I drop my daughter off at the Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy of Kings River most weekday mornings. It sits on Upper Lake Drive in the Atascocita part of Humble. After a rough storm, that drop-off line turns into a neighborhood news desk. Everyone talks about what they found in their yard.
Last time, the talk was all about roofs.
The Knock on the Door
The morning after that storm, a truck pulled up at our house. A man in a clean polo said he was working in the area. He offered a free roof check on the spot. He said our shingles were clearly damaged before he even got on a ladder.
He wanted me to sign a form that day. Something felt off.
I have lived here long enough to remember the May 2024 derecho and Hurricane Beryl that July. After both, strangers flooded our streets. Some did good work. Others took deposits and vanished. My neighbor still talks about hers.
So I said no thanks and closed the door.
An hour later, I saw the same truck parked two houses down. Then another one from a different company pulled up across the street. By lunch, three yard signs had popped up on our block.
Finding Someone Local
I still wanted a real storm damage roof inspection, just not from him. I wanted a roofer with a real address nearby, not a truck with out-of-state plates. Another mom at drop-off told me about a veteran-owned roofer based in Huffman. She sent me this page about their work with homes near the daycare. I liked that it talked about our area, not some generic city.
Their team came out and walked the whole roof. We did have a few lifted shingles along the ridge. But it was nothing close to what the door knocker claimed. They explained what needed fixing now and what could wait.
It was a small repair. I asked if they could match our old shingles, since the patch would face the street. The inspector said an exact match is not always possible on older roofs. He suggested I check my policy before assuming insurance would cover a full slope just for looks.
He was right to warn me. The Texas Department of Insurance says a company might not pay to replace a whole roof, even if new shingles don’t match the old ones perfectly. That is worth knowing before you file.
What the State Says About Storm Scams
Later, I looked up what Texas officials say about this. The Texas Attorney General has a page on disaster scams and door-to-door contractors. It was eye-opening.
A few tips stood out to me:
- Call your insurance adjuster first for a benchmark estimate.
- Get more than one estimate and take your time.
- Get everything in writing and keep copies.
- Never sign a contract with blank spaces.
- Ask for proof of insurance.
The page also says a deal made at your home must include a cancellation notice. That notice gives you three business days to change your mind. I had no idea. That alone could save a lot of families from a bad deal.
Signs I Now Watch For
After this, I made myself a short checklist for the next storm:
- Granules piling up at the ends of the downspouts
- Shingles that look lifted or out of line
- New stains on the ceiling or in the attic
- Bent flashing around vents and pipes
If I see any of those, I call someone I trust. I do not wait for a stranger to knock.
A Note for Other Parents
The drop-off line is a great place to swap names of good roofers. It is also where you hear the horror stories. Ask neighbors who they used and how it went. Check that the company has a real local address.
Storms are part of life out here. Getting scammed does not have to be.