How to verify a roofing contractor in Arlington before you sign
The city publishes the tools. Almost nobody uses them. Here is the ten-minute version, including how to run it on us.
Arlington publishes two public tools that let you check a roofing contractor before you sign: a contractor business registration lookup at ArlingtonPermits.com, and a permit history search showing the last time a given contractor pulled a permit in the city. Roofing contractors must be registered with the City of Arlington in order to acquire a building permit at all.
Between those two searches and your insurer’s phone number, you can verify most of what matters in about ten minutes, including about us.
Last reviewed 15 August 2026
The six checks, in order of how much they tell you
1. Is the contractor registered with the City of Arlington?
This is the highest-value check and almost nobody runs it. Arlington requires roofing contractors to be registered with the city before they can pull a building permit, and operates a public contractor business registration lookup. If a company is not registered, they cannot lawfully pull your permit, which raises the question of who they were planning to have pull it.
2. Have they ever pulled a permit in Arlington before?
The city’s permit history search shows the last time a given contractor pulled a permit here. This is the storm-chaser detector. A company with no Arlington permit history that appeared the week after a hail event is not necessarily dishonest, but they are demonstrably not established here, and the warranty you are being offered is only as durable as the company’s presence in this market.
3. Did they offer to cover your deductible?
If so, stop. The City of Arlington explicitly warns homeowners about contractors who offer to take care of or absorb a deductible, and directs residents to confirm with their insurer that the arrangement is not insurance fraud. Texas law prohibits it outright. This is not a grey area and it is not a discount.
4. Did they ask you to pull the permit?
Arlington flags this too. A contractor asking the homeowner to pull the permit as an owner-builder can indicate the contractor is not eligible to pull it themselves. It also moves code compliance liability from them onto you. There is essentially no scenario where this arrangement benefits the homeowner.
5. Does their advertising describe things Texas law does not permit?
Read their website. Claims to handle, fight, maximise or approve your insurance claim describe conduct prohibited by Texas Insurance Code §4102.163, which the Texas Supreme Court confirmed reaches website advertising in TDI v. Stonewater Roofing. It tells you how carefully this company reads things.
6. Do their credentials survive one follow-up question?
There is no state roofing licence in Texas. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation does
not administer roofing licensure, so licensed Texas roofing contractor
describes a credential that does
not exist. RCAT, the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas, issues a voluntary
trade credential, which is genuinely meaningful and is not a state licence.
For anything a contractor does claim, ask for the number and check it at the source. Manufacturer certifications are verifiable with the manufacturer. Insurance is verifiable via a certificate. Installing a manufacturer’s product is not the same as being certified by them.
The property-side check
Property ownership and property records are verifiable through the Tarrant County Appraisal District: useful if you are dealing with a rental, an inherited property, or an insurance question that turns on who owns what.
What to do before you sign anything
- Get the estimate in writing and itemised. Not a total. Line items.
- Get a second one. Two itemised estimates are the cheapest information you will ever buy.
- Read your declarations page and find your wind-and-hail deductible, in Texas it is commonly a percentage of dwelling coverage, not a flat figure.
- Confirm the permit will be pulled in the contractor’s name.
- Do not sign at the door. Not a contract, and not a form described as an inspection authorisation.
Sources: City of Arlington Planning & Development Services. Tips for Choosing a Contractor; Roofing Contractors Association of Texas (rcat.net) consumer information; Tex. Ins. Code §4102.163; TDI v. Stonewater Roofing.
Questions this raises
How do I check if a roofer is registered in Arlington?
Use the City of Arlington’s contractor business registration lookup at ArlingtonPermits.com.
Roofing contractors must be registered with the city in order to acquire a building permit, so an unregistered contractor cannot lawfully pull your permit.
Is there a Texas state roofing licence?
No. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation does not administer licensure for roofing contractors.
A contractor advertising a licensed Texas roofing contractor
is describing a credential that does not exist. RCAT issues a voluntary trade-association credential, which is a different thing and is worth asking about.
How do I know if a roofer is a storm chaser?
Run Arlington’s permit history search, which shows the last time that contractor pulled a permit in the city.
No local permit history plus an appearance the week after a hail event is the pattern. A warranty is only as good as the company’s continued presence in the market.
What should I never sign at the door?
A contract, and anything described as an inspection authorisation or a direction to pay.
Take the document, read it away from the person who handed it to you, and get a second itemised estimate before you commit to anyone.
Where can I check property records in Arlington?
The Tarrant County Appraisal District holds property records for Arlington.
It is the standard way to confirm ownership independently of whatever anyone tells you at the door.
Have the roof inspected properly.
Documented, written up, and you keep the document whether or not you hire us.
Book your roof inspection
Tell us about the roof. We come out, measure, photograph what we find, and put it in writing.
We never ask you to sign anything at the inspection. Texas law prohibits any roofer from paying or absorbing your insurance deductible, we will not offer to, and you should walk away from anyone who does.
Get a real number on your roof.
Measured, itemised, in writing.
A on-site inspection with dated photographs of what we find, followed by a written itemised estimate you can hold, compare, and submit yourself.