BBB accreditation and letter grade — what they signal in Texas roofing

BBB accreditation requires a business to be operational for at least 6 months, carry the licenses and insurance required for its industry, avoid recorded ethics violations, maintain a visible privacy policy, and pay annual accreditation dues. Accredited businesses commit to the BBB Code of Business Practices. Separately, the BBB assigns letter grades (A+ to F) to both accredited and non-accredited businesses using a 100-point scale with deductions for complaint volume, complaint resolution rate, time in business, transparency, and responsiveness. This means a contractor's BBB profile has two signals: an accreditation status (yes/no, paid) and a letter grade (earned). In Texas roofing, where no state license exists, the BBB profile is one of several voluntary signals available — but it has limits. Accreditation is paid, so its presence reflects a business choice to participate in the program rather than an independent test of quality. A high grade primarily signals absence of unresolved complaints, not presence of quality work. BBB is best read as a red-flag detector combined with other signals rather than a quality ranking in itself. [Source: Better Business Bureau accreditation standards; BBB rating methodology]