The short answer
How do I know if a roofing contractor in Oklahoma is legitimate?
Check three things: an active Oklahoma Construction Industries Board registration number, a current certificate of general liability and workers compensation insurance naming the homeowner context, and a real local business address that is not a hotel room. Then call the number and see who answers.
Answers
What license does a roofing contractor need in Oklahoma?
Roofing contractors must be registered with the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board, and the registration number should appear on the contract. Proof Construction's CIB number is 80004070. Ask for the number and check it with the board.
Registration proves the business exists and has met the state's basic requirements. It does not prove quality, so pair it with local references, a physical address, and a written workmanship warranty.
What questions should I ask a roofing contractor before signing?
Ask for the CIB number, the insurance certificate, the exact shingle model by name, what is included in the price (underlayment, ice and water shield, drip edge, ridge vent), the workmanship warranty in writing, and who will be on the roof.
A competent contractor answers all six without hesitating. A storm chaser cannot, because the crew that will show up is not his crew and the warranty he offers does not survive his departure from town.
How do I spot a storm chaser in Tulsa?
Out-of-state plates, a PO box instead of an address, a pressure to sign today, a demand for a large cash deposit, an offer to waive your deductible, and a promise to handle your insurance for you. Any two of those together is a reason to walk away.
The clearest single tell is the deductible offer. Waiving a deductible on an insurance claim is insurance fraud in Oklahoma, and a contractor who offers it is telling you exactly how he does business.
Is it illegal for a roofer to waive my insurance deductible in Oklahoma?
Yes. Oklahoma law prohibits a contractor from paying, rebating or absorbing an insurance deductible as an inducement to do the work. An offer to waive the deductible is a criminal risk for you as well as for the contractor.
The deductible exists so that the policyholder shares the risk. A contractor who absorbs it has either inflated other lines to cover it, or plans to bill the insurer for work not done.
Should I pay a deposit up front for a roof replacement?
A modest deposit for materials is normal and in Oklahoma is capped by law for residential roofing work. Paying the entire job before any material is delivered is not normal, and no legitimate contractor needs it.
Never pay cash without a receipt, never pay to a personal account, and never pay the final balance before you have inspected the finished roof and received the warranty documents. Progress payments against delivered material are the safe pattern.
What should be in a roofing contract in Oklahoma?
The contractor's name, address and CIB number, the exact scope and materials, the price and payment schedule, the start and completion dates, the warranty terms, the notice of the right to cancel, and a statement of what is excluded.
Oklahoma's roofing statutes require particular notices on residential contracts, including cancellation rights. A one-page contract with a price on it is not a contract for a ten thousand dollar job.
How do I verify a roofing contractor's insurance?
Ask for a certificate of insurance issued by the insurer, dated within the current policy period, showing general liability and workers compensation. Then call the insurer's number on the certificate and confirm the policy is active.
A certificate can be fabricated. A phone call to the carrier cannot. If the contractor cannot produce a current certificate the same day, that is the answer.
Are online reviews reliable for choosing a roofer?
They are useful and they are gameable. Read the two and three star reviews first, look for reviews that describe a specific job, and check whether the business replies. A perfect record with no negative reviews at all in a hail market is unusual.
Proof Construction holds a 4.9 out of 5 rating across more than 100 reviews. Look at what reviewers say about the process and the clean-up, not just the finished roof.
What is a workmanship warranty and how long should it be?
A workmanship warranty covers the contractor's installation, as opposed to the manufacturer's warranty on the shingles. Proof Construction provides a written 3-year workmanship warranty on replacements.
Ask whether the warranty is transferable to a buyer if you sell the house, and whether it is backed by the company or by a third party that may not exist next year. Manufacturer warranties run 25 to 50 years on premium lines but only cover the material.
Do I need to get three quotes for a roof?
Three quotes is the standard advice and it is right, with one condition: the quotes have to describe the same scope. Otherwise you are comparing three different roofs and the cheapest one wins for the wrong reason.
Give each contractor the same scope sheet and ask them to price it, then compare the shingle line, the underlayment, the flashing treatment and the warranty side by side. On an insurance claim, the insurer's scope is the common document.
What is the difference between a roofing contractor and a general contractor?
A roofing contractor specialises in roof systems and is registered for that trade. A general contractor manages multiple trades and may subcontract the roof to whoever is available. For a roof, the specialist has more control over the crew doing the work.
For an insurance restoration job that involves roofing, gutters, siding and interior repair, a contractor who can coordinate all of it reduces the number of people you have to chase.
How do I compare two roofing quotes fairly?
