In Texas, a state licensing board does not exist for roofers, and insurance is not required to run a roofing company.

When Sunday's storm brought golf ball sized hail to Lake Highlands, our community immediately became a target for every roofer, legit or not, in North Texas.

Unfortunately, the roofing business is full of "storm chasers," and if you end up hiring one of them to replace your hail damaged roof, you are rolling the dice when it comes to one of your most valuable assets.

How can you determine, as a consumer, if you’re hiring a legitimate, experienced roofer who will be around after the storm season?

According to Christine Scott, co-owner of Scott Exteriors, common roofing scams are plentiful.

"To avoid being scammed it's simply a matter of having the right information before you buy," she says.

"These storm chasers might be legit, but there is a good chance they aren't."

"Roofs come with manufacturer and installer warranties, so it's important to use a local company with a good number of years of conducting business in this market."

"That way you'll have confidence they'll be around when the roof needs to be fixed."

"If you can't find your roofing company in two to five years, who’s going to fix your roof for free? No one."

Here are some important questions that the North Texas Roofing Contractors Association (NTRCA) recommends asking of any company homeowners might be considering.

We encourage you to use this information as a check list when dealing with roofing companys.

• Are they local?

• Do they have a physical office?

• Are they a member of, and in good standing with, the Better Business Bureau?

• Are they insured? What type of insurance coverage do they have, and what and how much does it cover?

• Don’t hesitate to ask a roofing contractor for proof of insurance and make sure the coverage is in effect throughout your project.

According to Christine, you don’t want to be liable for accidents that occur on your property – and you will be if the contractor is not properly insured.

• Who will supervise your roofing project? How much experience do they have?

• What is the roofing contractor’s warranty on labor? What is the manufacturer’s warranty? Get warranty information in writing.

• Do they have credit references? Ask for a list of local suppliers, and call them to ensure the roofing contractor is in good standing.

• Do they have customer references they can provide? Get a list of previous customers and call them.

• Are they asking for money upfront? End users should beware of paying before the job is complete.

"A partial payment for materials, however, after they have been delivered to your project location, is not unusual," says Christine.

• Is the roofer offering to "take care of" or "eat" your insurance deductible?

Christine recommends talking directly to your insurance company to ensure that any "deal" is legitimate and doesn't constitute insurance fraud.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Price is only one consideration when selecting a roofing contractor.

Make sure you don’t pay more later by hiring a contractor that is uninsured, performs substandard work and might leave North Texas shortly after the storms do.

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More information can be found by visiting the following websites:

North Texas Roofing Contractors Association

Roofing Contractors Association of Texas

Midwest Roofing Contractors Association