This sounds easy enough, but there is a chance to verify something else.
A local business license is not necessarily the credential required to perform residential roofing in Alabama. An unlimited license does not automatically guarantee that the contractor maintains his/her liability insurance. Seeing the license number printed on a truck, proposal or website is not the same as performing an official state search for the license.
Here is how you can verify every aspect separately.
Step 1: Obtain the Contractor’s Exact Legal Name and License Number
Before you perform any searches, request the following information from the roofing company:
- The legal name that appears on your contract.
- The license number in Alabama.
- The license type.
- The business name, if the license belongs to a corporation or LLC.
This is essential, because Alabama issues both individual and corporate licenses.
A trade name, shortened company name or the advertisement name might be different from the legal entity listed in the state records.
However, this does not mean automatically that it is something suspicious. At least, you should be able to match the name on the estimate, the company that signs your contract and the state license record.
Step 2: Search the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board
For residential roofing, begin with the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board Licensee Search.
According to the Home Builders Licensure Board, Home Builders and Roofing Licenses are both individual and corporate and the information provided in the web search is updated at the moment the search is performed.
Search by the contractor’s name and, if available, the exact license number.
Then compare the search result with the company you are considering hiring.
At least, you should make sure that the identity and license status fit together. Otherwise, if the contractor has provided you with some random license number, stop and ask him/her to explain the situation.
Additionally, the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board warns that the information from the web search may include information that was received by the Board, but has not been processed yet. If you fail to find a contractor or if the record is somehow unclear, according to the Board, you should contact its office for clarifications instead of assuming that the contractor is unlicensed.
Does Alabama Require a License for a Roofer?
In case of the roofing within the Home Builders Licensure Board jurisdiction, Alabama law includes a residential-roofer threshold.
The statute provides a definition of a residential roofer as “a person who installs products or repairs surfaces on the external upper covering of a residence or residential structure with the intent of sealing, waterproofing or weatherproofing the surface of the residence or residential structure.”
Alabama makes a residential roofer a part of the residential home builder definition when the cost of the roofing exceeds $2,500.
This is important, since the broader residential home-builder threshold in Alabama is different. In Alabama, the residential construction, repair or improvement is covered under the $10,000 threshold, while the residential roofing is covered under the specific $2,500 threshold.
Please see the wording of the law directly in the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Law.
You shouldn’t assume that the residential home-improvement threshold of $10,000 is the roofing threshold.
Does the Contractor Need a Separate Roofers License?
Not necessarily.
As per the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board, a person, having an Unlimited Home Builders License, is qualified to perform residential roofing and does not need the Roofers License. However, the contractor with a Limited Home Builders License should obtain the necessary Roofers License.
Therefore, you shouldn’t dismiss a contractor just because of the license classification.
Instead, you should ask yourself:
Does this license classification give a permission to perform the work that is being proposed?
If the project involves additional work outside of roofing or involves multiple trades, please ask the Home Builders Licensure Board, if the license classification covers the complete scope.
A Business License Is Not Equal to a State Roofing License
Another source of confusion could be the phrase “licensed contractor”.
Your roofing business can have various local occupational or business licenses that allow the company to operate in the city or county. These are not the same credentials that you need for performing residential roofing.
Actually, the Home Builders Licensure Board also requires some of the applicants to provide a qualifying local business or occupational license during the application process for certain limited or roofing licenses.
These are two different types of credentials.
Therefore, if the contractor answers your question about the state license with the presentation of the local business license, ask him/her specifically about the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board license information.
Step 3: Verify the Insurance Separately
This is another area where many homeowners make assumptions.
Holding an Alabama Home Builders or Roofers License does not automatically mean that the contractor has an active general liability insurance policy.
According to the Home Builders Licensure Board, the residential-home-builder licensing law does not make insurance a requirement for obtaining the license, although other laws can.
Also, the law in Alabama requires a residential home builder to disclose in writing to the homeowner before the beginning of the residential home-building work whether the liability insurance has been obtained and is currently being maintained.
This means that verification of the state license and verification of insurance are two different processes.
What Proof of Insurance Should You Ask for?
Request a current Certificate of Insurance or other documentation from the insurance agency that provides the insurance policy to the contractor.
When it comes to general liability coverage, you should check:
- The named insured.
- The insurance carrier.
- The policy number or other identifying information.
- The policy effective date.
- The policy expiration date.
- The type of coverage.
The company name on the insurance document should be reasonably similar to the name of the company you are hiring.
