How to Choose a Roofing Contractor

10 min read Updated 26 August 2026
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    How to Choose a Roofing Contractor

    Choosing a roofing contractor is a consumer-protection exercise as much as a technical one. A roof replacement is one of the largest single purchases most property owners make, the work is difficult to inspect once it is covered, and roofing attracts a persistent share of home-improvement fraud, particularly after hail, wind and flood events. This article covers licensing and insurance in the United States and Canada, what an estimate and contract should contain, deposits, permits, lien rights, manufacturer certifications and the warning signs regulators cite most often. It applies to Residential Roofing and smaller Commercial Roofing projects; large commercial work is usually tendered formally.

    Why the choice matters

    • Roofing failures are usually installation failures rather than material failures, and most manufacturers condition their material warranty on installation according to their instructions and the applicable code.
    • An uninsured worker injured on a property can expose the owner to liability; provincial workers' compensation boards and U.S. consumer agencies both advise confirming coverage before work starts.[1][2]
    • Unpaid subcontractors and suppliers can, in most jurisdictions, register a lien against the property even when the owner has paid the general contractor in full.
    • Re-roofing usually requires a permit and inspection, and a contractor who avoids permits shifts the compliance risk to the owner.

    Licensing and registration

    Licensing rules differ sharply by jurisdiction, and the first step is to learn which regime applies.

    United States

    The Federal Trade Commission advises considering only contractors who are licensed and insured, confirming the licence with the state or county, and asking for proof of insurance.[2] Licensing itself is a state or local matter:

    • California licenses roofing contractors through the Contractors State License Board (classification C-39). California law also caps the down payment on a home-improvement contract at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, with no exception for special-order materials.[3]
    • Florida licenses roofing contractors through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and state statute prohibits a contractor from offering a rebate, gift or waiver of the insurance deductible in exchange for a roof inspection or claim, and from interpreting policy provisions or adjusting the claim on the owner's behalf.[4]
    • Texas has no statewide roofing contractor licence; roofers there are regulated, if at all, through city registration programs and general consumer-protection law. Voluntary trade-association certification exists but is not a government credential.
    • Other states range from full state licensing to none at all; where no state licence exists, protection rests on insurance certificates, references, a strong contract and the local permit process.

    Canada

    There is no national roofing licence. Provinces regulate through consumer-protection statutes, and Quebec through a construction licence:

    • Alberta: a business that takes any money before the work is finished, or that negotiates or signs the contract anywhere other than its own place of business (for example at the customer's kitchen table), is a prepaid contracting business and must hold a licence from Service Alberta and post a security.[5] The province advises checking that a contractor is licensed as a prepaid contractor before paying a deposit.[1]
    • Ontario: any home renovation or repair contract worth more than $50 must be in writing; a contract signed in the customer's home carries a 10-calendar-day cooling-off period during which it can be cancelled without penalty; and the final price may not exceed a written estimate by more than 10 percent unless the customer has agreed to new work in writing.[6] The province's guide for roofing businesses recommends that deposits not exceed 10 percent of the project cost and requires refunds, including deposits, within 15 days of a cooling-off cancellation.[7]
    • Quebec: construction contractors must hold a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) in the appropriate category and subclass, and the RBQ publishes a searchable licence-holders' register for verifying a contractor's licence number.[8]
    • British Columbia regulates door-to-door and direct-sales contracts under its consumer-protection legislation, with a statutory cancellation window, but does not licence roofers provincially; municipal business licences apply.
    • Elsewhere, municipal business licences and provincial direct-sales rules apply. Membership in the Canadian Roofing Contractors Association or a provincial association is voluntary and is an indicator of an established business, not a licence.

