Every hurricane season, a second storm hits Florida homeowners — a wave of out-of-state roofing crews who flood into the state within hours of a major storm, going door to door with promises of free roof replacements, instant insurance claim filing, and deals that sound too good to be true. They are called storm chasers, and they are responsible for millions of dollars in losses, shoddy workmanship, and abandoned projects across South Florida every year.
This is not a theoretical problem. After Hurricane Ian in 2022, the Florida Attorney General's office received over 15,000 storm-related fraud complaints. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, the number was even higher. The pattern repeats with every major weather event: homeowners in distress are targeted by operators who exploit their urgency and unfamiliarity with the roofing and insurance claims process.
Here is how to identify storm chasers, protect yourself, and take action if you have already been victimized.
What Are Storm Chasers?
Storm chasers are roofing crews — sometimes individuals, sometimes organized operations — that follow severe weather events across the country. When a hurricane, tropical storm, or major hail event hits Florida, these crews mobilize from states like Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas. They arrive within 24 to 72 hours of the storm, set up temporary operations (often a hotel room and a rented truck), and canvass damaged neighborhoods door to door.
Their business model depends on volume and speed. Sign as many contracts as possible, collect deposits, file insurance claims using Assignment of Benefits (AOB) agreements, perform the cheapest possible installation, and move to the next disaster area before warranty claims or complaints surface. Some do not even complete the work — they collect the deposit and disappear.
Storm chasers are not all criminals in the traditional sense. Some are licensed in their home states and do mediocre but technically legal work. Others are completely unlicensed, uninsured, and operating illegally in Florida. The common thread is that they have no long-term commitment to your community, no local reputation to protect, and no intention of being available when something goes wrong.
8 Red Flags That Expose a Storm Chaser
Red Flag 1: No local address. Legitimate roofing companies have a physical office, a yard where they store equipment and materials, and a local presence that you can verify. Storm chasers operate from hotel rooms, rental cars, and P.O. boxes. If the company's address is a UPS Store, a P.O. box, or in another state entirely, that is your first and strongest warning sign.
Red Flag 2: They ask for full payment upfront. No reputable roofing contractor in Florida requires full payment before work begins. The standard payment structure for insurance work is zero upfront — the contractor is paid from the insurance proceeds after the work is completed and inspected. For non-insurance work, a deposit of 10 to 30 percent is typical, with the balance due upon completion. Any contractor who demands full payment before starting work is either financially unstable or planning to take your money and run.
Red Flag 3: No valid Florida contractor license. Florida requires roofing contractors to hold a state-issued license — either a Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC) license for statewide work or a Registered Roofing Contractor license for specific counties. An out-of-state license is not valid in Florida. A general contractor license does not authorize roofing work. If the person at your door cannot provide a valid Florida roofing contractor license number that you can verify online at myfloridalicense.com, they are not legally authorized to do the work.
Red Flag 4: They pressure you to sign immediately. Storm chasers use urgency as a weapon. They will tell you the price goes up tomorrow, they can only hold your spot on the schedule for 24 hours, the insurance company has a deadline you will miss, or the damage will get worse overnight. Legitimate contractors understand that roof replacement is a major decision. They provide written estimates, give you time to compare options, and do not pressure you to sign anything on the spot.
Red Flag 5: They offer to cover your deductible. This is not just a red flag — it is insurance fraud. Florida law prohibits contractors from waiving, absorbing, or paying the homeowner's insurance deductible as an inducement to sign a contract. If a contractor offers to "take care of" your deductible, they are either planning to inflate the claim to cover the deductible amount (which is fraud) or they are planning to cut the scope of work to offset the deductible they absorbed (which means you get a substandard roof). Either way, you could be held liable as a party to insurance fraud.
Red Flag 6: Their business address is in Texas (or another state). If the company's website, business card, or vehicle registration shows a Texas, Georgia, Alabama, or other out-of-state address, proceed with extreme caution. While some national companies do legitimate work in Florida, the overwhelming majority of storm-chasing operations are based in Texas and the southeastern states. A company that does not have a permanent Florida presence before the storm hit is unlikely to be there when you need warranty service two years later.
Red Flag 7: They will not provide a written estimate. A legitimate roofing contractor will provide a detailed, written estimate that specifies materials, quantities, labor, permits, code upgrades, and warranty terms. Storm chasers avoid written estimates because they do not want you to compare their pricing with legitimate contractors and they do not want documentation that can be used against them if the work is deficient. If a contractor refuses to put their proposal in writing, walk away.
