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HiringStorm DamageLicensed pro

How do I file a complaint about a storm-chasing roofer in Virginia?

First check whether the roofer holds a Virginia contractor licence, because that decides where the complaint goes. Complain in writing to the contractor, then to the Board for Contractors at DPOR if they are licensed. If they are unlicensed, DPOR can pursue criminal action. Also contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section for deceptive sales or price gouging.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

This is a job for a licensed pro in Virginia

This page explains what the work involves, the permits, what a licensed pro does and what drives the cost. It does not give step-by-step instructions, because this work needs a licence, a permit or both, and doing it wrong can injure someone. Before you hire, check the licence on Virginia's DPOR record.

Start with the licence

Where a complaint goes depends on one fact: does the roofer hold a Virginia contractor licence? Look the name up before anything else. Consumers can best protect themselves by verifying a prospective contractor has a legitimate license in Virginia using DPOR's License Lookup Tool or by calling (804) 367-8511.[1]

In Virginia, if the work you are considering is valued at $1,000 or more, a valid Virginia Contractor's License is required for the license category in which the contractor is to work.[2] A storm roof repair is often above that.

Asphalt shingles on a roof slope with ragged, cracked and broken edges
Photo: Samuel Bolton, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Complaint routes

Contractor first, in writing. DPOR's guide says to contact your contractor first, and to address all problems or complaints directly to your contractor in writing, so that you both have a record.[2] A storm chaser may be gone, but an email or a letter to the address on the contract still counts.

The Board for Contractors, if the roofer is licensed. If the contractor refuses to make corrections, you should file a written complaint with the Board for Contractors.[2] Every complaint filed with the Board for Contractors is logged and reviewed to determine whether a violation may have occurred.[2] Know what it can do. The Board may suspend or revoke the contractor's license, fine the contractor, or fail to renew the contractor's license. The Board cannot force the contractor to refund money or correct deficiencies.[2] In some complaints against a licensed contractor, DPOR may offer alternative dispute resolution, and consumers and contractors are offered the opportunity to participate in the ADR process at no cost.[2]

DPOR, if the roofer is unlicensed. For complaints involving unlicensed contractors, if the investigation shows probable cause that a violation occurred, the Board for Contractors may pursue criminal action against the contractor.[2] The limits are real. Unlicensed activity—practicing a profession without a required state license—is a misdemeanor criminal violation, and prosecution is at the discretion of local officials.[2] DPOR puts the consequence bluntly: consumers have very little recourse against unlicensed contractors.[1]

The Attorney General, for deceptive sales. The Consumer Protection Section takes complaints against businesses operating in Virginia. Its advice is to use our online complaint form, which it calls the quickest way to get your complaint filed and processed.[3] Send copies, not originals: assemble photocopies of all of your documents (*do not send originals*) and submit them all at the same time as your complaint form.[3] State the specific resolution you are seeking.[3] Its process is described this way: "We typically send complaints we handle to the business for its response, and we ask consumers to respond to the business's position."[3] The hotline is 1-800-552-9963 if calling from Virginia.[3]

Your insurer, if the problem is the claim. A complaint about a roofer is not a complaint about your insurance company. If your insurer is the one delaying or underpaying, that goes to the Bureau of Insurance, which provides free complaint services to Virginia residents, not to DPOR.[7]

Rights you may be able to use

The three-day cancellation. Contracts signed at your door are covered by the Virginia Home Solicitation Sales Act. Under it, the buyer has the right to cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after the day on which the buyer signs an agreement or offer to purchase.[4] There is a catch for emergencies: the buyer may not cancel a home solicitation sale if the buyer requests the seller to provide goods or services without delay because of an emergency, and the other conditions in the law are met, including a dated, signed statement waiving the right.[4] Never sign a waiver because a salesman says it is routine.

Price gouging. During a declared disaster it shall be unlawful for any supplier to sell, lease, or license, or to offer to sell, lease, or license, any necessary goods and services at an unconscionable price within the area for which the state of emergency is declared.[5] The law's list of necessary goods and services includes building materials and services.[6] It applies only where a state of emergency has been declared. The Attorney General has a separate price gouging complaint form.

