How Do You Choose a Roofer in New Braunfels?

Texas does not license roofing contractors, so there is no state roofer license to look up before you hire. Get written bids from more than one local company, and if the house is inside New Braunfels city limits, make sure the re-roof permit gets pulled.

Most of the protection comes from the paperwork. Read the contract before you sign it, keep your deductible your own, and be slow to trust anyone who knocks on the door after a hail storm.

Does a roofer need a license in Texas?

No. Texas does not require a state license for roofing contractors. A 2025 bill analysis from the Texas Legislature says the state does not require a state-issued license for reroofing contractors.

That changes what you check. A plumber’s license can be looked up with the state board, as the plumber license guide explains. A roofer has no state license record to look up, so a roofer who says they are “state licensed” for roofing is claiming something Texas does not issue.

Favor a roofer with a local address you can visit and a local phone number that answers. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) suggests using a local company and verifying the contractor’s address and phone number before you hire.

Ask how long the company has worked from that address and which recent jobs nearby you can drive past. A roofer with local work to show you gives you more to check than one who arrived with the last storm.

The rest of the checks are ones you do yourself:

• References from recent jobs, which you call
• A certificate of insurance, and a call to the insurance company on it to make sure the coverage is current
• Complaints, through the Better Business Bureau or an online search

The roofers page lists roofing companies in the area. Treat it as a list of names to run through these checks.

How do you compare roofing bids in New Braunfels?

Get more than one written bid, and compare them line by line. TDI says more than one bid helps you see whether an offer is too high or too good to be true.

Each bid should show the company’s name, phone number and address, which TDI says to look for. Keep a copy of every bid, agreement and warranty, because those are the papers you will use if a question comes up later.

Give every roofer the same picture of the job. Tell each one what you know about the roof’s age, any leaks or stains you have seen inside, and whether there was storm damage, and send the same photos to all of them. Bids built on the same information are easier to compare.

Make the bids comparable before you judge the price. Line up these items in each one:

• The roofing material, by type and brand
• What happens to the old roof, such as a full tear-off or a layer over the existing one
• Who pulls the permit
• The warranty on the work and the warranty on the material
• When the crew starts and how long the job takes
• How payment is split, and what is due before the work is finished

Before you choose, ask each roofer the same questions and write the answers on the bid:

• Who will be on the roof, your own crew or a subcontractor?
• What happens if you find damaged decking under the old shingles, and how is that priced?
• Who pulls the City permit, and when is the inspection?
• What does the warranty cover, for how long, and who honors it?
• How do you protect the yard, the gutters and the driveway, and who hauls off the old roof?

Get those answers in writing. A vague answer about decking or cleanup is worth a follow-up question before you sign.

TDI warns to be careful when one bid is a lot lower than the others. Ask the low bidder to show you each item on the list above, so you can see whether anything is missing before you compare prices.

What should a roofing contract say before you sign?

The contract should list the work, the materials and a price, and it should have no blank spaces. TDI says a contractor who leaves blanks can fill them in later with higher costs or different work.

Read every document before you sign it. TDI warns that some contractors ask for a signature on something they call an estimate, or a form just to get on your roof, that is really a contract. If a roofer asks for a signature before giving you a price, read the page and make sure it is not a contract.

If the job changes after you sign, for example when the crew finds rotten decking, ask for the change and its price in writing before that work starts. A short signed change order is your record of what you agreed to pay for.

Don’t pay the whole bill up front. TDI warns against large or full payments before the work is done. Pay in a way that leaves a record, such as a check or card, and keep the contract, the receipts and any change orders together with the permit.

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in New Braunfels?

Yes, inside city limits. The City of New Braunfels says re-roofing needs a building permit, and roofing is one of the residential permit types you can file through its online permit portal.

Ask the roofer who pulls the permit before you sign, and put that answer in the contract. Get the permit number when it is issued and keep it with your contract and receipts. When the inspection is done, ask the roofer for the result so your file shows the job was checked.

The City registers general contractors. Its Building Safety Division requires general contractors who do residential work inside city limits to register with it. Ask Building Safety whether your roofer needs that registration for the permit. Check the City’s Building Permits page for the current rules before work starts.

If you plan to do the work yourself, the City has a separate path. Its building permits page and its homeowner exemption bulletin both say an owner can do construction work on a home that is their homestead. The bulletin lists re-roofing and roof repair among the permits an approved homeowner can pull, still with a permit.

Outside city limits, ask the county or the city that covers your address what applies. If anyone offers to skip the permit to save time or money, treat that as a reason to keep looking.

What are the warning signs of a roofing scam after a storm?

The clearest sign is an offer to waive or cover your insurance deductible. TDI says it is illegal in Texas for a contractor to offer to waive a deductible or to work it into the bid, and that you should hire someone else. TDI also says contractors who illegally waive deductibles could be fined or go to jail.

Other warning signs TDI lists:

• A contractor who goes door to door looking for work after a storm
• A request for a large down payment or the full price before work starts
• A contract with blank spaces, or a request to sign something before you get an estimate
• A roofer who offers to handle your insurance claim for you

You do not have to sign with the first roofer at the door. Take photos of the damage, call your insurance company, and collect bids the same way you would on a quiet week, with the same questions and the same paperwork.

After a declared disaster there is a firmer rule about payment. TDI says contractors from outside the area may not ask for payment before they start work.

The insurance claim has its own rule. TDI says Texas does not allow a roofer to act as an adjuster, or advertise to adjust claims, on a property where the roofer provides or may provide the roofing work. A roofer who offers to negotiate your settlement for you is offering something the law does not allow. For other home repairs, the local pros directory lists more trades in New Braunfels.

More roofing questions

How would a roofer cover my deductible?

One way is to send the insurance company a higher estimate or bill than the real cost, so the extra covers the deductible. Another is a rebate or credit for the deductible amount. TDI says offering either is illegal.

Can my insurance company ask me to prove I paid the deductible?

Yes. Texas law lets your insurance company ask for proof that you paid your deductible, so keep the receipt or statement for that payment.

Can a public adjuster I hire also replace my roof?

No. TDI says a public insurance adjuster who works on your claim can’t act as your contractor, and Texas law bars a contractor from acting as a public adjuster on a property it works on.

Where do I report a roofer who offers to waive my deductible?

Talk to your insurance company, and report the offer to the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-621-0508.