HENDERSON, Texas — Last Wednesday, a significant hail storm pummeled parts of East Texas, leaving homeowners busy repairing the damage inflicted on cars and roofs.
Justyn Geremonte, senior sales representative with Stonewater Roofing, said the hail impacted all of Henderson and Arp.
"I can't even tell you how bad it was," Geremonte said. "I mean we got up on roofs that were only a year old and they were completely destroyed."
Germonte said he’s personally inspected nine roofs in the Henderson area within the past two days. He said the company has contracted with about 25 people and their insurance companies so far.
"That means that we're going to be helping them out to make sure everything is bought properly by the insurance company," Germonte said.
Helping customers follow the appropriate steps is a service you would expect from a legitimate business, but not everyone has the homeowners best interest in mind.
When looking for a roofing company or contractor for repairs, Mechele Mills, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas, said there are some red flags you want to look out for.
"Always be on the lookout in our area there are a lot of people that come through town and leave," Mills said. "What you'll see are companies who maybe don't have any markings on their vehicle or don't have any company branded materials so be watchful for that."
Mills said roofing company scams are real and they can be costly. She advises people to do their homework and watch out for scammers who might be coming through town just to take your money and run.
"Just be very, very careful and typically you want to pay them in increments," Mills said. "You don't want to pay them all upfront."
Mills said it pays to take the time to do your research before signing any sort of contract so that the next time you see hail dropping down in East Texas you can ensure you're in good hands.
"That's when we come out here and check out the roof and we actually take photos to see if there's actual damage," Germonte said.
At a house in Henderson, Germonte said they were hired and noticed damage across the roof. He said they estimate hail roughly the size of ping pong balls impacted the home and even punctured a few holes.
"Like I said we're going to make sure that we will cover any of the spots that are open, but right now we'll coordinate with the insurance," Germonte said.