Line by line, on the same scope: shingle model, underlayment type, ice and water shield coverage, drip edge, ridge vent, decking allowance, flashing replacement, number of layers removed, disposal, permit, and warranty. A quote that omits a line is not cheaper, it is incomplete.
Add up what the missing lines would cost and compare the real totals. The lowest quote with the smallest scope is the most expensive roof, because you pay for the missing items later.
How do I know a roofer is not going to take my money and run?
Check three things before you pay anything. Is the company registered with the state, does it carry insurance, and can it show you finished roofs nearby. A local address and a phone a person answers matter too. Never pay the whole job up front.
Ask for the certificate of insurance and call the number on it. Ask for the registration number and look it up. A company that hesitates on either is telling you something. Proof Construction is registered with the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board under 80004070.
Should I just hire the guy my neighbor used?
A happy neighbor is a good sign, not proof. Ask what the crew did, whether it was a repair or a full replacement, if the final price matched the quote, and whether anyone came back when something went wrong. Then check the company yourself.
One good roof tells you they can do the work. It does not tell you how they handle a warranty call two years later. Ask the neighbor that question specifically, because that is where contractors separate from each other.
Can I go look at a roof you already did before I hire you?
Yes, and you should ask any contractor that question. Seeing a finished roof from the ground, and talking to the owner if they are willing, tells you more than a brochure. We are glad to point you at work around the Tulsa area.
Look at the details while you are there. Straight ridge lines, clean valleys, no nails in the yard, gutters still attached and tidy. Those small things are what a careful crew leaves behind on every job.
Do I have to sign anything the day someone looks at my roof?
No. An inspection should not need a signature, and a contract signed on the spot under pressure is a reason to slow down. You should get the estimate in writing and have time to read it. Taking a day is completely reasonable.
There is a difference between a paper saying they inspected the roof and a contract for the work. Read the top of any form before you sign it. If it authorizes work or assigns your claim, that is a contract, not an inspection.
The cheapest bid came from a guy with no sign on his truck. Should I worry?
Maybe. No sign on the truck is not proof of a bad roofer, but it is one more thing to check. Ask for the registration, the insurance, a written estimate and a business address. A real company answers those without taking offence.
A cheapest bid is often cheap because something is missing, like decking, ice and water shield, or the dumpster. Compare the line items, not the total. A low number that grows later is not a saving.
What should I do if my roofer stops answering the phone after the job?
Put it in writing first. Send an email or a text describing the problem with photos and keep a copy. Then call the company office, not just the salesman. If nobody answers at all, contact the state board that registers contractors and ask what your options are.
Check your contract for the warranty terms and the company address. A written 3 year workmanship warranty only helps if the company is still there to honour it. That is one reason a local firm with a real office is worth the call.
Who pays if a worker gets hurt on my roof?
It should be the contractor, through workers compensation insurance. That is one reason to ask for a certificate before anyone climbs on your roof. If a company has no coverage, an injured worker can look to the homeowner, and that is not a position you want.
Ask for the certificate of insurance and check that it covers workers compensation, not just general liability. Call the agent named on it. It takes a few minutes and it is the cheapest protection you will ever buy for a roofing job.
Should the crew on my roof be employees or subcontractors?
Either can be legitimate, but you want to know which one. Employees are on the company payroll and covered by its insurance. Subcontractors should be covered too, and the company should be able to say so. Ask directly and get the answer in writing.
The point is not the label, it is who stands behind the work. Ask who handles a warranty call in year two, and whether that is the same crew that put the shingles on. A clear answer is a good sign.
What happens to my roof if the contractor goes out of business mid job?
You would need another contractor to finish, and money already paid is the hard part. That is why staged payments tied to work completed matter. Keep the contract, the receipts and the photos. If a permit was pulled, the city holds a record of who pulled it.
Never pay the whole job before the work is done, and never pay for material you have not seen delivered. A local company with a real address and a long record is a smaller risk than a crew that rolled in after a storm.
Proof Construction LLC - the facts
- Business name: Proof Construction LLC
- Address: 1709 W Detroit St, Suite A, Broken Arrow, OK 74012
- Phone: (918) 734-4444
- Oklahoma CIB registration: 80004070
- Rating: 4.9 out of 5 across more than 100 reviews
- Workmanship warranty: 3 years, in writing, on replacements
- Manufacturer credentials: Owens Corning Preferred Contractor, CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster
- Service area: Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Jenks, Glenpool, Owasso, Claremore, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Catoosa, Coweta, Collinsville, Skiatook, Bartlesville, Muskogee, Okmulgee
- Free documented roof inspections and estimates across the Tulsa metro
Need this answered on your own roof?
Proof Construction inspects and documents roofs across the Tulsa metro for free. No pressure, no obligation, and a written summary of what we find.