How to Avoid Roofing Storm Chasers in Nashville, Tennessee

When a powerful Nashville storm damages your roof, your top priority is getting that damage fixed. If a contractor comes knocking on your door offering to help, you might jump at the opportunity. Unfortunately, that could be a big mistake. “Storm chasers” are common after dramatic weather events, and these questionable contractors take advantage of homeowners in peril. How do you avoid them?

Many Threats Come Along with Powerful Storms in Nashville

Severe weather is just part of life in East and Middle Tennessee.

After a storm blows through, it’s a good idea to take stock of your home and see if anything is damaged. And, if your roof has lost some shingles or experienced any other kind of harm, hiring a contractor to fix the problem right away is an important step.

Unfortunately, there are some businesses in the area that try to take advantage of this situation. They are called “storm chasers,” and the threat they pose can be even greater than the weather itself. This page will help you understand who these businesses are, how you can spot them, and why you should be wary of what they claim to offer.

What’s a Storm Chasing Roofer?

So, what is a roofing storm chaser? The term “storm chaser” is used to describe a contractor that travels from region to region to capitalize on recent storm damage. Sometimes, these are legitimate businesses that simply use this as a marketing strategy. While the ethics of such marketing are debatable, the legitimate contractors who take this approach will often deliver quality results and operate under a valid license and insurance policy.

Unfortunately, there are also contractors who earn this nickname in a derogatory manner. Those businesses are not legitimate and don’t have any intention of delivering quality work for their customers. They are only interested in taking advantage of homeowners who are under stress and anxious for any kind of solution.

Many of these “roofers” will sign as many contracts as possible in the aftermath of a storm with no concern for how well they’ll be able to do the work, or even if they will be able to do the work at all. The business has no plans to stay in your community, so they aren’t worried about building a reputation. It’s all about volume and turnover, no matter how many bridges they burn along the way.

Warning Signs You’re Dealing with a Storm Chaser

There are a few patterns that come up again and again with these types of contractors. If you notice any of the following red flags, think twice before starting a project:

• They knock on the door right after a storm: If a roofer comes by after a storm and says they were just “working on a project down the street,” you should instantly be suspicious. Real roofing companies are usually busy after severe weather, and they don’t have time to go door to door.
• You feel pressured to sign immediately: Good roofers don’t put their customers under pressure to make a decision right away. Common tactics include saying things like “We’re only in the area today.” or “Insurance won’t cover it if we don’t file now.”
• Their inspection finds unseen damage: Storm chasers often exaggerate minor wear and tell you that it is storm damage that needs to be fixed immediately. It’s even possible for them to inflict damage during an “inspection” in order to create a problem that must be solved.
• The roofer offers to waive your deductible: Understand that this is not a discount, but actually insurance fraud that is illegal in the state of Tennessee.
• A demand for full payment upfront: A legitimate contractor will typically ask for a modest deposit at the start of the project, not full payment before any work has begun.
• They claim they'll "handle everything": Roofers can document damage and communicate about the work, but Tennessee bans them negotiating with your insurance company.

How to Verify a Roofing Company is Legitimate

Before you sign anything with any contractor, always take a few moments to do some independent research. Even if they have shown you credentials that look legitimate, it’s easy enough to do your own checking just to be sure. In the internet age, it’s never been easier to confirm that a business is actually who they say they are.

Start by looking for their contractor’s license on the State of Tennessee website. This will only take a moment of your time and will give you peace of mind that you are at least working with a legitimate business. For example, if you use that lookup tool to search for “Mobley Brothers”, you will find that our license is active and our number is 59116.

It’s also worthwhile to check on business reviews online. What you want to see here is a consistent pattern of quality reviews from local customers over a period of years. It’s a red flag if you see a whole bunch of five-star reviews that were quickly posted after a recent storm in your area. That speaks to reviews that are likely not from legitimate customers. If you look at our reviews on Google, you’ll find hundreds of excellent reviews from real customers

Why Local Teams Beat Storm Chasers in Nashville

There are plenty of great reasons to pick a local roofing company over a storm chaser that just blew into town, but two stand out above the rest:

• A reason to do great work. A local business is invested in the community. They strive to maintain a reputation that will provide them with consistent work for many years to come. That only happens by treating customers right and delivering on promises. A contractor like Mobley Brothers works in Nashville every day. It’s critical that we serve our customers properly.
• Regional knowledge. Local contractors also know what’s important when working on a roof in East and Middle Tennessee. That includes things like understanding permitting requirements, local code updates, and wind rating requirements. The work done by a trusted local roofer is far more likely to pass inspection the first time.

Questions to Ask Before Signing

To make it easier for you to sort the legitimate, reliable roofers from the wave of storm chasers you might encounter, we put together a quick list of questions. If you aren’t comfortable with the answers you get on any of these questions, move on to the next contractor.

• Can you provide your license number and proof of current insurance?
• How long have you been operating in Nashville?
• Can I contact references from jobs completed at least a year ago?
• Will you provide a detailed written estimate before I sign anything?
• What does your workmanship warranty cover, and for how long?
• What’s your typical timeline from contract to completion?
• Who do I contact if something goes wrong after the work is done?

A reputable contractor like Mobley Brothers can answer these questions clearly and without any hesitation.

What to Do If You’re Dealing with Roofing Fraud

• Don’t pay any additional money until you have verified that the contractor has a license and that their license is in good standing in Tennessee.
• Contact your insurance company directly to confirm the status of any claim and to flag concerns about the contractor before work continues.
• Document everything involved with the process carefully, including the contract, all communications, photos of the work, and payment records.
• Report the contractor to the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, and the Better Business Bureau.
• Get a second opinion from a local, verified roofing company before moving forward.

Call Mobley Brothers Roofing and Renovation LLC Today to Work with a Trusted Roofer

Hiring a storm chaser will only take things from bad to worse in the aftermath of severe weather. Don’t fall into that trap when a trusted, proven roofer like Mobley Brothers is readily available. You can reach out to us directly at (615) 645-2185 to learn more about our services, and we’ll help you understand the storm damage repair process.

Don’t fall for the storm chaser roofing trap! Contact Mobley Brothers today to schedule a storm-damaged roof repair in Nashville, Tennessee.

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