    Insurance and workers' compensation

    A contractor should carry commercial general liability insurance covering damage to the property and third parties, and workers' compensation coverage for everyone on the roof. Certificates should be obtained directly from the insurer or the compensation board rather than from the contractor's own paperwork. In Ontario, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board issues a clearance confirming that a business is registered and up to date on its premiums, which relieves the hiring party of liability for those premiums; a clearance can be requested online and is generated automatically for businesses in good standing.[9] Alberta's WCB issues equivalent clearance letters, and the province advises asking for the contractor's WCB account information and confirming coverage before work begins.[1] Ontario's consumer guidance likewise notes that workers and independent operators in construction must have WSIB coverage, with limited exceptions.[6]

    Estimates, contracts and payment

    The FTC recommends obtaining several written estimates, each describing the work, materials, completion date and price, and asking for an explanation when one bid is far below the others rather than automatically taking the lowest.[2] Alberta gives the same advice and adds that the estimate should state whether it is binding.[1]

    A roofing contract should include, at minimum:

    • The contractor's legal business name, address, telephone number and licence or registration number.[2]
    • A description of the work: tear-off or overlay, deck repair allowance, underlayment and ice-barrier extent, ventilation changes, flashing replacement, the specific Roofing Materials by manufacturer and product line, and disposal.
    • Start and completion dates, and the payment schedule.[2][7]
    • Any promises made verbally during the sales process.[2]
    • Warranty terms for both workmanship and materials, in writing.[3]
    • For contracts signed in the home, a statement of the cancellation right: three business days under the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule in the United States, ten calendar days in Ontario.[2][6]

    On payment, regulators agree on the principle: never pay in full before the work is complete.[2] California fixes the deposit at $1,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less;[3] Ontario recommends no more than 10 percent;[7] Alberta requires businesses that take deposits to be licensed and bonded.[5] Progress payments should track work actually completed and materials actually delivered. Because unpaid subtrades and suppliers may hold lien rights, owners should obtain lien waivers or a statutory declaration of payment before releasing the final payment and retain any holdback that lien legislation requires.

    Permits and inspections

    Most municipalities require a building permit for re-roofing, and inspections typically verify deck condition, underlayment and ice-barrier coverage, fastening and flashing before the covering is closed up. The contract should state who obtains the permit; a contractor who proposes to skip it, or who asks the owner to pull it as an owner-builder, is transferring responsibility for code compliance to the owner.

    Manufacturer certifications

    Most major shingle, metal and membrane manufacturers run installer-certification programs that require training, insurance and a track record, and reserve their longest system warranties for certified installers. Certification signals that the contractor installs the product regularly, but it is issued by a supplier and does not replace a licence, an insurance certificate or independent references. Owners should confirm the certification directly through the manufacturer's locator rather than from a decal on a truck.

    Storm-chasers and insurance claims

    After a windstorm, hailstorm or flood, out-of-area crews commonly canvass neighbourhoods offering free inspections and pressuring owners to sign immediately. Consumer agencies describe this pattern of pressure to act quickly, requests for cash and offers of financing as a characteristic home-repair scam, and Alberta's guidance is to avoid contractors who knock on the door claiming to have noticed a problem while working nearby.[1]

    Two insurance-related practices deserve particular caution. Offering to "waive" or "absorb" the deductible is an inducement that Florida law prohibits and that several other states treat as insurance fraud, because the difference is recovered by inflating the claim or cutting the work.[4] An assignment of benefits transfers the owner's rights under the policy to the contractor; Florida has barred such assignments for residential and commercial property policies issued on or after January 1, 2023, after years of litigation abuse.[10] Even where assignments remain legal, signing one before the insurer has inspected the roof removes the owner's control over scope and payment.

    Contractor checklist

    Item What to obtain Where to verify
    Licence or registration Licence number on the estimate and contract State board (e.g. CSLB, Florida DBPR), Service Alberta prepaid-contracting register, RBQ licence-holders' register, municipal business-licence office
    Liability insurance Certificate naming the property, with policy dates Directly from the insurer or broker listed on the certificate
    Workers' compensation Clearance certificate or letter WSIB (Ontario), WCB (Alberta and other provinces), state workers' compensation board
    Written estimates At least three, itemized, on the same scope Compare line by line; question outliers
    Contract All items listed above, including cancellation notice and warranty terms Review before signing; keep a signed copy
    Deposit Within statutory or recommended limits (e.g. 10% / $1,000 in California; 10% recommended in Ontario) Contract payment schedule
    Permit Permit number and inspection results Municipal building department
    Manufacturer certification Certificate or listing for the product specified Manufacturer's online installer locator
    References Recent projects of the same roof type, with addresses Contact owners; view completed work
    Lien protection Lien waivers or statutory declaration before final payment Provincial or state lien legislation; legal advice for large projects