For example, if your estimate comes from “ABC Roofing LLC”, but the insurance certificate belongs to another company, don’t assume that it covers the ABC Roofing LLC.
The most reliable way to verify the information is to contact the insurance agency or carrier directly instead of trusting only the PDF or printed certificate provided to you by the sales representative.
A certificate is the proof of insurance information at the moment of issuance; it is not the same as the policy terms.
What About the Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
Workers’ compensation is different from the roofing license and general liability insurance.
The workers’ compensation insurance in Alabama is administered by the Alabama Department of Labor. Whether coverage is required in the first place depends on the employer’s workforce and the type of construction activity performed.
Therefore, it is more precise to ask the contractor:
- Do you maintain workers’ compensation coverage?
- Who is the carrier?
- Does the certificate cover the workers or crews that will work on my project?
- Do you use any subcontractors, and how is their coverage handled?
Don’t assume that every Alabama roofing business is required to maintain the same workers’ compensation coverage, and don’t confuse it with the general liability insurance.
If the contractor provides you with the name of the insurer or insurance agency, you can perform a search for authorized insurance companies and licensed insurance producers with the Alabama Department of Insurance online services.
Why Perform Both Licensing and Insurance Verification?
Because these two verifications provide you with different information.
| Verification | What It Helps to Establish | What It Does Not Prove |
|---|---|---|
| State contractor license | The contractor has the state credential for the applicable regulated work | That the contractor has the current liability insurance |
| General liability insurance | The contractor has the current liability insurance under the listed policy | That the contractor’s workmanship is automatically high quality |
| Workers’ compensation | The applicable workers’ compensation coverage under the listed arrangement | That it replaces the general liability coverage |
| Local business license | The company is authorized to operate locally | That it holds the required Alabama residential roofing license |
| Manufacturer certification | The contractor meets the manufacturer program requirements | That the state licensing and insurance requirements are satisfied |
There is no one badge, certificate or license that will answer all your questions related to due diligence.
What If the Roofing Job Is Commercial?
Don’t assume automatically that the residential threshold applies to the commercial or public job.
The licensing and registration of general contractors in Alabama are governed by the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors.
According to the Board’s licensing law, the contractor performing construction, alteration, maintenance or repair of the building or other covered project is a general contractor when the cost of the project, including labor and materials, exceeds $100,000. All the subcontractors, whose projects exceed the statutory contract threshold, fall under the Board’s licensing requirements.
Residential roofing on qualifying houses and small residential structures should not be confused with Alabama’s commercial/public general-contractor licensing scheme.
If you are uncertain, which board regulates the particular property or scope of work, please contact the relevant board before accepting a contractor’s explanation.
What Are the Red Flags When Verifying the Roofer?
One failed verification check doesn’t mean automatically that the contractor performs fraudulent activity. A mistake, renewal or change of business name can lead to confusion.
However, several situations require clarification before the money is transferred:
- The contractor fails to provide you with the license number.
- The license is issued to another company with no apparent relationship with the contractor.
- The contractor claims that the local business license is the same as the Alabama roofing license.
- The status of the license on the state website is expired or problematic in some other way.
- The contractor refuses to provide the current insurance information.
- The insurance certificate belongs to another company.
- The sales representative tries to pressure you into signing before you can verify the credentials.
- The contractor discourages you from contacting the licensing board or insurance agency.
The Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board also advises homeowners to verify licensure, to ask for references, to inquire about insurance and to request the proof of insurance before hiring a contractor.
A 5-Minute Alabama Roofing Contractor Verification Process
- Write down the exact legal company name and license number.
- Perform the search in the database of the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board. Make sure that the license record corresponds with the contractor and that the license classification is correct for the residential roofing.
- Request the current insurance documentation from the contractor. Check the named insured, carrier and policy dates.
- Verify the insurance independently. Contact the insurance agency or carrier that issues the policy if you need to verify the policy status.
- Check the documents. The company name from the contract, the license and the insurance documents should form a consistent chain, rather than three independent identities.
If the Alabama website fails to clarify the issue, according to the Home Builders Licensure Board, you can contact it directly to verify.
This approach is much more reliable than relying on a logo, website badge or sales representative’s statement.
Does the Valid License Mean That You Should Hire the Contractor Automatically?
No.
License verification is an important preliminary step in the selection of a contractor, but it doesn’t equal quality control.
You still should evaluate the proposed roofing system, the written scope of work, the warranty of workmanship, the references and communication, as well as the price.
