Smith Roofing LLC (Austin, TX) - Contractor Check: Caution

Interpretation: I screened "Smith Roofing LLC" in Austin, TX for a roof replacement, using the supplied license "TECL 12345" and owner "John Smith". All checks were run on 2026-10-05.

Verdict

Caution. The license number supplied is an electrical contractor prefix, not a roofing credential, I could not find it in the state database, and I could not match this business to any active Austin registry record.

Two points drive this:

Texas does not license roofers. The Roofing Contractors Association of Texas states that TDLR does not administer licensure for roofing contractors, so no state roofing license exists to check. Any "license" a roofer shows you is either voluntary (the RCAT program) or from another trade.
"TECL" belongs to electrical contractors. TDLR's compliance guide says an Electrical Contractor license number must be preceded by the letters "TECL". A roofer quoting a TECL number is quoting the wrong class of license, and may be mistaken or may be misrepresenting. I did not find evidence of which.

Findings table

Check	Status	Detail	Source	Date
License	Concern	No state roofing license exists in Texas. "TECL 12345" is an electrical-contractor format. A search of TDLR's active license database for number 12345 returned three records (an air-conditioning license, a journeyman electrician and a property tax consultant), none an electrical contractor and none named Smith. A name search for "SMITH ROOFING" returned no records.	TDLR License Search (my queries); TDLR compliance guide	checked 2026-10-05
Business registration	Possible match only	OpenCorporates (a secondary source; the Texas Secretary of State was not queried directly) lists no active "Smith Roofing LLC" in Austin. Nearest hits: Smith and Sons Roofing Austin, LLC, Austin address, trading name from 14 July 2021, status Forfeited Existence (tax forfeiture 23 February 2024); and "Smith Roofing LLC." (Lewisville address, forfeited 27 February 2026, per the OpenCorporates search result; page not saved). Neither is confirmed as the business you are hiring.	OpenCorporates search result (tool, Texas SOS data)	checked 2026-10-05
Years in business	Could not check	No registry record could be tied to this contractor, so no formation date can be attributed.	n/a	checked 2026-10-05
Board discipline	Not found	No matching licensee was found, so I did not search for orders and the administrative orders database was not checked. Roofing has no state board.	TDLR Administrative Orders	checked 2026-10-05
BBB/AG complaints	Could not check	BBB profiles surfaced by web search were for out-of-state businesses (for example Longwood, FL), not Austin; no BBB page was opened. I did not open a Texas Attorney General listing for this business.	BBB search leads (Florida, not a match)	checked 2026-10-05
Lawsuits/judgments	Not found (limited)	CourtListener search for "Smith Roofing" found Texas appellate cases about Lon Smith Roofing and Construction (Fort Worth), a different business. No case naming an Austin Smith Roofing LLC. CourtListener does not cover Travis County trial or small-claims courts.	CourtListener case search (unrelated entity)	checked 2026-10-05
Liens	Could not check	Travis County recorder records were not searched.	n/a	checked 2026-10-05
Review pattern	Not found	Google Places returned no "Smith Roofing LLC" in Austin. Matches were in Longwood FL, Forney TX, Knoxville TN and others. Austin hit "Smith Contracting Co" (3.7 stars, 16 reviews) has a different name, so I did not attribute it.	Google Places search (tool result)	checked 2026-10-05

Red flags

Wrong license class: the supplied TECL number is an electrical contractor format per TDLR, not a roofing license.
License number does not resolve: no electrical contractor 12345 appeared in a TDLR license search (my query, 2026-10-05).
Registry mismatch: the only Austin-address "Smith ... Roofing" entity found was forfeited in February 2024. Whether this is your contractor is unknown.
No adverse records found for Austin, but absence reflects coverage gaps, not a clean record.

Questions to ask

What is the exact legal name on the contract, and what is its Texas Secretary of State file number?
What does "TECL 12345" refer to, and why is an electrical contractor number shown for roofing work?
Do you hold the voluntary RCAT roofing license, and under what name and number?
Is the business in good standing with the state, and has its franchise tax status ever lapsed?
Who pulls the City of Austin permit, and in whose name?
How much deposit do you require, and what is the payment schedule tied to?
Will you provide lien waivers from you and your suppliers at each payment?

Documents to request

Liability and workers' comp insurance certificates: have your own insurer or the certificate holder's agent confirm coverage is active and names the entity on your contract.
RCAT license, if claimed: RCAT states licensing is for individuals and run by RCAT; ask RCAT to confirm status.
Texas Secretary of State good-standing record: pull it yourself from the state registry.
Permit: confirm with the City of Austin that a permit exists for your address, if required.
Written contract with lien waivers: check that names and addresses match the registry record.

Do next

Ask the contractor for the full legal name, address and Secretary of State file number, then look it up yourself.
Search TDLR by owner name and any electrical or HVAC licenses, and check Travis County court and recorder records.
Do not pay a deposit until the entity and insurance are verified.

Open items

Whether Smith Roofing LLC is the forfeited Austin or Lewisville entity, a different entity, or an unregistered trade name.
John Smith's identity: no public record linked him to any entity in my searches.
Travis County courts, lien records, BBB Texas, AG complaints, Yelp, Angi and Nextdoor were not reviewed.

Coverage

Reached: TDLR license search, OpenCorporates, CourtListener, Google Places, RCAT. Not reached: Texas SOS direct lookup, Travis County courts and recorder, City of Austin permits, BBB Texas, Texas AG, Yelp, Angi, Nextdoor.

Sources

All accessed 2026-10-05.