Red Flag 8: They disappear after collecting the deposit. This is the most extreme version of the storm chaser scam — pure theft. They collect a deposit of $2,000 to $10,000, provide a vague timeline for starting work, and then become unreachable. Their phone number is disconnected, their temporary office is empty, and they have moved to the next disaster area. By the time you realize what happened, they are in another state scamming other homeowners.
How to Verify a Florida Contractor License
Verifying a contractor's license takes less than five minutes and can save you thousands of dollars and months of headaches.
**Step 1:** Visit myfloridalicense.com, the official Florida DBPR license verification portal.
**Step 2:** Click "Verify a License" and search by the contractor's name or license number.
**Step 3:** Confirm that the license type is "Certified Roofing Contractor" (CCC prefix) or "Registered Roofing Contractor." A general contractor license (CGC) does not authorize roofing work.
**Step 4:** Verify that the license status is "Current, Active." Licenses that are expired, suspended, or on probation indicate a contractor with compliance issues.
**Step 5:** Confirm that the business name and address match the company soliciting your work. Some storm chasers use the license number of a legitimate Florida contractor without authorization.
**Step 6:** Check for any disciplinary actions or complaints against the license holder. DBPR maintains public records of all complaints, investigations, and disciplinary actions.
What to Do If You Have Been Scammed
If you have already paid a storm chaser who has disappeared, failed to complete the work, or performed deficient work, take these steps immediately.
File a DBPR complaint. Visit myfloridalicense.com and file a formal complaint against the contractor. If they were licensed, this triggers an investigation that can result in license suspension or revocation. If they were unlicensed, DBPR refers the case to law enforcement because unlicensed contracting is a criminal offense in Florida — a first-degree misdemeanor for a first offense and a third-degree felony for repeat offenses.
File a police report. If the contractor collected payment and failed to perform the work, this is theft. File a report with your local police department or sheriff's office. Provide copies of the contract, payment receipts, photographs, and any communication with the contractor.
Contact your insurance company. If you signed an Assignment of Benefits (AOB) giving the contractor authority to negotiate with your insurance company on your behalf, contact your insurer immediately to rescind the assignment. Explain the situation and request that no further payments be made to the contractor.
Dispute the payment. If you paid by credit card, contact your card issuer and file a dispute. Credit card companies have chargeback protections that may allow you to recover some or all of your payment. If you paid by check, contact your bank — if the check has not been cashed, you may be able to place a stop payment.
File with the Attorney General. The Florida Attorney General's office has a consumer protection division that investigates patterns of contractor fraud. Your complaint adds to the evidence file that may lead to prosecution.
Document everything. Preserve all contracts, receipts, text messages, emails, business cards, photographs of incomplete or deficient work, and records of phone calls. This documentation supports every complaint and legal action you may pursue.
Why Local Matters
The single most effective protection against storm chaser scams is hiring a local roofing contractor with an established presence in your community. Here is why local matters.
Accountability. A contractor with a local office, local employees, and a local reputation has everything to lose by doing bad work. They live in the same community as their customers. Their name is on the line with every project.
Warranty service. When you need warranty service in two years or five years, a local contractor is still here. They answer the phone, they send a crew, and they stand behind their work. A storm chaser from Texas is long gone.
Code knowledge. Florida has the most stringent building codes in the country, and South Florida's HVHZ requirements add another layer of complexity. Local contractors live and breathe these codes every day. An out-of-state crew may not even know that HVHZ exists, let alone how to install a roof that meets its requirements.
Permit pulling. A valid Florida-licensed contractor can pull building permits in the counties where they operate. Storm chasers often skip permits entirely — which means no building department inspection, no code compliance verification, and a roof that may void your insurance coverage.
Insurance relationships. Local contractors have working relationships with local insurance adjusters and understand the claims process for the major carriers that write policies in South Florida. These relationships facilitate smoother claim approvals and supplement processing.
The Bottom Line
Storm chasers prey on homeowners at their most vulnerable — in the immediate aftermath of a hurricane or major storm, when emotions are high, damage is visible, and the urge to "just get it fixed" is overwhelming. The best defense is preparation: know the red flags, verify every contractor's license before signing anything, never pay full payment upfront, and prioritize local contractors with established reputations.
At Goliath Roofing, we are a locally owned and operated South Florida roofing company. Our physical office is here. Our crews live here. Our license, insurance, and manufacturer certifications are available for verification at any time. We do not knock on doors after storms because we do not have to — our reputation brings customers to us.
If you have storm damage and want an honest assessment from a contractor who will still be here next year, contact us for a free inspection. And if you have been victimized by a storm chaser, we can help you assess the damage, file the appropriate complaints, and get your roof properly replaced by a licensed professional.