How to Check a Roofer: License, Permits and Complaints

A new roof is one of the most expensive things most homeowners ever buy, and roofing is also the trade where the worst hiring stories tend to come from. After a hailstorm or windstorm, out-of-town crews arrive, knock on doors, and ask for a signature and a deposit the same day. Most roofers are honest. The problem is that from your driveway, an honest roofer and a storm chaser look exactly the same. Both have a truck, a logo, and a confident pitch.

That is why people want to check a roofer before they sign. What they really want to know is simple: is this company who they say they are, and does their public record back up the promise? This guide explains what a roofer license, permit and complaint check should actually cover, what each record does and does not prove, and the fastest way to get all of it without spending an evening on government websites.

The shortcut: ask the contractor, “Can you send me your verified HomeProFax report?” Good contractors share it. If they have not claimed a profile yet, search their business name free on HomeProFax.com and read the report that already exists.

What a roofer license, permit and complaint check should cover

Checking a roofing company is not about the owner’s personal life. It is about the business’s record with the agencies that regulate construction. Four records matter most.

1. License status

Licensing rules for roofers vary a lot by state. In California, a Contractors State License Board (CSLB) license, typically the C-39 Roofing classification, is required for work of $1,000 or more, and for any job that needs a building permit or uses employees. Colorado has no statewide roofing license; cities license roofers locally, and Denver, for example, issues a Class D Roof Covering and Waterproofing license. Texas does not issue a statewide general contractor license, so local rules vary. So “licensed” means different things in different places, and an out-of-state crew may not know, or may not tell you, what your city requires.

A HomeProFax report shows every matched license record for the business: the issuing board, the license type, whether it is active, and its issue and expiry dates. HomeProFax currently holds 7,623 roofing contractor profiles, and 7,039 of them show an active license on file. Most of those are California roofers. Our California profiles come from CSLB’s current license file, which lists licenses that are on the books today, so expired California roofing licenses are mostly not in our data.

2. Discipline and legal flags

Licensing boards can take action against a license for things like abandoning a job, failing to pay subcontractors, or working outside the scope of the license. Of the 7,623 roofing profiles on HomeProFax, 97 carry a board discipline or legal-action flag. That is a small share, but it is exactly the kind of record you want to see before you hand over a deposit, not after.

A flag is not a verdict. Some are minor administrative matters that were resolved years ago. The report links to the source record so you can read the details and the date.

3. Permit history

Most roof replacements need a building permit. A roofer who regularly pulls permits leaves a trail with the local building department: job addresses, dates, and the type of work. That trail is one of the best signs that a company does real, inspected work in your area.

HomeProFax matches permits from city and county open-data portals to contractor profiles. 530 roofing profiles currently have permits on file. Coverage is limited to the areas whose portals we include, so a missing permit history is a reason to ask, not proof of anything.

4. Complaints and outside reviews

Where it has been researched, a report shows the company’s BBB rating and complaint count, and the “Around the web” panel links out to Google, Angi, Yelp, BBB and HomeAdvisor so you can see what other homeowners say. Outside ratings are shown for context only. They are not part of the HomeProFax Score.

Why checking each record yourself is so slow

You can find each of these records somewhere. The trouble is that they live in different places. License data sits with a state board, permits sit with each city or county, discipline is published differently by each board, and complaints live on yet another site. Each one has its own search form and its own spelling rules. A company name that is slightly different on the quote can return nothing at all.

For one roofer that might take half an hour. If you are comparing three bids, it can take your whole evening, and storm chasers count on homeowners not bothering.

The shortcut: ask for their HomeProFax report

HomeProFax pulls those public records together into one report per contractor, with a 0–100 score that shows its working. Instead of researching every company, put the question to the roofer:

“Before we go further, can you send me your verified HomeProFax report?”

Here is why that one question works so well:

Good roofers have nothing to hide. A company with an active license, a permit trail and a clean board record can share its report in a minute, and many are glad to be asked.
It filters out the pressure pitch. A crew that hesitates, changes the subject or says “we don’t do that” has told you something important before you have signed anything.
It checks the name, too. The report is tied to a specific business and license number. If the name on the report does not match the name on the quote, ask why.

A Verified badge means the contractor claimed the profile, confirmed their email, passed a license match and was approved by an admin. Many good roofers simply have not claimed their profile yet. That is fine: search the company name free on HomeProFax.com and read the report that already exists. You can see what one looks like in this sample HomeProFax report (Fox Service Company, Austin).

How to read a roofer’s report in two minutes

License line first. Is the license active, and is it the right type for roofing in your state? An expired or missing license is the biggest pause sign.
Discipline next. No flag is good. If there is one, read the date and the outcome.
Permits. Recent permits on jobs like yours, in or near your city, are a strong sign of real local work.
Score last. The HomeProFax Score summarizes those factors. It measures the public record, not workmanship, so use it to decide what to ask, not as a final answer.

For a deeper walkthrough, see how to read a HomeProFax report and permits, discipline and red flags, explained.

Red flags that should stop the conversation

Pressure to sign the same day, or a “storm discount” that expires tonight.
A large cash deposit before materials are delivered. In California, a home improvement down payment may not exceed $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less.
A request that you pull the permit in your own name.
A business name on the truck or quote that does not match any license or report.
Refusing to share a HomeProFax report, a license number, or a local address.

Roofer reports by area

Browse roofing contractors with reports in Los Angeles and San Diego, or browse California, Texas and Colorado. A few roofing reports with permit history: Martin Roofing Company (Lemon Grove, CA), Zenith Roofing Services (Escondido, CA) and Good Choice Pro Roofing (Cerritos, CA).

Figures are counts of HomeProFax profiles as of October 20, 2026. Roofing profiles are those whose trade or license class is roofing. HomeProFax organizes public records and is not a consumer report. Verify license status with the issuing board before you hire. See data sources and the disclaimer.

Common questions

What is included in a roofer license, permit and complaint check?

A useful roofer license, permit and complaint check covers four public-record areas: whether the roofer holds an active license where one is required, whether the licensing board has any disciplinary action on file, whether the roofer has pulled building permits, and whether complaints have been filed. A HomeProFax report puts those records on one page.

Do roofers need a license?

It depends on the state. California requires a CSLB license, such as the C-39 Roofing classification, for roofing work of $1,000 or more, or any job that needs a building permit or uses employees. Colorado has no statewide roofing license; cities such as Denver license roofers locally. Texas does not issue a statewide general contractor license. A HomeProFax report shows which license records were found for the business and from which board.

What should I do if a roofer knocks on my door after a storm?

Do not sign anything on the spot. Ask for the company’s full legal name and their verified HomeProFax report, and compare it with the name on the quote. A roofer with a real local record can usually share it in minutes.

Does no permits on file mean a roofer is doing unpermitted work?

Not necessarily. HomeProFax permit data comes from selected city and county open-data portals, so a roofer working outside those areas may show no permits. Ask where they usually pull permits and for a recent permit number.

Is a HomeProFax report a consumer report?

No. HomeProFax is not a consumer reporting agency, and a report is not a consumer report under the FCRA. It organizes public records about businesses to help homeowners ask better questions before hiring.

Keep reading

Search any contractor free on the homepage, read how the HomeProFax score works, or see a sample HomeProFax report → (Fox Service Company, Austin).