Guides · Published 2026-10-21 · Updated 2026-10-24 · By David Linda, Founder

Hiring a roofer after hail in Colorado Springs: your rights and the red flags

After a big hailstorm, Colorado Springs fills up with roofing trucks, door-knockers and yard signs. Most of those roofers are legitimate. Some are not, and they count on homeowners being in a hurry. This guide covers the two things that protect you: who licenses roofers here, and what Colorado law says a roofing contract must include.

Roofers in Colorado Springs must be licensed by PPRBD

Colorado has no statewide roofing license. In Colorado Springs and the surrounding Pikes Peak region, roofers are licensed by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD). According to PPRBD's own licensing guidance:

An active PPRBD license is required before any permit can be issued. A roofer can't pull a re-roof permit without one.
It's a code violation to advertise or sign contracts for permit-required work without the proper license.
PPRBD does not accept licenses from other building departments. A license from Denver or another state doesn't count here.
Roofers must show proof of insurance, and the certificate has to state that re-roofing is included in (or not excluded from) the liability coverage.
Stocking roofing materials on site counts as starting work, so a permit is needed before the shingles show up.

Roofing falls under PPRBD's Specialty (D) building contractor licenses. Getting one takes weeks, which is exactly why an out-of-town crew that arrived after the storm may not have one.

What Colorado law says your roofing contract must include

Colorado's residential roofing law, C.R.S. 6-22-103, requires the roofer to give you a written contract, signed by both of you, before any roofing work starts. It must include:

the scope of the work and the materials;
approximate dates and approximate costs, based on the damage known at the time;
the roofer's physical address, email and phone number;
the roofer's surety and liability insurer, if any, with contact information;
a cancellation and refund policy that lets you rescind within 72 hours of signing and get your full deposit back;
a statement that the roofer can't pay, waive or rebate your insurance deductible; and
a statement in bold type that the roofer will hold your payment in trust until materials are delivered to your home or most of the work is done.

If your insurance claim is denied

If the roof is being paid for with homeowners' insurance and the insurer denies the claim in whole or in part, C.R.S. 6-22-104 lets you cancel the roofing contract within 72 hours of getting the written denial. You give written notice to the address in the contract (email, mail or hand delivery all count). The roofer then has 10 days to return your payments, minus the value of any work actually done properly.

No deductible deals

Under C.R.S. 6-22-105, a roofer can't advertise or promise to pay, waive or rebate your insurance deductible. If one does, your insurer doesn't have to consider that roofer's estimate. The same section bars roofers from acting as public adjusters on your claim, though they can discuss the scope of repairs with your insurer once you have a contract.

Storm-chaser red flags

They knocked on your door the day after the storm, and the truck has out-of-state plates.
They want you to sign a "just to get started" form before you see a full contract.
They offer to "take care of" your deductible.
They want a large payment before materials arrive. Colorado law says that money is held in trust until then.
They can't name their PPRBD license, or the business name on the bid doesn't match the license.

Four PPRBD details that matter after a storm

"License pending" means no permit. PPRBD's licensing FAQ says new licenses usually take six to eight weeks, with the request published in a newspaper two weeks before the Board of Review. A roofer who arrived after the storm and is "getting licensed" can't pull your re-roof permit yet.
Check the insurance wording. PPRBD's insurance rules require a roofer's certificate to state that re-roofing is included in, or not excluded from, general liability coverage. Ask for a copy of the certificate on file.
Small patches are different. PPRBD lists roof or siding repairs under 100 square feet among the work a handyman can do without a building contractor license. A full re-roof is not that.
Lapsed means revoked. A license that's been expired for more than six months is administratively revoked. Check the status on PPRBD's license status page, not the roofer's business card.

What we can and can't show for Colorado Springs roofers yet

PPRBD doesn't publish its contractor list or its permits as open data the way Boulder does, so Colorado Springs roofers rarely show permits on HomeProFax today. Only 7 of our 5,307 Colorado Springs profiles have any matched permit. For comparison, Boulder's open data shows 5,084 re-roof permits pulled by 634 different contractor names from 2021 through October 19, 2026. That's the kind of record you can ask a Colorado Springs roofer to show you directly: addresses of recent PPRBD-permitted roofs near you. See our Front Range hail guide for the city-by-city rules north of here.

A Colorado Springs storm checklist

Photograph the damage from the ground and call your insurer before you sign anything.
Get the roofer's PPRBD license number and check it yourself. A Denver, Aurora or out-of-state license doesn't count here.
Ask for the insurance certificate with the re-roofing wording.
Read the contract for the 72-hour cancellation right and the other terms state law requires in roofing contracts.
Confirm the permit is issued in the roofer's name before tear-off.
Hold the final payment until the final inspection passes.

Most of those steps take a phone call or a website. Asking for the report takes one text.

The one thing to ask every roofer for

Instead of checking each record yourself, ask every roofer bidding on your job for their HomeProFax report. It brings the license record, permits on file and other public records together on one page. A roofer with a real local track record can share it in a minute. Comparing three bids? Ask all three, and compare the reports side by side.

PPRBD roofer records aren't loaded into HomeProFax yet. We're working on it, and roofer reports for Colorado Springs will show them once they are. In the meantime, a roofer's report still shows any other license, business registration and permit records we hold.

This guide summarizes public law and agency guidance as of October 21, 2026. It is not legal advice. For a dispute, talk to a Colorado attorney.

Common questions

Do roofers need a license in Colorado Springs?

Yes. Roofers working in Colorado Springs need an active contractor license from the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. Colorado has no statewide roofing license, and PPRBD does not accept licenses from other building departments.

Can I cancel a roofing contract in Colorado?

Colorado law requires every residential roofing contract to let you rescind within 72 hours of signing and get your full deposit back. If your insurer denies the claim, you can also cancel within 72 hours of the written denial (C.R.S. 6-22-103 and 6-22-104).

Can a roofer pay my insurance deductible in Colorado?

No. C.R.S. 6-22-105 bars roofers from advertising or promising to pay, waive or rebate any part of your insurance deductible.

When can a Colorado roofer use my deposit?

The contract must state, in bold type, that the roofer holds your payment in trust until materials are delivered to your home or a majority of the work is done.

What should I ask a roofer for after a hailstorm?

Ask for their HomeProFax report, which pulls their public records into one page so you can compare bids quickly.

Sources

Official pages we checked for this guide. Rules change, so confirm with the agency before you rely on them.

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