Illinois licenses roofing contractors at the state level, and checking a license takes about a minute. It is also easy to skip, especially after a storm, with a salesperson on the porch and a water stain on the ceiling. This guide shows how to confirm an Illinois roofing license, what the license number on a contract or an ad should tell you, how to read an insurance certificate, and which consumer protections apply to the written contract.
The rules below come from the Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act, the Home Repair and Remodeling Act, and consumer alerts from the Illinois Attorney General. They are a homeowner’s summary, not legal advice. If a specific contract worries you, the Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Bureau or a lawyer can tell you where you stand.
What an Illinois roofing license actually means
Under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act, roofing and waterproofing work in Illinois is reserved for roofing contractors licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Lawmakers renewed the Act in 2025, pushing its scheduled sunset to 2031 and tightening several rules at the same time.
A license has two parts:
- The business license. Issued to the company or sole proprietor. This is the number that belongs on contracts and advertising.
- The qualifying party. An individual who passed the state roofing examination and qualifies the business for its license. Since the 2025 amendments, that person must be an employee of the company, and IDFPR must be notified if that person leaves.
To hold a license, a company must also carry liability and property damage insurance at levels IDFPR sets, along with workers’ compensation coverage for its employees. And the license follows the work: a company selling roofing may subcontract it only to another licensed roofing contractor. If the crew on your roof works for a different company than the one you signed with, that company needs its own license too.
How to look up an Illinois roofing license on IDFPR
IDFPR publishes a free online license lookup on its website, idfpr.illinois.gov. Here is how to use it well:
- Get the exact business name and license number. Take them from the contract, estimate or business card, not from what the salesperson says aloud.
- Search by license number first, then by name. Choose the roofing contractor license type. If the company uses a trade name, try both the trade name and the legal name.
- Confirm the name matches. The licensee on the record should be the same business named on your contract. A license belonging to a different company does not cover the one you are hiring.
- Check the status and the expiration date. You want an active license that has not lapsed.
- Check the license type. Limited or unlimited, explained below.
- Read anything else on the record. If it notes discipline, read the details before you sign.
Roofing business licenses in Illinois are numbered with a 104 prefix. A number starting with 105 is typically the qualifying party’s individual credential, not the company’s license. Some contractors list both, which is fine, as long as the 104 number traces back to the business on your contract.
Apply the same test to us. Our license and insurance details are on our licenses and insurance page.
Limited vs. unlimited roofing licenses: houses, condos and commercial roofs
Illinois issues two kinds of roofing license, and the difference is the type of building:
- Limited license: residential roofing only, on residential properties of eight units or fewer. Single-family homes, two-flats, townhome buildings and small condominium buildings fall here.
- Unlimited license: residential, commercial and industrial roofing, with no size cap.
For a house, either license type works. The distinction matters for condominium and townhome associations with larger buildings, mixed-use properties with storefronts below apartments, and any commercial or industrial roof. If you manage one of those properties, look for an unlimited license. Our commercial roofing page covers how those projects differ.
Where the roofing license number must appear: contracts, ads, trucks and permits
The Act requires a licensed roofing contractor to put the license number and the licensee’s name, as shown on the license, on every contract and bid. It bars licensees from advertising roofing services unless the ad carries that number and name, and it requires the number on the company’s commercial vehicles and on building permit applications.
That gives you several free checkpoints:
- An estimate or contract with no license number is a problem on its own.
- Yard signs, door hangers, websites and mailers from a licensee should show the number. Publishers are not required to verify it, so look it up yourself.
- A truck with no number on it, or a number that belongs to someone else, deserves a question.
- Your village’s permit file should list the same contractor and number as your contract.
Reading a roofer’s certificate of insurance
A license tells you insurance existed when the company applied or renewed. A current certificate of insurance tells you coverage is in force while your job runs. Ask for one before work starts, and ask that the contractor’s insurance agent send it to you directly rather than having it handed over as a photocopy.
When it arrives, check:
- Named insured: the same business as your contract and the license record.
- General liability: covers damage to your property and injuries to third parties. Note the per-occurrence limit.
- Workers’ compensation: covers the crew if someone is hurt on your property. A roofing contractor with employees should carry it; a missing line here deserves a direct question.
- Policy dates: the coverage should run through the scheduled work dates.
- Agent contact: if anything looks off, call the agency listed and confirm the policy is active.
Written contracts and the “Know Your Consumer Rights” pamphlet
Two Illinois laws shape the paperwork.
