Is a contingency agreement the same as an assignment of benefits?

No, and the distinction matters. A contingency agreement typically says you will use the contractor if the claim is approved. An assignment of benefits transfers your rights under the policy to the contractor, who can then deal directly with the insurer. Read which one is in front of you, and be much more cautious about the second.

Answers · Storms and insurance

A roofer knocked on my door after the storm. Should I use them?

The short answer

Take their details, close the door, and check them before agreeing to anything. Out-of-area crews work damaged neighbourhoods door to door after hail and wind, and the problem is not that they are all bad — it is that the ones who will not be there when the workmanship warranty is tested look identical on the doorstep to the ones who will.

The ten-minute check

Where is the business physically based, and how long has it been there? A local address you can find on a map is the single most useful signal.
What is the license or registration number, in the state or province where the work will happen? Requirements differ and several states license roofing specifically.
Proof of liability insurance and workers compensation, from the insurer rather than a photocopy.
The review history, and specifically the distribution rather than the average. A company with a spotless average and a long tail of one-star reviews is telling you something.
Who honours the workmanship warranty, and will they be trading here in five years?

What to refuse outright

Anything that assigns your insurance claim.
A contract signed on the doorstep, today, at a price only available today.
An offer to cover, absorb or waive your deductible. That is insurance fraud in most jurisdictions and several states prohibit it explicitly.
Free inspections that require you to sign a contingency agreement before the inspection happens.

Also asked

Is a contingency agreement the same as an assignment of benefits?: No, and the distinction matters. A contingency agreement typically says you will use the contractor if the claim is approved. An assignment of benefits transfers your rights under the policy to the contractor, who can then deal directly with the insurer. Read which one is in front of you, and be much more cautious about the second.

General information about roofs and about hiring, not advice about your building. Roofing contractor licensing, permits, insurance practice and deductible rules are set state by state and province by province across the United States and Canada, so your own authority is the current answer.