The contractor can have the valid license, but still provide you with the incomplete estimate. One contractor can be praised for excellent online reviews, but fail to have the valid license for the particular project.
Therefore, the license should be viewed as a minimum verification step, not the hiring decision itself.
After the verification process is completed, our roof replacement quote guide explains what you actually should compare inside the estimates.
Should a Roofing Company Make its Identity Verification Easy?
Yes.
You should be able to identify the company that you are working with, its responsible party, contact information and legal entity that will actually sign your contract.
Huntsville Roofing Solutions provides information about the company and the company owner on the About Huntsville Roofing Solutions page. The website informs that the company is licensed and insured in Alabama.
This information helps to verify the identity, but we also encourage the homeowner to perform the same state-license and insurance verification process as described in the article.
Verify the Contractor Before Comparing Prices
Only after the identification of the contractor, his/her proposal becomes useful.
Before you compare two estimates, make sure that the credentials of the contractor can be verified, and then compare the written scope of the roofing project itself.
In case of replacement, this means looking beyond the price to the roof system, tear-off, underlayment, flashing, ventilation, decking allowances and warranty. Our roof replacement service explains how these components come together as a whole project.
A significantly cheaper estimate is not necessarily bad. However, the savings become less important when you can’t verify the business behind the contract.
Frequently Asked Questions About Verifying Alabama Roofing Contractors
How Do I Verify a Roofing Contractor in Alabama?
For residential roofing, perform the search using the contractor’s name or license number in the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board Licensee Search. Compare the search results with the legal name of the company on your contract. If the company is not found or the record is unclear, contact the Board to verify the contractor instead of assuming that the online record is sufficient.
At What Price Does the Alabama Roofer Require a License?
The Alabama residential-home-builder law specifically includes the residential roofer when the cost of the roofing exceeds $2,500. This is different from the broader residential home-building threshold of $10,000.
Can the Alabama Roofer Work With an Unlimited Home Builders License?
Yes. According to the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board, the Unlimited Home Builders License authorizes the license holder to perform residential roofing without obtaining a separate Roofers License.
Does the Alabama Roofing License Imply That the Contractor Has Insurance?
No. According to the Home Builders Licensure Board, insurance is not the requirement for obtaining the residential home-builder license. In Alabama, the law separately requires to disclose in writing whether the liability insurance is currently being maintained before the beginning of residential home-building work. Request the proof of insurance and verify it separately.
How Can I Verify a Roofer’s General Liability Insurance?
Request the proof of insurance documentation with the named insured, insurer and policy period. Then, if necessary, contact the insurance agency or carrier for independent verification of the information. Make sure that the insured business corresponds with the roofing company that you are considering hiring.
Should a Roofing Contractor Have the Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
The workers’ compensation insurance requirements in Alabama are defined separately by the Alabama labor law and can depend on the employer and type of construction activity. Ask the contractor whether the workers’ compensation covers the workers who will perform the work at your property and request the documentation.
Is a City Business License Sufficient for the Alabama Roofer?
A business or occupation license from the municipality or county is a different license from the one needed for Alabama’s regulated residential roofing. Check the state license with the Board directly.
What Should I Do If an Alabama Roofing Contractor Is Not Found in the State License Search?
Do not immediately jump to conclusions that the contractor is not licensed. The Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board informs that its search engine might not show the information that it hasn’t had time to process yet. Contact the Board with the name or license number of the contractor for clarifications.
The Bottom Line
In order to find out whether a roofer in Alabama is licensed and insured, check the state license first and insurance second.
When checking whether a licensed contractor can perform residential roofing, use Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board search and note that if roofing is going to cost more than $2,500, it will have to be done according to the rules of residential-roofers.
In other words, a Roofers License isn’t the only valid license. An Unlimited Home Builders License might authorize a person to perform residential roofing as well.
The next thing to do is to check independent liability insurance. Don’t think that just because someone is licensed they are insured, too. General liability is a different kind of insurance from the workers’ compensation.
And last but not least, check if the name, license and insurance policy belong to the same company. Verify it by looking through the contract.
If you are interested in checking the credentials of Huntsville Roofing Solutions and would like to see the latest information about the company before asking for an estimate, contact us.
Jordan is the founder and owner of Huntsville Roofing Solutions, a locally owned, fully licensed and insured roofing company serving Huntsville and North Alabama. He and roofing supervisor Barry Minor have handled residential and commercial roofs across the region — replacements, repairs, storm damage, and insurance claims — earning a 4.9-star Google rating along the way.