Just days after devastating tornadoes hit the metro area, consumers are being warned to guard against "drive-by" contractors going from subdivision to subdivision offering to fix up damaged properties.

The two days of storms left an estimated $250 million in damages to property —the costliest tornadoes in state history— and a tempting situation for some looking to make a quick buck.

"We have already gotten reports that there are these fly-by-night roof repairers and contractors going into areas that were hit," said David Colmans, executive director of the Georgia Insurance Information Service, an industry group.

These contractors are coming in from Florida and other states, Colmans said.

Before you agree to have any work done, check with your insurance agent, Colmans said. You also can ask your agent for a list of reputable contractors if they have it.

Before allowing anyone to work on your property, make sure they're licensed and bonded. They should be able to prove it by showing you the necessary paperwork, Colmans said. It's also a good idea to call the contractor's insurance firm to ensure he or she is still covered.

You should get receipts for all expenses, and they should be on pre-printed company forms, Colmans said.

If the repair work is shoddy, you could end up paying more to fix up bad work, he warned.

The Georgia Insurance Information Service's Web site has a list of catastrophe hot lines for most major insurers that write policies here: www.giis.org/cat/800.shtml.

One of the biggest areas for potential scams involves tree removal, said Georgia Insurance Commissioner John W. Oxendine.

Most policies will cover removing a tree from an insured structure, but some scammers will get property owners to remove trees even if they haven't fallen or been damaged, which insurance generally won't pay for, Oxendine said. Even if your insurer does pay, coverage usually is between $300 and $800 meaning homeowners will pay anything more out of pocket.

"We strongly encourage people to be very cautious about using out-of-state contractors," Oxendine said. "If you use someone based in Georgia, it's easier to hunt them down and deal with the problem or dispute."

The state insurance department has a hotline, staffed from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, for consumer complaints and questions: 404-656-2070.

Meanwhile, Crawford & Co., the world's largest insurance claims adjustment firm, says many of the initial claims will be inspected in the next few days to get property owners started with repairs. But fully processing claims for some of the larger properties —such as downtown office buildings and hotels— could take months, said Bud Trice, vice president of catastrophe services at Atlanta-based Crawford.

Engineers will have to look at some buildings' structural integrity; construction consultants will need to review rebuilding costs; and accountants will have to review costs of business interruption, Trice said.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, some policyholders were denied claims because insurance companies said damage was caused by rising floodwaters, not rain. Trice said that shouldn't be the case here.

"In most policies, rain that comes in as a result of an opening caused by wind —if there's a hole in the roof, and the rain comes in— then it's generally covered," he said.