The Gold Star Blog
How to Hire a Roofer You Can Trust
A roof is expensive, long-lived, and very hard to inspect from your driveway. That combination makes roofing one of the riskiest hires a homeowner makes — and one of the most rewarding to get right. Whether your roofing project is a full replacement or a stubborn leak, these are the checks that separate a trustworthy pro from an expensive lesson.
Start with license and insurance — and actually verify them
Ask for a certificate of insurance and any license their work requires, and make sure both are current. A trustworthy roofer expects the question and produces the documents without drama. Insurance matters more than most homeowners realize: if an uninsured worker is hurt on your roof or an uninsured job damages your home, the financial problem can become yours. This is also the first filter Gold Star applies — every company in our network is insured, with documents verified before they receive a single lead, and licensed wherever their trade requires it.
Read reviews like an investigator
Look at the pattern, not just the average. Recent reviews matter more than old ones; specific reviews ("replaced our roof in two days, crew protected the landscaping, foreman walked us through photos") carry more weight than one-line praise. And read how the company responds to the occasional unhappy review — every roofer eventually has one. A calm, specific response that offers to make it right is a good sign. Silence, or arguing with customers in public, is a bad one.
Get the scope in writing
A trustworthy estimate names what's included: tear-off or overlay, underlayment, flashing, ventilation, decking repair if rot is found, cleanup and disposal, and what happens if hidden damage appears mid-job. Verbal promises evaporate; written scopes protect both sides. Be wary of the roofer who won't commit details to paper, and equally wary of the one whose price is dramatically below everyone else's — the difference usually comes out of materials, insurance, or your pocket later.
Ask about the "what if"
How will they protect your landscaping, gutters, and attic contents? What does the workmanship warranty cover, and for how long — and is it separate from the manufacturer's material warranty? If a leak shows up after the first storm, who's your call and how fast do they come back? Pros answer these questions easily because they have systems for them. The answers also tell you what working with them will feel like at the stressful moments, which is exactly when it counts.
Or skip the vetting treadmill
Doing this homework for every roofer takes hours. That's the problem Gold Star Referrals exists to solve: you request the service once, and you're matched instantly with pros whose insurance and licensing we've already verified — see how it works. Matching is free for homeowners, and your information goes only to your matches — never broadcast to a list of companies. You still make the final call, but you make it from a short list that cleared the bar before you ever talked.
Questions & Answers
What documents should a roofer show me before I hire them?
A current certificate of insurance and any license their trade and state require. Both should be verifiable and unexpired. A pro who can't or won't produce them is telling you something important.
How many quotes should I get for a roof?
Two or three written quotes with comparable scopes is the practical range. More than that usually adds confusion rather than clarity — and make sure you're comparing the same scope, not just the bottom-line price.
Is the cheapest roofing quote a red flag?
It can be. A much lower price often means corners somewhere: thinner materials, no tear-off, skipped flashing, or no insurance. Ask what the higher quotes include that this one doesn't, and judge the answer.
What's the difference between a material warranty and a workmanship warranty?
The material warranty comes from the manufacturer and covers defects in the roofing products. The workmanship warranty comes from your roofer and covers the quality of the installation. You want both, in writing, before work starts.
How does Gold Star vet roofers?
Every company in the network must be insured — with the certificate verified before they receive leads — and licensed wherever their trade requires a license. Homeowner feedback after jobs is part of how companies stay in the network.
Need a pro you can trust?
Tell us what you need and get matched instantly with a licensed, insured local pro — free for homeowners, and your information goes only to your matches.
Request a Pro — FreeCarli James writes for Gold Star Referrals.