Roofing Company in New Orleans, LA: How to Compare Estimates and Contracts

The Louisiana Department of Insurance warns that large storms give dishonest service providers an opening to take advantage of homeowners. The state licensing board adds that people without a license often appear after disasters offering quick fixes that lead to costly problems later. Both warnings point the same way: slow down, get every offer in writing and compare them.

This page is about choosing between roofing companies in New Orleans, Louisiana. It covers what a written estimate and a contract should say, how to compare bids line by line, deposits and payment terms, what state law says about insurance deductibles and claims, the warning signs state agencies list after a storm, and warranties. The rules cited come from the Louisiana Legislature, the Louisiana Department of Insurance, the Attorney General’s office, the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors and the City of New Orleans.

Roofer New Orleans is a referral service and not a roofing company. We connect you with an independent local roofing contractor, and the estimate, the contract and the work are theirs. Use this page to judge any company you deal with, including one we connect you with.

Before you compare prices

A price only counts if the company behind it may legally take the job. The roofing contractor page explains the state license a roofing business needs, how to look one up and the insurance the licensing board requires, so run that check on every company on your list first. One point from it carries into the paperwork. The Board’s FAQ says a license holder must bid, contract and perform work in the name on the Board’s official records, so the name on every estimate you compare should be the name on the license.

What a written estimate should say

A price on the back of a business card is not an estimate. The Department of Insurance tells homeowners to always insist on a written contract detailing the scope of work, materials, timeline and a payment schedule that does not include large upfront payments. In New Orleans the paperwork has a second job. The City’s re-roofing permit application requires a signed estimate or contract, and the City’s guide asks for both signatures, both printed names, a list of labor and materials, and the total cost.

For a roof, a complete estimate covers these points.

• Scope. Which roof areas are included, and whether the old roofing comes off down to the deck.
• Decking. A unit price for replacing damaged sheathing or boards, since nobody can see the wood until the roofing is lifted.
• Underlayment, edge metal and flashing. The products by name, and whether existing flashing is reused or replaced.
• The roof covering. Manufacturer, product line and color for shingles or metal, and the source, size and color for slate or tile.
• Ridge tiles, vents and gutters. Whether existing terra cotta ridge tiles are kept and reset, and what ventilation is installed.
• Permit and approvals. Who applies for the City permit and, in a historic district, for the approval of the Historic District Landmarks Commission or the Vieux Carre Commission, and whether the fees are in the price.
• Cleanup and disposal. Removal of the old roofing, a sweep for nails, and protection for plants and the neighbors’ property.
• Dates. A start date, an expected duration and what happens in bad weather.
• Payments. The deposit, the progress payments and what each one is tied to.
• Warranties. The manufacturer’s warranty on materials and the installer’s own warranty on the work, as two separate written documents.

Comparing bids line by line

The Attorney General’s consumer tips say to get multiple estimates and to be certain each bid is on the exact same work, is itemized and is detailed. The Department of Insurance says to be wary of significantly low bids, which may indicate substandard work or hidden costs. Setting the bids out in a table like this one makes the gaps visible.

Line in the estimate	Why it matters	What to compare
Tear-off	The City’s historic district guidelines tell owners to verify whether the existing roofing has to come off first, because too much weight can damage structural elements.	Whether every layer comes off, and the disposal cost.
Decking allowance	Rot or decay under the roofing cannot be priced until the old roof is off. The same guidelines say to verify the condition of the sheathing, lath and structure and to make the necessary repairs.	The price per sheet or per board, and who approves extra work.
Underlayment	The Department of Insurance notes that water damage typically comes through exposed wood decking when a roof covering is blown away.	The product, and whether the roof deck is sealed.
Fastening	The City’s guidelines call for appropriate fasteners for New Orleans’ hurricane-strength winds.	Nail type and pattern for the deck and for the covering.
Flashing and edge metal	The Vieux Carre Commission’s guidelines note that flashing often fails before the roofing material, and both commissions advise a flashing metal with a life span similar to or longer than the roofing.	Metal type, and whether it is new or reused.
Permit and historic approval	Starting work without a required building permit costs twice the City’s building permit price, on top of the regular permit fees.	Who files, and whether the fee is in the price.
Payment schedule	State agencies warn against large upfront payments.	The size of the deposit and what triggers each payment.
Warranty	The City’s guidelines say to verify the extent of both the material and the installation warranties.	Length, exclusions, and whether it passes to a buyer.

Compare the scope lines before you compare the totals. Two bids are only comparable when they cover the same roof areas, the same materials and the same extras.

Deposits and payment terms

The Department of Insurance says a contract’s payment schedule should not include large upfront payments. The Attorney General’s consumer tips for disaster victims say reputable contractors normally do not require down payments over 25 percent of the total price. The same tips advise paying by check or money order and keeping the receipt, not paying cash, and putting any change to the contract in writing, initialed by both parties.

On any job, tie payments to milestones you can see: materials delivered, old roof off, new roof on, paperwork in hand. The City issues a Certificate of Completion when a permitted re-roof is closed out, and it makes sense to hold the final payment until you have it.

