Trust
How we vet roofing professionals
What we check, what we cannot check, and why neither of those is an endorsement.
Last updated .
The short version
- We check business identity, operating history, service area and licensing status where the state requires a licence.
- What is checkable varies by state. Several states do not license roofing at all, so there is no licence to verify.
- Verification is not endorsement. Confirming a company is real and permitted is a floor, not a recommendation.
- We publish no ratings, reviews or rankings, because we cannot yet source any of them to something verifiable.
- Checks decay. Licences lapse and insurance is cancelled, so confirm the things that matter at the point you sign.
Homeowners should not have to take a roofing company’s marketing claims at face value. That is the whole reason this page exists. It is also why the page is careful: a verification programme described as more complete than it is would be exactly the problem we are trying to solve.
What we look at
Depending on what is available in the market, our checks cover:
| What | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Business identity | That the company is a real registered entity, under the name it trades as, with an operating history we can find in public records rather than only on its own website. |
| Service area | Which areas and which roofing services the company actually covers, so an introduction is relevant rather than a long drive the company will decline. |
| Licensing where the state requires it | Checked against the state licensing board. Roofing licensure differs structurally by state: a specific roofing licence in some, a general contractor licence in others, and no state-level requirement at all in several. We check what applies where you are. |
| Public records | What the licensing authority and other public sources show about status, and whether the record is current. |
| Service and project type | Whether the company does the specific work you described. A crew that does asphalt replacement is not automatically the right call for a slate repair or a flat-roof coating. |
The information available varies by state and locality, and that variation is larger than most homeowners expect. We published a study on it: roofing is regulated under six structurally different regimes in the United States, and "licensed or not" turns out to be the wrong question.
Where our framework actually stands
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.
What we do not claim
We do not claim that every roofing professional we introduce is excellent, that every project will go well, or that an introduction guarantees any particular outcome. We publish no ratings, no review scores and no rankings, because we cannot yet source any of them to something verifiable.
We also do not claim universal verification. Where a state holds no roofing licence register, there is no licence for us to check, and we will not imply otherwise by using the word "verified" as decoration.
Verification is not endorsement. Confirming that a company exists, is licensed where that is required, and serves your area is a floor, not a recommendation. It tells you the company is real and permitted to do the work. It does not tell you the crew will nail the shingles to the manufacturer’s pattern, replace the step flashing rather than reuse it, or answer the phone in year six.
Information changes
A licence can lapse, be suspended or be reinstated. Insurance can be cancelled mid-term. Companies change name, ownership, service area and trading entity. A check is accurate on the day it is made and decays from there.
So we date what we check, and we ask you to confirm the things that matter most at the point you are about to sign, not to rely on a check we made earlier.
What we ask you to do anyway
None of this replaces your own diligence. Before you sign a roofing contract:
- Verify current licensing directly with the state board, where your state requires a licence.
- Ask for general liability and workers' compensation certificates from the insurer, naming you, not a copy the contractor supplies.
- Get the scope in writing: squares, layers to tear off, the deck repair rate, underlayment, ice barrier, drip edge, flashing and ventilation, itemised.
- Compare at least three written quotes against that same scope, not against each other’s headline totals.
- Ask for both warranties separately, the manufacturer’s on the material, the contractor’s on the workmanship.
- Confirm who pulls the permit. It should be the contractor.
- Confirm the payment schedule and ask for lien waivers at each stage.
- Ask for recent local references on your roof type, and call them.
- Read the contract in full. A doorstep contingency agreement is a contract.
The long version, with what each of those protects you from, is on choosing a roofer.
One thing to refuse, 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 on the claim. A company willing to do that with your insurer is telling you what it will do with your roof.
Next
How HyreRoof works covers the introduction process and how we are paid. Our editorial policy covers the separation between commercial relationships and what we publish. When you are ready, find a roofing professional.