The storm-chaser problem, and how to spot one

After a significant hail event, crews arrive from out of state within about seventy-two hours. Not all of them are bad — some are competent operations following work, which is a normal thing to do in this trade.

The problem is structural rather than moral. A twenty-year manufacturer warranty and a workmanship warranty are only worth what the company behind them is worth in year six. A crew working out of a hotel two states from home cannot service a callback, and often the entity that signed your contract no longer exists by then.

Things worth asking, in order. Where is your office, and can I drive to it. Who does the warranty work, and what happens if you are not operating. Are you licensed and insured in Georgia specifically, and can I see the certificate rather than a photo of one. And do you subcontract the crew, because if so the workmanship warranty is only as good as your relationship with a subcontractor you might not use again.

A local company will answer all four without hesitating. That is really the whole test.