The Home Repair and Remodeling Act requires a written contract or work order, signed before work begins, for home repair or remodeling over $1,000, and the document must state the total cost. It is unlawful for a contractor to start work, or charge for it, before that signed contract exists. The contractor must also give you the pamphlet titled Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights. On jobs over $1,000 you sign an acknowledgment that you received it; on smaller jobs you still get the pamphlet. Violations of the Act are treated as violations of the state Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.
The Roofing Industry Licensing Act, as amended in 2025, adds roofing-specific rules. Before any roofing work, the contractor must provide a written contract signed by both the contractor and the property owner. The contract must list a phone number, a street address that is not just a post office box, and an email address for the contractor, and the contractor has to keep a fully signed copy.
Beyond what the law requires, a good roofing contract spells out the materials by manufacturer and product line, tear-off and disposal, how damaged decking will be priced, permit responsibility, the payment schedule, the start window, cleanup, and the written warranty terms. See our process for what to expect from estimate to final cleanup.
Cancellation rights, deductibles and insurance claims under Illinois law
Storm repairs paid by insurance come with extra protections in Illinois:
- Cancellation after a claim denial. If you sign a contract expecting your insurer to pay and the insurer denies the claim, you may cancel within five business days of receiving the written denial. The contractor must tell you about this right and give you a form to use. The Attorney General’s pamphlet sets out the exact timing.
- No deductible rebates. A contractor may not advertise or promise to pay or rebate any part of your insurance deductible as an inducement to buy. An offer to “take care of the deductible” is a reason to walk away.
- No filing on your behalf. A contractor may not call in or file a claim with your insurance company for you. You report the loss; the contractor can document the damage and meet the adjuster on site.
Sales made at your door may also carry a separate short cancellation window under federal and state consumer rules. Ask the contractor to explain in writing which cancellation rights apply to your contract. For the insurance side, our insurance documentation support page explains what a contractor can properly do. The coverage decision always belongs to your insurer.
Storm-chaser red flags after an Illinois hail or wind storm
After major storms, the Illinois Attorney General routinely warns residents about “storm chasers” who follow the weather and pressure homeowners into quick decisions about repairs. Watch for:
- Door-to-door offers of roof repairs or insurance adjusting help, especially the day after a storm.
- Pressure to sign today, or a “storm discount” that expires tonight.
- An offer to cover, waive or rebate your deductible.
- An offer to take over your insurance claim, or a request that you sign something so the contractor can deal with your insurer for you.
- A large payment demanded before materials arrive, or cash only.
- No license number on the paperwork, or a number that belongs to a different business.
- No local address, or a contract with only a cell number and a post office box.
- Someone posing as an insurance or public adjuster. Ask for credentials and verify them with the state before sharing policy details.
The Attorney General also urges homeowners to confirm local permit requirements and to ask its Consumer Fraud Bureau whether complaints have been filed against a contractor. If the storm did reach your roof, our guide to hail and wind damage insurance claims covers documenting the damage yourself.
Eight questions to ask a roofer before you sign
- What is your Illinois roofing license number, and is it a limited or unlimited license?
- Who is your qualifying party, and is that person an employee here?
- Will your own employees do the work, or a subcontractor? If a subcontractor, what is its license number?
- Can your insurance agent send me a current certificate showing general liability and workers’ compensation?
- Who pulls the permit, and will the inspection be scheduled?
- How will you price rotted decking if you find it?
- Which manufacturer warranty applies, who registers it, and what does your own workmanship warranty cover in writing?
- Which cancellation rights apply to this contract, and where is the form?
A contractor worth hiring answers all eight without hesitation and puts the important answers in writing.
Questions readers ask
Does a roofing subcontractor need its own Illinois license?
Yes. Under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act, a company selling roofing services may subcontract the work only to roofing contractors licensed under the Act. Ask for the subcontractor’s license number and look it up the same way you would check the company you signed with.
Is a village contractor registration the same as a state roofing license?
No. Many suburbs register contractors or require permits for roofing work, but that local paperwork does not replace the state roofing license issued by IDFPR. Where your village requires a permit or registration, the roofer may need both, and the state license number belongs on the permit application.
What if I cannot find a roofer’s license in the IDFPR lookup?
Ask for the exact legal business name and the full license number, then search again by each. Trade names and recent ownership changes can make a record harder to find. If nothing turns up, do not sign. You can report suspected unlicensed roofing to IDFPR and ask the Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Bureau about complaints.
Can a roofer file my insurance claim for me in Illinois?
No. Illinois law bars a contractor from calling in or filing a claim on your behalf, and from paying or rebating your deductible. You report the loss to your insurer. A roofer can still document the damage with photos and measurements, prepare a line-item scope and meet your adjuster on site. Your insurer makes the coverage decision.