Hiring
How to choose a roofing professional
Roofing has a low barrier to entry and a high proportion of work that is invisible once the covering goes on. A local roofing company you can still reach in year six is usually worth more than a cheaper crew that will not be there when a valley leaks.
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The short version
- Verify licensing with the state board, where your state requires a licence. Several do not.
- Ask for liability and workers' compensation certificates from the insurer, not from the contractor.
- Get the scope itemised: squares, layers removed, deck repair rate, underlayment, ice barrier, flashing and ventilation.
- Get both warranties separately. The manufacturer covers the material; the contractor covers the installation, and most roof problems are installation problems.
- The contractor should pull the permit. Being asked to pull it yourself shifts liability to you.
- Walk away from deductible rebating and doorstep contracts.
Roofing has a low barrier to entry and a high proportion of work that becomes invisible the moment the covering goes on. That combination is why the hiring decision matters more here than in most trades: you cannot inspect the result, so you have to inspect the company.
The ten things to check
1. Licensing where required
Roofing licensure is state by state, some require a specific roofing licence, some a general contractor licence, some neither. Know which applies to you.
2. General liability and workers’ compensation
Ask for certificates naming you, from the insurer rather than the contractor. Uninsured crews on your roof become your exposure.
3. A physical local address
Not a PO box or a truck. It is who you call in year six when a valley leaks.
4. Who pulls the permit
The contractor should. A company asking the homeowner to pull it as an owner-builder is shifting liability onto you.
5. A written scope
Squares, tear-off, underlayment type, ice barrier, drip edge, flashing replacement, ventilation and the deck repair rate: itemised.
6. Both warranties, separately
Manufacturer material warranty and contractor workmanship warranty. Enhanced system warranties usually require a certified installer and full-system components.
7. Recent local references
Addresses in your area from this year, on your roof type. Not a review count on a marketplace.
8. Payment schedule
A deposit that funds materials is normal. Most of the money before most of the work is not.
9. Lien waivers
If a supplier or sub goes unpaid, a lien lands on your property. Waivers at each payment stage prevent that.
10. Cleanup and protection
Magnet sweeps, tarping, landscaping and driveway protection, and what happens if weather opens the roof mid-job.
Refuse this one every time. Nobody should offer to absorb, waive or "take care of" your insurance deductible. In many states that is insurance fraud and is prohibited by statute. The contractor commits it; you are the one whose name is on the claim. A company willing to do that with your insurer is telling you what it will do with your roof.
Pressure tactics worth walking away from
- A contract presented on your doorstep, for signature now. A contingency agreement is a contract and does not become less binding because it was described as paperwork.
- A price that is only available today.
- An offer to get on your roof immediately, before an adjuster has seen it, where a claim is involved.
- Refusal to give a written, itemised scope.
- A demand for most of the money up front.
- Unwillingness to name the crew, or to say whether the work is subcontracted.
- Insurance or licence documents supplied by the contractor that they will not let you verify with the insurer or the board.
How to compare three quotes properly
Hand all three companies the same written scope, then compare line by line rather than total against total. The rows that have to appear on all three before the totals mean anything: squares, layers removed, deck repair rate, underlayment and ice barrier, flashing replaced against reused, ventilation, permit responsibility, and both warranty lengths.
The homepage carries an example of that comparison laid out: the companies and figures in it are invented and labelled as such, because the point is the row labels rather than the numbers.
How we’re building our roofer framework
We publish no contractor profiles or ratings today, because we cannot yet stand behind any. The framework below is what we are assembling instead, verification that starts in state licensing records and insurer certificates, not in a company’s own description of itself.
| Check | Status |
|---|---|
| Licence status checked against state licensing boards | Live |
| Company identity and operating history from public records | Live |
| Insurance certificates confirmed with the carrier | In development |
| Manufacturer certifications verified with the manufacturer | In development |
| Homeowner reviews collected under a published policy | In development |
The rows marked live are what our research covers now. A directory listing is not evidence, and we will not treat it as any.
The longer version of what we check and what we cannot is on how we vet roofing professionals.
Common questions
What should I ask a roofing contractor?
Ask for the scope in squares, and how many layers come off. Ask the deck repair rate per sheet, which flashing is replaced against reused, and what underlayment and ice barrier are being used. Then ask what ventilation you will be left with, who pulls the permit, both warranty lengths, and the payment schedule. A company that answers all of that in writing is already different from most.
Do roofers need a licence?
It depends on the state. Some require a specific roofing licence, some fold roofing into a general contractor licence, and several have no state-level requirement at all, though a municipality may still require one. Our study on roofing licensing found six structurally different regimes across the United States, so "are they licensed" is a question that has to be asked locally.
Should I pay a deposit for roofing work?
A deposit that funds materials is normal. Most of the money before most of the work is not. Agree the payment stages in writing and ask for lien waivers at each one, so an unpaid supplier cannot put a lien on your property after you have already paid the contractor.
Is a cheaper roofing quote a bad sign?
Not automatically, but check what it excludes before you decide. The most common reasons one quote is lower are that it assumes a layover instead of a tear-off, reuses flashing, omits a deck repair rate, or uses a shorter workmanship warranty. Those are scope differences, not price differences.
Related: the questions homeowners ask most · how a roofing project runs · what drives a roofing price · storm damage and insurance · find a roofing professional.
Sources
- Roofing technical resources and installation standards, National Roofing Contractors Association. Checked September 18, 2026.
- Hiring a contractor: avoiding home improvement scams, U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Checked September 18, 2026.