspection. North Carolina public adjusters must be licensed by the NC Department of Insurance (G.S. 58, Article 33A). After a catastrophic incident declared by the President or the Governor, a public adjuster may not charge more than 10% of the settlement, and may not take any fee, retainer or deposit before the claim settles (G.S. 58-33A-60). According to the department's consumer guide, you can rescind a public adjuster contract in writing within three business days of signing, and if the insurer offers the full policy limits within 72 hours of the loss report, the adjuster cannot take a percentage commission.

What forms should you not sign on the spot?

Be careful with any "inspection authorization," "contingency agreement" or "direction to pay." A contingency agreement can commit you to that roofer once the claim is approved. An assignment of benefits hands some of your policy rights to the contractor. Read the form, take it home, and see assignment of benefits.

Warning signs after a hurricane

• Door-to-door visits the day after landfall with pressure to sign now.
• An offer to "take care of" your deductible.
• Promises to "deal with the insurance company" for you.
• A large cash deposit before materials arrive.
• No local address, or a license number that does not check out.
• A one-line estimate with no materials listed.
• Climbing on the roof without asking, or damage photos you cannot match to your house.

More: storm chasers and scams. Report suspected fraud to the North Carolina Department of Insurance (855-408-1212) and the NC Attorney General's consumer protection division.

Ask roofers how they handle coastal code requirements for wind, including fastening, and whether they have built to those requirements in New Hanover, Brunswick or Pender counties.

Find a roofer

Our directory of roofing contractors serving Wilmington and the Cape Fear coast shows each business's own published address and phone. A listing is not an endorsement, so ask every contractor the questions above.