“We'll cover your deductible” — the storm-chaser red flag
It sounds like a discount. It's insurance fraud — and it tells you everything about the contractor offering it.
Why it's not a discount
Your deductible is your legal share of the claim. A contractor who 'waives' or 'covers' it either inflates the invoice to your insurer to hide it — which is insurance fraud with your name on the paperwork — or quietly cuts the same amount out of your roof: thinner materials, skipped underlayment, no permits. Several states now make advertising deductible waivers explicitly illegal.
The storm-chaser pattern
They knock the day after the hail, out-of-state plates, 'we're doing your neighbor's roof', pressure to sign an agreement on the spot so they can 'deal with the insurance for you'. That signature is often an assignment of your claim. By the time the check clears, the truck is two states away and the warranty is a disconnected phone number.
How honest companies handle it
A legitimate roofer documents the damage, helps you file, meets the adjuster, and charges the scope the insurer approved — deductible included, in writing. Local address, local reviews, local warranty. If a deal only works by lying to your insurance company, it was never a deal.
- Ask for a local physical address and how long they've worked your area.
- Refuse same-day signatures — a real quote survives a night's sleep.
- Never accept a deductible 'discount'. It's fraud, and it's your name on the claim.
- Check reviews with history, not just stars.
Otumia answers every call, books the job, and proves every recovered dollar — for roofing companies first.