    Questions to ask before hiring

    • Which licence or registration applies to this work, and what is the number?
    • Who carries liability and workers' compensation coverage for everyone on the roof, including subcontractors?
    • Who supervises on site, and how are deck repairs found after tear-off priced?
    • Who obtains the permit and schedules inspections?
    • What are the workmanship and material warranty terms, and what documentation accompanies the final payment?

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do roofers need a licence?

    It depends on the jurisdiction. California licenses roofers through the CSLB and Florida requires state certification or registration, while Texas has no statewide roofing licence and relies on city registration. In Canada, Quebec requires an RBQ licence, Alberta licenses any contractor that takes money before finishing or signs contracts in the home, and other provinces rely on consumer-protection law and municipal business licences.

    How much deposit is reasonable for a roofing job?

    California law caps home-improvement deposits at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. Ontario recommends no more than 10 percent, and Alberta requires businesses that take prepayments to be licensed and bonded. Regulators uniformly advise never paying in full before completion and tying progress payments to work actually done and materials actually delivered.

    Can a homeowner cancel a signed roofing contract?

    Often, if it was signed at home. The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule gives three business days to cancel contracts signed away from the seller's permanent place of business, and Ontario provides a 10-calendar-day cooling-off period for home renovation contracts over $50 signed in the home, with refunds due within 15 days. Contracts signed at the contractor's office generally carry no statutory cancellation right.

    What is wrong with a contractor offering to cover the deductible?

    The deductible is the owner's share of an insured loss. A contractor who "waives" it either inflates the insurance claim or cuts the work to recover the difference. Florida statute expressly prohibits deductible waivers and similar inducements tied to roof inspections and claims, and several other states treat the practice as insurance fraud that can expose the homeowner as well as the contractor.

    How can workers' compensation coverage be verified?

    Request a clearance directly from the compensation board rather than relying on the contractor's paperwork. Ontario's WSIB issues clearance certificates online for businesses that are registered and current on premiums, and Alberta's WCB issues clearance letters on request. In the United States, state workers' compensation boards or the insurer named on the certificate can confirm that a policy is active.

    Sources

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Government of Alberta — Hiring a contractor (prepaid contractor licensing, WCB coverage, written estimates, deposits and contract changes).
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice — How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam (licensing and insurance checks, multiple written estimates, required contract contents, three-business-day cancellation right, limits on up-front payment).
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Contractors State License Board (California) — Learn About Home Improvement Contracts (down payment limited to $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less; written warranties).
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Florida Legislature — Florida Statutes §489.147, Prohibited property insurance practices (ban on deductible waivers and inducements tied to roof inspections and insurance claims).
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Government of Alberta — Prepaid contracting licence (definition of a prepaid contracting business, licensing requirement, security and contract rules).
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Government of Ontario — Your rights when starting home renovations or repairs (written contracts over $50, 10-day cooling-off period for contracts signed at home, 10 percent estimate cap, WSIB coverage check).
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Government of Ontario — A guide for home renovation and roofing businesses (recommended deposit of no more than 10 percent, required contract contents, cooling-off refunds within 15 days).
    8. ↑ Régie du bâtiment du Québec — Check a contractor's licence (licence-holders' repertory for confirming an RBQ licence).
    9. ↑ Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (Ontario) — Clearances (definition of a clearance certificate and how a hiring party obtains one).
    10. ↑ Florida Legislature — Florida Statutes §627.7152, Assignment agreements (prohibition on post-loss assignment of property-insurance benefits for policies issued on or after January 1, 2023).

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