How to Choose a Roofing Contractor on Maryland's Eastern Shore

1. Maryland MHIC License. This is legally required for any home improvement work over $500 in Maryland. The Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) issues licenses after verifying contractor qualifications, insurance coverage, and financial responsibility. You can verify any contractor's license status, expiration date, and complaint history at dllr.state.md.us. If a contractor can't or won't provide an MHIC number — stop the conversation. Precision Exteriors holds MHIC #166640.

2. General Liability Insurance. A minimum of $1 million in general liability coverage protects your property if the contractor causes damage during the project. Ask to see the certificate of insurance — not just a verbal claim. Call the insurance company listed on the certificate to confirm the policy is active and current. Any contractor operating without GL insurance is putting your home at risk.

3. Workers' Compensation Insurance. This is critically important and often overlooked. Workers' comp covers medical costs and lost wages if a worker is injured on your property. Without it, you could be held liable for a worker's medical bills if they fall from your roof. Never hire a roofing contractor who doesn't carry workers' comp — the financial risk to you is enormous.

4. Manufacturer Certifications. Roofing manufacturers certify contractors in tiers based on installation quality, customer satisfaction, and business practices. The tiers matter because they determine what warranty you receive. Owens Corning has three levels: Preferred (basic), Gold Preferred (enhanced), and Platinum Preferred (top 1% nationwide — highest warranties). GAF has Certified, Master Elite, and President's Club. CertainTeed has SELECT ShingleMaster. The higher the tier, the stronger your warranty protection.

5. BBB Accreditation. Check the Better Business Bureau for the contractor's rating AND complaint history. The letter grade matters, but the complaint details matter more. Look for patterns — repeated complaints about incomplete work, warranty disputes, or communication breakdowns are red flags even if the overall grade is acceptable. Precision Exteriors holds a BBB A+ rating with zero unresolved complaints.

In our years serving the Eastern Shore, we've seen homeowners burned by contractors who exhibited these warning signs. If you encounter any of these, walk away:

• No MHIC license number provided — or a license that can't be verified at dllr.state.md.us. Operating without a license is illegal in Maryland.
• Demands 50%+ payment before work starts. Standard practice is a deposit of 10 to 30%, with the balance due on completion. Any contractor demanding full payment upfront may take your money and never return.
• No written estimate — only verbal quotes. Without a written line-item estimate, you have no documentation of what was promised and no recourse if the price changes.
• No physical office address. Storm chasers operate from trucks and hotel rooms. They have no local presence and will be gone when warranty issues arise.
• Won't provide local references. A legitimate contractor with years of local experience has dozens of satisfied customers willing to vouch for them.
• High-pressure "sign today" tactics. Legitimate contractors provide written estimates and give you time to compare. Anyone pressuring an immediate signature is hiding something.
• Price dramatically below all other bids. A bid 30 to 40% below competitors usually means inferior materials, skipped steps, or hidden charges that appear later.
• Knocks on your door after a storm offering "free inspections." Legitimate contractors don't need to door-knock — they have established reputations and customer referrals.
• Out-of-state license plates on the work truck. Storm chasers travel from state to state following weather events.
• Asks you to pull the building permit. Licensed contractors handle permits as part of the project — asking the homeowner to pull permits is often a tactic to avoid accountability.

Use these 15 questions during your consultation. A reputable contractor will answer every one without hesitation:

For an even more comprehensive list, see our blog posts: 44 Questions to Ask Your Roofing Contractor and The Ultimate Checklist for Hiring a Roofing Contractor.

Local contractors (like Precision Exteriors) have permanent offices in the community — ours are at 118 Riverside Dr in Cambridge and 1525 Edgemore Ave in Salisbury. We've been operating on the Eastern Shore since 2013, hold manufacturer certifications that take years to earn, have hundreds of verifiable local references, and will be here for warranty service decades from now.

Storm chasers arrive after major weather events from out of state. They offer low prices to sign contracts quickly, often use untrained labor and inferior materials, and leave the area within weeks or months — long before warranty issues surface. On the Eastern Shore, we see storm chasers targeting Dorchester, Wicomico, and Talbot counties after every significant weather event. They prey on homeowners' urgency after storm damage.

Protect yourself by verifying every contractor against the five credentials above. A 10-minute verification call can save you thousands of dollars and years of headaches.

The warranty you receive depends directly on your contractor's certification level. A standard, uncertified contractor offers only the manufacturer's basic warranty — typically 25 years on materials with no workmanship coverage. If the installation is done wrong, you have no recourse through the manufacturer.

An Owens Corning Preferred contractor can offer enhanced warranty options with limited workmanship coverage. A Gold Preferred contractor offers stronger options. But only a Platinum Preferred contractor (top 1% nationwide) can offer the full Platinum Protection Limited Warranty: 50-year material defect coverage, 25-year workmanship coverage backed by Owens Corning (not just the contractor), and full transferability to new homeowners.

The difference can be worth tens of thousands of dollars over the life of your roof. If your contractor goes out of business, a Platinum warranty is still backed by Owens Corning — a Fortune 500 company. A warranty from an uncertified contractor dies with their business.