The Recovery Fund. If a licensed contractor's improper or dishonest conduct cost you money and you win a civil judgment, the Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund may pay claims up to $20,000 to consumers who are awarded civil court judgments against a licensed contractor for improper or dishonest conduct.[2] It does not help against an unlicensed one.

Signs you are dealing with a storm chaser

DPOR lists the scam signals: high-pressure or scare tactics ("offer good today only"), over-friendly sales pitches, "material left-over", escalating prices and deals that sound too good to be true.[1] It adds: be wary of door-to-door solicitations promising repairs at a discounted price.[1]

Protect yourself on payment. Insist on a written contract, don't pay in cash, and never pay for the entire job upfront.[1] Limit your deposit. Pay 10 percent down or $1,000, whichever amount is less.[1] DPOR notes an exception for custom-made items or special orders, where the limit is 30% of the contract value.[1] If you are claiming on insurance, Virginia's Bureau of Insurance says: "do not sign any contracts for major repair until the company representative has determined how much damage there is and how much the company will pay."[7] On paying everything in advance, the bureau says it is highly unlikely that a reputable contractor would request full payment in advance.[7]

When to call a licensed pro

A complaint does not fix a roof. A damaged roof still needs a licensed roofer, and the work itself, from tarping to replacing shingles, is not a homeowner job. Check the roofer's licence with DPOR before you sign, and ask for the licence number and class on the contract.

For what to do next, see how a roof is tarped after storm damage, who tarps a roof after storm damage and the signs of hail or wind damage. Browse roofing answers or find roofing repair businesses.

When you are ready, describe the damage once and licensed local roofers respond.

Common questions

Who do I complain to about a roofer who took my deposit and never came back?
Check the licence first. If the roofer is licensed, file a written complaint with the Board for Contractors at DPOR; the Board can discipline a licensee but cannot force a refund. If unlicensed, DPOR may pursue criminal action, and the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section takes consumer complaints about businesses. A civil court judgment is how you recover money.
Can I cancel a roofing contract I signed at my door?
Often, for a short time. Virginia's Home Solicitation Sales Act lets the buyer cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after signing. The exception is a true emergency: if you asked for work without delay and signed a dated statement waiving the right to cancel, you may not be able to cancel once work has substantially begun.
Is it illegal for a roofer to raise prices after a storm?
Only during a declared disaster. Virginia's anti-price-gouging law makes it unlawful to sell necessary goods and services, which include building materials and services, at an unconscionable price in the area covered by a declared state of emergency. A price complaint form is available from the Attorney General.
Does the Board for Contractors cover unlicensed roofers?
No. DPOR says regulatory boards do not have jurisdiction over unlicensed individuals. DPOR attempts to obtain compliance or works with local law enforcement, and prosecution is at the discretion of local officials. That is why checking the licence before signing matters most.
What should I put in the complaint?
The contractor's name, address, phone number and licence number if any, the date and what was promised, what you paid and how, and what went wrong. Add copies, never originals, of the contract, receipts, photos and messages, and state the specific resolution you want.

Sources

  1. [1] Disaster Recovery: Avoiding Fraud, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Checked October 27, 2026.
  2. [2] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, Virginia Board for Contractors, DPOR. Checked October 27, 2026.
  3. [3] File a Complaint, Office of the Attorney General of Virginia, Consumer Protection Section. Checked October 27, 2026.
  4. [4] Code of Virginia § 59.1-21.3, Cancellation of sale (Virginia Home Solicitation Sales Act), Code of Virginia, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  5. [5] Code of Virginia § 59.1-527, Prohibitions (Virginia Post-Disaster Anti-Price Gouging Act), Code of Virginia, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  6. [6] Code of Virginia § 59.1-526, Definitions (Virginia Post-Disaster Anti-Price Gouging Act), Code of Virginia, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  7. [7] Disaster Strikes Insured Homeowners Loss, Bureau of Insurance, Virginia State Corporation Commission. Checked October 27, 2026.

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