Working your first storm: registrations, contracts, permits and getting found

Register before you knock

• Kansas. The registration act treats you as a nonresident contractor if you have not kept a place of business as a roofer in Kansas within the past year, claim residency in another state, or did not file a Kansas resident income tax return in the past year, and nonresidents must register like everyone else. Your registration number must be valid when you solicit the job and throughout the work, and the Attorney General has up to 60 days to issue or deny an application.
• Oklahoma. Registration with the Construction Industries Board covers resident and nonresident roofing contractors. From January 1, 2027, the board says it will be unlawful to subcontract with an unregistered labor-only crew.
• North Carolina. The general contractors' board warns out-of-state contractors that contracting without its license on projects of $40,000 or more is a punishable misdemeanor.
• Local licenses. In Colorado Springs, the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department says its roofing license takes six to eight weeks after a complete application and a passed exam, partly because license requests must be published in a local newspaper at least two weeks before issuance. It does not reciprocate other departments' licenses, and advertising or contracting for permitted work without one violates its code.

Finish the paperwork before the storm, not after it.

Put the contract in writing

Colorado spells out what a residential roofing contract must say. Under C.R.S. 6-22-103, before any roofing work the contractor must provide a written contract signed by both sides that states:

1. The scope of work and materials, the approximate dates, and the approximate cost based on damage known at signing.
2. The contractor's physical address, email address and phone number.
3. The contractor's surety and liability insurer, with contact information, if applicable.
4. A cancellation and refund policy that lets the owner rescind within 72 hours of signing and get a full refund of any deposit.
5. A statement of the owner's right to rescind after an insurance denial, and a statement that the contractor cannot pay, waive or rebate the insurance deductible.

The contract must also state in bold type that the contractor holds the owner's payments in trust until materials are delivered or most of the work is done. Under section 6-22-104, an owner whose insurer denies the claim in whole or in part may rescind within 72 hours of that written denial, and the contractor must return payments within 10 days, keeping only what covers work actually performed. The article does not apply to jobs of $1,000 or less.

Texas has its own contract rule. The Texas Department of Insurance says contracts of $1,000 or more that involve an insurance settlement must include a notice that the policyholder must pay the deductible.

Leave the deductible alone

Offering to cover a customer's deductible is illegal in at least two storm states.

• Texas. TDI says it is illegal for a contractor to offer to waive, rebate or absorb a property policyholder's deductible. It points to Business and Commerce Code 27.02, which bans the practice, and to Insurance Code Chapter 707, which requires the policyholder to pay the deductible and lets insurers ask for proof that it was paid.
• Colorado. Section 6-22-105 bars a roofing contractor paid from insurance proceeds from advertising or promising to pay, waive or rebate any part of the deductible. If it does, the insurer need not consider that contractor's estimate, and the owner or the insurer can sue for damages.

Do not act as the adjuster

Texas does not allow a roofer or contractor to act as a public insurance adjuster on a claim for work it is also doing, or to advertise that it will. TDI's examples of improper language include offering to negotiate a settlement or file the claim for the policyholder, and promising to recover "every dime" from the insurer. Colorado's statute also bars roofers from acting as public adjusters, while allowing a contractor with a valid contract to discuss the scope of repairs with the insurer on the owner's behalf. NRD's encyclopedia walks through the roof insurance claim process.

Pull the permit

• Louisiana. An August 2025 board memo explains that Act 239 requires permits and inspections for roof construction and reroofing on projects beginning on or after August 1, 2025, and that Act 422 makes it a violation to skip a permit, start before it is issued, misrepresent a job's value or scope, or skip required inspections.
• Kansas. Your registration number goes on every permit application, and roofing without a required permit is a violation of the act.
• Denver. The city's roofing guide requires a permit for repairs covering more than 10% of the roof or two squares, whichever is smaller, on buildings under 25,000 square feet.
• Colorado Springs. PPRBD treats stocking materials on site as the start of work, and doing it without a permit adds a penalty of twice the permit fee.

Get found without chasing

The National Roofing Directory already lists every roofing company it could find in public records. Claim your listing for a one-time $5.00 fee to control what it says. At Verified, a person at the directory checks your phone, email, website, logo, services, rating, insurance and license, and customers' inquiries on your page come to you; Gold and Platinum add placement above the ranked list on your state and city pages. Compare the membership levels.

To watch active alerts in the states you work, subscribe to The Roofing Wire: its free Monday Storm Watch email lists active National Weather Service alerts for the states you pick.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work a storm in another state without registering there?

Not in Kansas or Oklahoma, whose registration laws cover nonresident contractors by name.

Can I cover a customer's deductible to win the job?

Not in Texas or Colorado. TDI says offering to waive, rebate or absorb a deductible is illegal in Texas, and Colorado's roofing statute bars advertising or promising it.

How long does a local roofing license take?

It varies by jurisdiction. The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department quotes six to eight weeks from a complete application and a passed exam.

Do I need a permit to reroof?

It depends on where you work. Louisiana requires permits and inspections for reroofing, and Denver requires one once repairs pass 10% of the roof or two squares.