Red flags when hiring a home service pro
Spot the warning signs early, and learn the green flags that usually point to a business worth calling.
Updated Oct 12, 2026 · Vettley
Whether you need a roofer after a hailstorm or a plumber at midnight, you are often hiring under time pressure. That is exactly when red flags are easiest to miss. Here is a quick field guide.
Red flags
- Door-knocking right after a storm. Traveling crews follow storms. Some are legitimate; many are gone before warranty problems show up.
- Pressure to sign today. "Today-only" pricing is a sales tactic, not a real deadline.
- Cash only, or a large deposit up front. It leaves you with little recourse if the job stalls.
- No written estimate or contract. If it isn't written down, it is hard to hold anyone to it.
- Asking you to pull the permit. That puts responsibility for the work on you.
- No verifiable address. A business you can't locate is a business you can't follow up with.
- A website that is broken, parked or missing. Not proof of anything, but a reason to ask more questions.
- Offers to "waive" your insurance deductible. In many states that can be insurance fraud, and it can put you at risk too.
Green flags
- A clear written estimate that lists materials, labor, cleanup and timeline.
- License and insurance information offered without you having to push.
- A physical address and a phone number that a real person answers.
- A website that loads, is secure and has been around for years.
- Payment schedules tied to finished milestones.
- A written warranty on both parts and labor.
- Recent references from jobs like yours.
Use the signals, then ask the questions
Public signals are a fast first filter. They can't tell you about workmanship, but they help you decide who is worth a phone call. Every Vettley report shows those signals with the date we checked them, plus questions to ask for that trade. Then use our nine-step checklist before you sign.
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