The signs are evident.
"They won't have a physical location, they won't be from the area," Mechele Mills, President of the Better Business Bureau in East Texas, said.
These "storm chasers" know where to strike, and tarps on damaged roofs make you a target.
"They drive around a neighborhood that has a lot of damage, knock on doors and say 'I can do this for you I see you have a roof that's damaged'," Mills said.
She says because they quote low estimates, desperate homeowners sometimes don't think twice. "You get somebody that promises the world and then takes half of their money," Darren Cable, owner of Cable's Roofing and Construction Company, said.
Contractors will be good about letting you know who they are, having marked vehicles and never asking for cash up front. "We say go by the rule of thirds. Pay a third deposit, third when it's half-way finished, and then pay last third when job is complete," Mills said.
Contractors add to be sure and have a paper trail. "We're in Texas and people like to shake hands but always have a contract, sign it, and make sure everything is straight-forward," Cable said.
Common sense that can fall by the wayside in the aftermath of chaos.
