Published 2026-08-22 · Last reviewed 2026-08-22 · Virginia Roofing Services editorial team
Pressure and urgency
Legitimate contractors will let you read a contract overnight. Insistence that a price is only good today, or that the crew is 'in the neighbourhood right now', is a pressure tactic.
Money moving the wrong way
Payment structure is one of the clearest signals.
- Demanding a large cash payment before materials are delivered
- Offering to waive, rebate or absorb your insurance deductible
- Refusing to provide a written, itemised contract
- Asking you to make cheques out to an individual rather than the company
Paperwork you did not expect
Read anything described as an 'authorisation to inspect' or 'assignment of benefits' in full. Some such documents commit you to a contract or transfer your insurance claim rights.
Identity you cannot verify
If you cannot confirm who you are dealing with, stop.
- No Virginia licence number, or a number that does not match the business name
- No verifiable physical address
- Magnetic door signs and out-of-state plates after a storm
- No certificate of insurance available from the insurer
Where to report
Licensing complaints go to DPOR. Deceptive practices can be reported to the Virginia Attorney General's consumer protection office. Insurance conduct concerns go to the Bureau of Insurance.