The insurance deductible: what state law says

An offer to cover, waive or rebate your insurance deductible is not a discount. Louisiana Revised Statute 51:451, as amended by Act 734 of 2022, applies to any seller of goods or services whose work will be paid for from the proceeds of a property insurance claim. Without the insurer’s consent, the seller may not agree to pay, waive, absorb or decline to collect the deductible, give a rebate that offsets it, or help the policyholder avoid paying it in any manner. The section also bars charging more than the usual and customary price by the amount of the deductible.

The same section binds the policyholder too. A person covered by a property policy may not submit a claim, or knowingly allow one to be submitted, for work that breaks the rule, and is held in violation unless he promptly tells the insurer about the suspected violation. Each offense carries a fine of up to $500, up to thirty days in jail, or both.

A companion section, 51:452, applies to any contract of $1,000 or more that is reasonably expected to be paid wholly or partly from a property insurance claim. Such a contract must carry a notice in at least twelve-point boldfaced type. The notice says Louisiana law requires the person covered by the policy to pay any deductible that applies to the claim, and that it is a violation of Louisiana law for the seller to knowingly allow or assist that person in not paying it. If a roofing contract for insurance work has no such notice, ask why.

What a roofing company may not do with your claim

Act 734 of 2022 also wrote a list of prohibited acts into the contractor licensing law. It now sits at Revised Statute 37:2159.1, where later acts have widened it from home improvement contractors to anyone performing contracting services. Under that section a contractor may not do the following.

• Interpret the coverage or the duties in your property insurance policy, or advertise that service
• Adjust your claim on your behalf as a public adjuster, or advertise that service
• Advertise or solicit as an insurance claims specialist, or as providing any insurance claim or policy interpretation service
• Share in an attorney’s legal fee, require you to sign an attorney representation agreement, or accept a fee for referring you to a lawyer

A contractor answers under the section for an employee or paid helper who interprets a policy or adjusts a claim on its behalf. Assignment of benefits is the newest item. Act 757 of 2026, in force since August 1, 2026, adds it to the list: no person may solicit or accept an assignment of post-loss benefits under a residential or commercial property insurance policy, and an agreement to do so is void. The Act excepts an assignment to a mortgagee, to a later buyer of the property and to certain financial institutions.

A roofer can still do what roofers do: find and photograph the damage, measure the roof and price the repair. The Department of Insurance’s standing advice is to contact your own insurer first if you need to file a claim. The roof repair page sets out the steps the Department lists for policyholders after a storm.

Warning signs the state lists after a storm

The Department of Insurance tells homeowners to be wary of anyone they did not contact offering to do work on their home. Put together with the licensing board’s and the Attorney General’s advice and the statutes above, the warnings come to this list.

• Someone you did not contact who offers to work on your home after a storm
• High-pressure sales tactics
• Vague or evasive answers, and reluctance to put an estimate or a contract in writing
• A bid significantly below the others
• A request for a large payment up front, or for cash
• No license number, or a name that does not match the Board’s record
• An offer to pay, waive or absorb your insurance deductible
• A contract that signs your insurance claim benefits over to the contractor
• A contractor who advertises as an insurance claims specialist or offers to interpret your policy
• Someone claiming to be a government official or an insurance adjuster who will not show identification

The Attorney General’s office suggests one more habit: photograph the contractor, the vehicle, the license plate and the credentials.

Local company or storm crew

A company does not have to be old to be good, and the comparisons above work on any of them. A few more questions help show whether a company will still be reachable when a warranty matters.

• Where is the office? The Board’s Contractor Search can list contractors by city or by parish, so you can see where a company’s record places it.
• What have you done near me? Ask for addresses of recent jobs. A City re-roofing permit must be visibly posted at the work site, so a permitted job in progress shows its paperwork.
• Have you worked with the historic commissions? The French Quarter guidelines tell owners to verify that a roofer is experienced in meeting Vieux Carre Commission requirements and will obtain the required approvals and permits.
• What kind of building is this to you? Say early whether it is a single, a double or a larger building. The license class and the City permit change with the number of units, as the roofing contractor page explains.

Size matters less than fit. A firm that repairs slate regularly may suit a slate roof better than a larger company that mostly installs shingles. The roofers page matches roof types to the roofers who work on them.

Warranties: two documents, not one

The City’s guidelines advise owners to verify the extent of both the material and the installation warranties, and the histories of the manufacturer and the installer behind them. They are separate promises from separate parties. The manufacturer’s warranty covers the product, and the installer’s warranty covers the work. Ask for both in writing before you sign, and read what voids them. Roofer New Orleans does not issue or back either one.

If something goes wrong

• The contractor’s license. The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors takes complaints online and on a printed form. Start from its contact page.
• An insurance claim problem or suspected insurance fraud. The Louisiana Department of Insurance takes questions, complaints and fraud reports. Start from its contact page.
• Disaster fraud. The Attorney General’s consumer tips point residents to the National Center for Disaster Fraud.
• A permit question. The City’s Department of Safety and Permits lists its divisions on its contact page.

The Department of Insurance also suggests getting legal advice promptly if you suspect contractor fraud or run into significant problems during a project.

Questions, answered