After a hurricane or severe storm, the first available contractor can feel like the only option. That urgency is exactly why a few checks before signing matter. A polished truck, a local telephone number, or a promise to “work with insurance” does not establish that the business is licensed, insured, or able to finish the job.
The goal is not to investigate a contractor like a detective. It is to confirm the business identity, compare a written scope, control payments, and preserve a record of the property’s condition before repairs change it.
Start with the exact business name
Ask the contractor to write down the legal business name, license or registration number, physical address, telephone number, and the name of the person who will supervise the work. Compare those details with the contract, invoice, vehicle, insurance certificate, and state records.
Use the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors website to verify the company and the classification relevant to the proposed work. Requirements can depend on the kind and value of the project. The Board also posts current notices affecting residential and roofing work, so a contractor’s general statement that it is “licensed” is not enough. Confirm the record for the work actually being offered.
A name mismatch is a reason to pause. Ask why the proposal uses one company name while the license, insurance certificate, payment account, or vehicle uses another. A legitimate explanation should be documented before money changes hands.
Verify insurance without relying on a screenshot
Ask for a current certificate of general liability insurance and, when relevant, workers’ compensation coverage. The Licensing Board’s application and maintenance requirements include liability and workers’ compensation documentation for residential, home-improvement, and mold-remediation applicants or licensees.
A certificate is useful, but it is not a guarantee that coverage applies to a particular loss. Contact the listed insurance agency using independently verified contact information. Confirm the named insured, policy dates, and whether the type of work is consistent with the policy. Do not call a number supplied only in a text message if it differs from the agency’s public listing.
Compare the scope, not just the total price
Two bids can have similar totals and describe very different work. A useful proposal identifies the damaged areas, materials, quantities, labor, permit responsibility, debris removal, start conditions, estimated schedule, warranty, and exclusions. It should also explain how concealed damage and change orders will be handled.
Ask which work the company will perform and which work it expects to subcontract. If a roofer, electrician, plumber, mold remediator, or other specialist will be involved, verify that business too when licensing applies.
Do not sign a blank proposal or a document with open price, scope, or financing terms. Keep every version. If a handwritten promise matters, place it in the final signed agreement rather than relying on a conversation.
Payment terms should follow completed work
The Federal Trade Commission’s disaster guidance warns that demands for cash up front and refusals to provide a license, proof of insurance, or written contract are red flags. FEMA likewise recommends using licensed or verified local contractors with reliable references and cautions against paying more than half before work begins.
A payment schedule should be tied to identifiable milestones, not dates alone. Identify what must be delivered or completed before each payment. Use a traceable payment method, obtain a receipt, and make payments to the contracting business named in the agreement. Be cautious if a salesperson asks for payment to an individual, a different company, or an unfamiliar account.
Before the final payment, inspect the work, collect warranties, obtain required inspection records, and confirm how incomplete or disputed items will be resolved. If the contract involves financing, read the finance documents separately and confirm the lender, amount financed, interest, fees, payment schedule, and cancellation terms.
Storm-repair red flags
One odd detail may have an innocent explanation. Several together should stop the process until they are resolved. Common warning signs include:
- an unsolicited offer paired with pressure to sign immediately;
- a business name or license number that cannot be verified;
- refusal to provide a written scope, proof of insurance, or references;
- a large cash demand before materials or work arrive;
- a promise that the homeowner will owe nothing regardless of the policy;
- a request to sign over an insurance check or give the contractor control of the claim;
- a proposal to skip required permits or inspections;
- price or scope changes that are not placed in a written change order; or
- a request to misstate damage, price, or work performed to an insurer or lender.
Official titles and logos can also be misused. FEMA employees and inspectors do not charge applicants for disaster assistance or inspections. Verify anyone claiming to represent a government agency through that agency’s published contact information.
Preserve the insurance record before repairs begin
Necessary emergency work should not wait when delay would create more damage or an unsafe condition. When possible, photograph and video the affected areas before tarping, drying, demolition, or repair. Save estimates, invoices, receipts, moisture records, and photographs of materials uncovered during the work.
Tell the insurer about significant newly discovered damage and follow the policy’s inspection and notice requirements. A contractor’s estimate can support the amount of a claim, but the contractor does not decide coverage. Keep the construction agreement and the insurance claim separate enough that you understand what the contractor promises, what the insurer agrees to pay, and what amount remains your responsibility.
Our Louisiana property-damage practice page explains the relationship between repair proof and a property claim. Related articles discuss why storm claims may slow down and what to do when an insurer will not pay for repairs.
Where to report a problem
Licensing questions can be directed to the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. A consumer dispute may also be reported through the Louisiana Attorney General’s consumer dispute process. Suspected criminal conduct should be reported to local law enforcement. Disaster-related fraud can also be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud through the channels identified by the Attorney General and FEMA.
Legal review may help when a contractor abandons the project, demands payment outside the contract, performs seriously defective work, records or threatens a lien, disputes ownership of insurance proceeds, or asks the homeowner to make a false statement. Preserve the contract, bids, payment records, photographs, messages, license search results, and insurance documents before seeking advice.