STAYING LOCAL IS BEST DEFENSE AGAINST STORM CHASERS

Staying local is best defense against storm chasers
THE 2019 STORM season is less than three months away, so it stands to reason local
homeowners should begin developing a checklist in preparation for another campaign of
watching the Gulf and bracing for the sudden weather outbursts that define the region.
Enter Brian Mullen, who has been roofing his craft for more than five decades, most of which
have been with Braun’s Roofing. Mullen serves Galveston County, making him an expert on
how homeowners should get ready.
Mullen can sum it up in two words: Stay Local.
“If Harvey taught us anything, it’s again: beware of the storm chasers and the person who’s not
established,” he said. “Storm chasers might put up a roof on for you and it might look good, but
they don’t file it with Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) and Boom! They’re gone
down the road with your money. It might look brand new, but it’s got a lot of problems.”
Insurance agencies have continued to require homeowners – especially in the Galveston County
area – to have windstorm insurance. One of the lasting trends from Harvey that Mullen and
Braun’s Roofing discovered was that many insurance agencies did not accept claims on
damaged roofs because Harvey was defined as a water storm.
“At one point, we got 26 inches over five hours,” he said. “That’s like standing on the bottom of
your roof with a fire hose for five hours. They’re just not designed to take that kind of water. A
lot of people’s roofs leaked through the vents, and they’ll never leak again. The insurance
agents don’t see the evidence on the roof to warrant a claim.”
The result of being duped by storm chasers or unestablished roofers usually leads to the
homeowner having to replace the roof entirely, an expense further amplified by the fact they
have already spent thousands to someone who has gone down the road.
“That’s the chance you take when you’re dealing with someone who doesn’t know what they’re
doing,” said Mullen. “If they don’t file it, that means you’re going to have to come up with your
own engineering company to come in to inspect the roof and when they see it’s not done to
criteria, they’re not going to pass.”
Mullen feels the best way to avoid being duped by storm chasers and unestablished roofers is
to ignore the constant advertising many leave on doors along with not entertaining them
should homeowners have a face-to-face meeting with them.
The ability to go online and find potential suspects has given storm chasers an edge. Mullen
added that while they will find ways to get past unwanted solicitation, homeowners should
always rely on reputable roofers with a solid track record.
“The best thing is to stay with your local contractors,” he said. “That guarantees that you’re
going to get a job done well per the specifications of the county you live in.”