The One Question Every Arkansas Homeowner Should Ask Before Signing With a Roofer

After a storm rolls through Central Arkansas, contractors show up fast. Door hangers appear overnight. Trucks with out-of-state plates circle neighborhoods. Your phone rings from numbers you don’t recognize. Everyone has a great deal, a fast timeline, and a friendly pitch.

And in that moment — when your roof is damaged, your insurance claim is open, and you just want someone to fix it — it’s easy to sign with the first contractor who shows up and sounds confident.

That’s exactly when you need to slow down and ask one question.

The Question: “Will You Still Be Here in Two Years?”

It sounds simple. It’s not.

What you’re really asking is: Are you a real company with a real address, real accountability, and a real reason to stand behind your work? Or are you a crew that materializes after weather events, collects payment, and moves on to the next market before the problems show up?

The roofing industry has a well-documented problem with what are called “storm chasers” — contractors who follow severe weather events from state to state, operate under changing business names, carry minimal insurance, and are effectively unreachable six months after your roof is done. By the time a leak appears or a warranty issue surfaces, they’re gone.

Arkansas homeowners have experienced this firsthand. After major hail and wind events in Faulkner, Saline, Lonoke, and Pulaski counties, out-of-state contractors have collected insurance checks and left behind roofs with improper nailing patterns, missing underlayment, and voided manufacturer warranties — problems that don’t show up until the next big storm.

What a Real, Accountable Roofing Company Looks Like

A contractor who will still be here in two years has specific, verifiable characteristics. Not claims — verifiable facts you can check yourself before you sign anything.

A Physical Address You Can Find

Not a P.O. box. Not a address that resolves to a UPS Store. A real office in a real location that has been there for years. If you can’t find the business on Google Maps with a legitimate street address and photos of an actual location, keep looking.

A BBB Listing You Can Verify

The Better Business Bureau isn’t perfect, but it’s one of the fastest ways to see how a contractor handles problems. An A+ accredited rating means zero unresolved complaints and a demonstrated commitment to ethical business practices. More importantly, it means someone has been tracking this company’s behavior long enough to establish a record.

A brand-new company with no BBB listing isn’t necessarily bad — but a company that’s been operating in your community for years with an A+ rating and no unresolved complaints is telling you something real.

An Arkansas Contractor’s License

Arkansas requires contractors to be licensed through the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board. You can verify any contractor’s license number on the state’s website in about two minutes. If a contractor can’t give you a license number, or the number doesn’t check out, walk away.

Beyond a standard roofing license, look for contractors who hold a Residential or Commercial Builder’s license — a higher credential that requires more knowledge, more experience, and more accountability than a basic roofing license.

Insurance You Can Verify — Not Just a Certificate They Hand You

Any legitimate contractor can hand you a certificate of insurance. What matters is whether that insurance is real, current, and adequate. Ask for the name of their insurance provider and call to verify the policy is active. The state minimum for general liability isn’t always enough — look for contractors carrying $1 million or more in coverage.

The moment a worker steps onto your property, you want to know that if something goes wrong — an injury, accidental damage to your home — there’s real coverage in place. Not a lapsed policy, not a binder that expired last month.

A Manufacturer Certification

Shingle manufacturers like Owens Corning don’t certify just anyone. Their Preferred Contractor designation requires background checks, proof of licensing and insurance, demonstrated installation quality, and financial stability. When a contractor is manufacturer-certified, it means a third party — not the contractor themselves — has verified they meet a defined standard.

This also matters for your warranty. An Owens Corning Preferred Contractor can offer extended manufacturer warranties that a non-certified installer simply cannot. If your roof is installed incorrectly, a standard “lifetime” warranty can be voided on day one. A manufacturer-backed extended warranty from a certified installer is a fundamentally different level of protection.

The Second Question Worth Asking: “What Exactly Are You Installing?”

Most homeowners evaluate roofing quotes by price. That’s understandable — but it’s also how you end up with a roof that looks fine for two years and then starts failing.

Two quotes for the “same job” can be dramatically different in what’s actually being installed. Before you compare prices, ask every contractor to specify:

• What underlayment are you using? Paper-based felt and synthetic underlayment are not the same. Synthetic is more durable, more water-resistant, and required for many manufacturer warranties.
• Are you using a real starter strip? Some contractors save money by flipping standard shingles upside down along the eave. This is a shortcut that compromises the edge seal and can void your warranty.
• What’s your nailing pattern? In a state that sees significant wind events, a 4-nail pattern is the minimum — but a 6-nail pattern provides substantially better wind resistance and is required for higher wind ratings.
• Are you installing real ridge cap shingles? Ridge cap is a specific product designed for the peak of the roof. Using cut standard shingles instead is another common cost-cutting measure that leaves the most vulnerable part of your roof underprotected.
• What about ice and water shield? In Arkansas, ice and water barrier at the eaves is a critical layer of protection. Ask where it’s being applied and how much coverage you’re getting.

A contractor who can’t or won’t answer these questions clearly is telling you something important.

One More Thing: Never Pay Upfront

Legitimate roofing contractors in Arkansas do not require full payment — or even large deposits — before work begins. Material costs are real, and a small deposit for a custom order can be reasonable in specific circumstances. But any contractor asking for 50% or more of the total job cost before a single shingle is removed is a significant red flag.

For insurance jobs specifically: payment typically comes from your insurance proceeds. A contractor who pressures you to pay out of pocket upfront — before the claim is even settled — doesn’t understand the process or is working around it for reasons that don’t benefit you.

The Short Version

When you’re evaluating roofing contractors after a storm, you’re not really comparing prices. You’re comparing risk. A cheaper quote from a contractor who won’t be around in two years is an expensive quote — you just don’t know it yet.

The contractor who costs a little more but has been in your community for years, holds a real license, carries real insurance, is certified by their manufacturer, and has a verifiable track record of standing behind their work — that contractor is the better value every time.

Ask the question. Verify the answers. Take your time even when it feels urgent.

Your roof will be on your home for the next 25–50 years. The contractor you choose will determine whether that’s a problem or a non-issue.

About EZ Roofing

EZ Roofing has been serving Central Arkansas homeowners since 2017. We are locally owned and operated, based in Cabot, AR. We hold a Residential & Commercial Builder’s license, carry a $2 million general liability policy, maintain an A+ BBB accreditation with zero unresolved complaints, and are an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor and Google Guaranteed service provider. We are a founding member of the Roofing & Solar Reform Alliance — a pledge against the predatory practices described in this article.

We offer free same-day inspections with no payment upfront and no obligation.

📞 (501) 691-4283
🌐 ezroofingnow.com
📍 13 Nalley Rd. Ste. D, Cabot AR 72023