How to Avoid Roofing Scams in Colorado: What FOX21 Featured Us Saying

We were recently featured on FOX21 News discussing one of the biggest threats Colorado homeowners face after major hailstorms — and it’s not the storm itself.

It’s the roofing scams that come after.

Within hours of a major Front Range hailstorm, neighborhoods across the Denver metro get blanketed with door-knockers, out-of-state crews, and high-pressure sales pitches. Some are legitimate contractors hustling for work. Many aren’t. Every year, Colorado homeowners lose thousands of dollars to roofing fraud — and the worst part is, it’s almost entirely preventable.

Here’s what our team told FOX21, plus everything else Colorado homeowners need to know to protect themselves.

The #1 Warning Sign: High-Pressure Sales Tactics

Speaking with FOX21, Chris Simms of Watchdog Roofing and Restoration put it bluntly:

“Sometimes they’ll try to pressure you to sign a contract right then and there.”

This is the most reliable indicator of a scam. Reputable local contractors don’t operate this way. We give homeowners written estimates and as much time as they need to decide. The whole “sign today and we’ll lock in this price” pressure tactic exists for one reason — to keep you from researching the company before you commit.

If someone is pushing you to sign before you’ve had time to verify them, that’s a red flag. Always.

Red Flag: Out-of-State License Plates

Ken Green, Owner of Watchdog Roofing, highlighted what to look for in his FOX21 interview:

“Red flags might be out-of-state plates… It would be that you’re not finding a contractor license. When you do go on the building department page, to do that search.”

After every major Colorado hailstorm, out-of-state crews flood the area. They drive up from Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, often in convoys of new pickup trucks. They sign as many homeowners as possible, collect insurance checks, do quick (often substandard) work, and disappear back to wherever they came from.

When something goes wrong two years later — a leak, a warranty issue, a question about the work — you’ll never find them again. They’re already chasing the next storm in another state.

A local Colorado address, local plates, and a verifiable local business presence aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re how you ensure accountability.

What to Verify Before Signing Anything

Here’s the practical checklist Chris Simms outlined for FOX21:

“Make sure they have a local physical presence. Make sure to check for reviews if they have reviews on their website or on social media.”

Add these to your verification list:

• Verify the local physical address. Drive by it if you can. A PO Box or virtual office is a red flag.
• Check Google reviews tied to a real business location. Look for reviews mentioning specific Colorado neighborhoods.
• Search the company name + “complaints” or “scam.” If they’ve burned others, it’ll come up.
• Verify with the BBB. BBB Denver maintains complaint records and ratings.
• Check the Colorado Roofing Association — they maintain a list of verified, code-of-ethics-bound contractors.
• Ask for proof of insurance. Specifically: general liability and workers’ compensation. Both. A reputable contractor will provide these without hesitation.
• Ask for references in your specific neighborhood. Then actually call them.

Colorado Law Protects You — Use It

Two Colorado laws specifically protect homeowners from roofing scams. Most people don’t know about them.

1. The 72-Hour Right to Cancel

Chris told FOX21:

“If you do sign a contract, you still have 72 hours to break that contract by law in Colorado.”

If you signed a contract under pressure and have second thoughts, you have a legal right to cancel within 72 hours. This is your safety net. Don’t be afraid to use it — and don’t let any contractor convince you that you can’t.

2. Contractors Can’t Absorb Your Deductible

This is huge: It is illegal in Colorado for a roofing contractor to offer to pay or absorb your insurance deductible. This is a common scam — a contractor offers to “waive your deductible” or “cover your deductible” as a sales pitch. It’s a violation of Colorado law (CRS 6-22-101 through 6-22-106), and any contractor who offers this is either willing to break the law or planning to commit insurance fraud by inflating the claim.

Either way: walk away.

If you’ve already signed with a contractor who promised to absorb your deductible, you can void the contract.

Why Acting Quickly Still Matters

Here’s where it gets tricky — homeowners have two competing pressures after a storm:

1. Don’t rush into a contract with the first door-knocker
2. But also don’t wait too long, because damage evidence fades

Our owner Ken Green explained the second point to FOX21:

“As soon as possible.. if the insurance adjuster is going to come out there, some things will start to fade. And over time they’re going to look like wear and tear. For example, if your paint gets hit and you have fresh exposed wood, well, there’s a clear difference between freshly exposed wood and wood that’s been weathered.”

Translation: get inspections and documentation done quickly after a storm, but don’t sign with the first scammer who knocks. The right move is to call a trusted local contractor proactively, before the storm chasers even show up at your door.

We covered this in more detail in our post on mistakes homeowners make after a storm.

What Hail Actually Does to a Roof (And Why You Need Real Documentation)

Ken Green explained hail damage to FOX21 like this:

“It actually loosens or knocks those granules off the top surface and then it exposes that asphalt layer. And, over time, the sun’s going to chew holes in that. You see what it does to the roads outside.”

The danger of hail damage isn’t always immediate leaking. It’s the slow degradation that happens over the following months as UV exposure breaks down newly-exposed asphalt. A roof that looks fine after a hailstorm can fail catastrophically a year later.

This is why proper documentation matters so much. Learn more about how to spot hail damage on your roof, and read about the realistic lifespan of Colorado roofs.

The Verification Checklist (Save This)

Before signing any contract with any roofing contractor after a Colorado storm:

• ✅ Confirm they have a real, verifiable Colorado physical address
• ✅ Verify Colorado-registered license plates / vehicles
• ✅ Check Google reviews with specific local neighborhood mentions
• ✅ Verify their BBB rating and any complaints at bbb.org/denver
• ✅ Check for Colorado Roofing Association membership at coloradoroofing.org
• ✅ Request proof of general liability AND workers’ compensation insurance
• ✅ Get at least one other estimate for comparison
• ✅ Refuse anyone who offers to “waive” or “absorb” your deductible (it’s illegal)
• ✅ Refuse anyone who pressures you to sign immediately
• ✅ Remember: you have 72 hours to cancel any signed contract in Colorado

Get an Honest Inspection From Someone You Can Verify

Watchdog Roofing and Restoration provides free, no-pressure roof inspections throughout the Denver metro and Front Range. Our team — including Ken Green and Chris Simms, who you saw on FOX21 News — has been working with Colorado homeowners on storm damage and insurance claims for years.

We’re locally owned, locally based at 30 S. 7th Ave, Suite 400B in Brighton, and we’ll be here long after the storm chasers have moved on to the next state.

If you suspect storm damage on your roof, or you’ve been approached by a contractor who feels off, call us before you sign anything. We’ll provide an honest inspection, document any real damage, and walk you through the insurance claim process if it’s warranted.

Call (720) 235-8159 or request a free inspection online.

We respond within one business day, give you written assessments with photos, and treat every homeowner the way we’d want our family treated. That’s how we ended up on FOX21 in the first place.