“Sign today.”
Pressure to commit immediately limits your chance to compare bids, check references, and read the agreement.
Hail storms & contractor scams
After the storm, stay in control of your repairs.
Hail can damage your home in minutes. A dishonest contractor can leave you with another loss. Know the warning signs, put the work and payments in writing, and get guidance before you commit.
Why this matters
Scammers follow storms. Your decision deserves time.
Texas consumer agencies warn that dishonest operators target neighborhoods after disasters. Some collect money and disappear; others use misleading paperwork or leave work unfinished. A knock at the door is not proof of fraud, but it is a reason to check the business before signing or paying.
Sources: Texas Department of Insurance and Texas Attorney General.
Know the warning signs
Slow down when you hear these offers.
“It’s just an inspection form.”
An estimate or roof-access form may contain a contract. Read every page and leave no blanks.
“Pay it all before we start.”
A large or full advance payment deserves caution. Ask what each payment covers and when it is due.
“We’ll cover your deductible.”
Texas prohibits contractors from waiving, rebating, or absorbing a property-insurance deductible. Reject that offer. Understand your legal risk
“The price is your insurance check.”
A contract tied to all insurance proceeds can commit your entire payment. Require a defined scope and price.
“No need to check us out.”
Verify the business, contact information, recent references, insurance, and any license required for the work.
Warning signs summarized from the TDI contractor-scam guide and the Attorney General’s disaster-scam guidance.
The owner can be on the hook, too
A “free deductible” can become your legal problem.
A contractor may conceal a waived deductible through false invoices or payment records. Homeowners and business owners who knowingly help deceive the insurer can face insurance-fraud charges alongside the contractor.
Criminal charges
Insurance-claim fraud can be a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the legally determined claim value and circumstances. The contractor’s deductible-waiver offense is separately classified as a Class B misdemeanor.
Repayment and legal costs
A conviction under Texas Penal Code §35.02 requires restitution to the affected insurer, including court costs and attorney fees. A “free” deductible can leave you owing much more.
Your coverage at risk
Texas law allows an insurer to cancel homeowners coverage when the insured submits a fraudulent claim, subject to notice requirements. Commercial-property cancellation follows different rules.
Protect yourself: insist on accurate invoices and payment records, pay your required deductible, and ask your insurer about any offer to waive or offset it. Your insurer may request proof of deductible payment before paying the full claim amount.
Sources: TDI deductible guidance; Texas Penal Code §35.02; Business & Commerce Code §27.02; Insurance Code §551.104. Criminal liability requires proof of the offense; these consequences are not automatic whenever a contractor makes an offer.
Best practices
Make the agreement clear before work begins.
Compare written bids
Compare the same work and materials across multiple bids. Check references and who will actually perform the work.
Define the job
Record materials, total price, dates, payment stages, change approvals, and warranty responsibilities. Keep a signed copy.
Check progress before paying
Keep invoices, receipts, and progress photos. Review completed stages before scheduled payments and inspect the finished work before final payment.
The RPS DIY path
Be your own contractor, with guidance.
You don’t have to be a construction expert to get started. Our DIY path helps you organize your repairs and hire independent trades directly. You make the decisions; qualified providers perform the work.
RPS Trades serves as a trusted advisor, providing assistance and direction as you work through provider selection, written scopes, project stages, and questions to ask before paying. The goal is to give you a clearer process and reduce opportunities for pressure, confusion, and avoidable mistakes.
DIY means managing your project. Roof work, electrical work, structural repairs, and other specialized tasks belong with qualified professionals. Complex projects may also need an engineer, permits, inspections, or professional construction management.
How we help reduce risk
More direction. Clearer expectations.
Provider connections and review
We help connect you with independent trades. Our network process includes reviewing available insurance evidence through a licensed agent and any license required for the provider’s trade.
A review is a check at a point in time. It does not guarantee coverage, workmanship, or future policy status.
Questions before commitments
We help you identify questions about the scope, materials, schedule, responsibilities, and payment stages so you can seek clear written answers from your provider.
Documentation along the way
We ask network providers for photo documentation at each stage. We encourage you to keep contracts, invoices, approved changes, and warranties together and use qualified inspections where needed.
These steps help reduce risk; they cannot eliminate fraud or guarantee a result. You choose the provider, sign the contract, approve the work, and arrange payments directly. RPS Trades does not perform construction work or hold project funds.
A practical path
From the first question to the final walkthrough.
Tell us what you need
Share the repair needs you know about. We help identify the trades and questions to start with.
Choose your providers
Compare written proposals, check references, and confirm responsibilities before hiring directly.
Set the plan
Agree on scope, sequence, materials, payment stages, and required permits or inspections with your providers.
Document and close out
Keep progress records, review finished work, and collect receipts and warranties. Ask for help when a question exceeds your expertise.
Questions
Know your role. Know ours.
Do I have to know how to do construction?
No. The DIY path is about organizing your project and hiring qualified people to perform the work. RPS provides guidance and helps you ask questions. Technical design, construction methods, and inspections require the appropriate professionals.
What does RPS do as my trusted advisor?
We provide assistance and direction on the project process: connecting you with trades, identifying questions about proposals, encouraging written expectations, and documenting progress. Discuss the help you need with us at the start so responsibilities are clear.
Does hiring crews directly guarantee savings or prevent scams?
No. Direct hiring gives you more involvement in provider selection and project decisions. Compare complete bids and account for coordination, permits, inspections, and other costs. Neither direct hiring nor our review process guarantees savings or a scam-free project.
Can escrow or direct supplier payment help?
They may be options if the contractor, supplier, or independent escrow provider agrees. Confirm eligibility, fees, material terms, payment-release rules, and dispute procedures in writing. RPS has no confirmed escrow partnership, and homeowner supplier accounts are not universally available.
Can I get in trouble if the contractor handles the paperwork?
A contractor preparing the paperwork does not protect you if you knowingly participate in deceiving the insurer. Read the owner-liability warning.
Who handles insurance questions?
Contact your insurer or an independent licensed public adjuster for claim questions. RPS Trades provides project guidance and does not handle, negotiate, or adjust insurance claims.
What does it cost to request help?
There is no cost to property owners to submit a request. Providers pay RPS Trades a flat fee when hired through the network. You contract with and pay the provider directly; discuss the scope and any cost of additional services before agreeing to them.
If you suspect a scam
Save your records and report it.
Keep agreements, receipts, messages, photos, and business details. Report suspected contractor fraud to local law enforcement and the Texas Attorney General. For questions about an existing contract or payment dispute, speak with a Texas attorney.
Sources reviewed October 10, 2026: TDI contractor scams, Texas AG disaster scams, and Texas AG home improvement guidance.
Take the next step with guidance.
Tell us what needs attention. We’ll help you explore the DIY path and connect with the trades your project needs.