How to Check a Roofer in Michigan: Licenses, Insurance and Questions to Ask

In Michigan, a contractor doing residential roofing work must be licensed by the state as a residential builder or as a maintenance and alteration contractor with roofing listed on the license. You can verify any license for free through the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) online lookup. Then confirm insurance, manufacturer credentials and who will actually do the work.

That sounds like a lot of homework for a roof, but it takes about fifteen minutes, and it is the single most effective way to avoid the problems we are called in to fix every year: unfinished jobs, voided warranties, crews who vanish after a storm, and roofs installed with shortcuts nobody can see until the first winter. Here is how to do it, step by step.

Step 1: Verify the state license

Michigan licenses residential contractors through the Bureau of Construction Codes at LARA. There are two license types you will see for roofing:

• Residential Builder, which allows a contractor to build and remodel homes, including roofing.
• Maintenance and Alteration Contractor, which is limited to specific trades printed on the license. Roofing is one of those trades, alongside siding, gutters, carpentry and others. If a contractor holds this license type, roofing should be listed on it.

To check a license, go to michigan.gov/lara and use the "Find / Verify a Licensed Professional or Business" search. Search by the company name, the individual's name or the license number. Confirm three things:

• The name matches the company on your proposal, not a different business or a relative's name.
• The license is active, not expired, lapsed or suspended.
• The license type covers roofing.

Why it matters beyond paperwork: Michigan's Occupational Code generally bars an unlicensed contractor from using the courts to enforce a construction contract, and Michigan's Homeowner Construction Lien Recovery Fund protections are tied to the work being done by a licensed contractor. Licensing also means the contractor has met the state's licensing requirements and answers to LARA if a complaint is filed. LARA itself notes that it will never ask you for personal information by phone, text or email, so be wary of anyone claiming to call on its behalf.

Step 2: Confirm insurance, in writing

Ask for certificates of insurance sent directly from the contractor's insurance agent, not a photocopy from the salesperson's folder. You are looking for:

• General liability insurance, which covers damage to your home or property during the work.
• Workers' compensation insurance, which covers injuries to the crew. Roofing is one of the most dangerous trades in construction. If an uninsured worker is hurt on your property, you do not want to be the one sorting out what happens next.

Check that the policy dates are current and cover the dates of your project.

Step 3: Ask who will actually be on your roof

Some roofing companies are sales offices that hand every job to whichever subcontracted crew is available that week. Others install with their own crews. Neither is automatically good or bad, but you deserve to know:

• Will the installers be the company's own employees or subcontractors?
• Who is the supervisor on site, and how do you reach them during the job?
• Are subcontractors licensed and insured in their own right?

At On Top Roofing, our roofs are installed by our own in-house crews, which is how we keep the installation consistent from one home to the next.

Step 4: Check manufacturer credentials, and what they really mean

Shingle manufacturers certify contractors at different tiers, and the higher tiers are not easy to get. They generally require proof of licensing and insurance, a track record of installations, training, and customer satisfaction standards. More importantly for you, the top tiers are what allow a contractor to register the manufacturer's strongest system warranties, which cover the entire roof system and, at the highest levels, the contractor's workmanship as well.

You can verify these credentials yourself. Owens Corning, for example, has a contractor locator on its website that shows each contractor's network level. We are an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, a designation held by roughly one percent of roofing contractors, which lets us register Owens Corning's system warranties in your name. You can read what that means in our post on being an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor.

Step 5: Ask about permits and code

Re-roofing permits in Livingston County depend on where the house is. The City of Howell requires a permit for re-roofing, while the surrounding townships that share a Howell mailing address permit through the Livingston County Building Department, which has its own rules. A local contractor should know which office covers your address and should pull any required permit in their own name.

Then ask how the roof will meet the Michigan Residential Code. Two easy test questions:

• "How far will the ice barrier run past the eave?" The code requires a self-adhering ice barrier from the roof edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line. A good answer goes past the minimum on homes that have had ice dams.
• "Is this a tear-off or a layover?" Code limits recovering over an existing roof, and a layover hides the decking. Our article on shingling over an old roof explains why we almost always recommend a tear-off.

Step 6: Watch for storm chaser red flags

After a hail or windstorm in Greater Southeast Michigan, out-of-area crews arrive within days, knock on doors and are gone before the first warranty question comes up. Be cautious when:

• Someone shows up uninvited right after a storm and says your roof is damaged before inspecting it
• The truck has out-of-state plates and the business has no local address you can visit
• They pressure you to sign today or offer a deal that expires when they leave the neighborhood
• They ask you to sign something that gives them control of your insurance claim before you understand it
• They cannot give you a Michigan license number, or the name on the license does not match the company

A HAAG Certified inspection from an established local contractor will tell you whether storm damage is real, and your own insurance agent is the right person to explain your policy. Our storm damage restoration page explains how we document storm damage.

Questions to ask before you sign

Bring this list to every contractor you talk to:

• What is your Michigan license number, and what type of license is it?
• Can your agent send me certificates for general liability and workers' compensation?
• Who will install the roof, and who supervises the crew?
• What manufacturer certification do you hold, and which warranty will you register for my roof?
• What workmanship warranty do you provide, and is it in writing?
• How far will the ice barrier extend, and will all flashing and pipe boots be new?
• What happens if you find soft or rotted decking after tear-off? Will I see photographs before it is covered?
• How will you correct the attic ventilation?
• Who pulls the permit?
• How will you protect my landscaping, driveway and siding, and how do you clean up nails?
• How long have you worked in Livingston County, and can I see roofs you have done nearby?

The answers should be specific and should match what ends up in the written proposal. A contractor who is vague about the ice barrier, the decking or the flashing is telling you where the shortcuts will be.

Check the reviews the right way

Read reviews on more than one platform and read the recent ones. Look for patterns rather than single complaints: how the company handled a problem, whether crews cleaned up, whether the job matched what was promised. A long history of reviews from neighbors in towns you recognize, like Howell, Brighton, Hartland and Fowlerville, tells you more than a handful of five-star ratings from last month. The Better Business Bureau rating and complaint history are worth a look as well.

Frequently asked questions

Do roofers need a license in Michigan?

Yes. Contractors doing residential roofing in Michigan need a state license, either as a residential builder or as a maintenance and alteration contractor with roofing as a licensed trade.

How do I look up a contractor's license in Michigan?

Use the free "Find / Verify a Licensed Professional or Business" search on LARA's website at michigan.gov/lara, and search by company name, individual name or license number.

What insurance should a roofing contractor have?

At minimum, general liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance, with current certificates sent directly from the contractor's insurance agent.

Does a manufacturer certification matter?

Yes. The higher certification tiers require training and a track record, and they are what allow a contractor to register the manufacturer's strongest system warranties for your roof.

How can I tell if a roofer is a storm chaser?

Be wary of uninvited door-knockers right after a storm, out-of-state trucks with no local address, pressure to sign immediately, and anyone who cannot give you a Michigan license that matches their company name.

Check us the same way

We would rather you verify us than take our word for it. On Top Roofing is based in Howell, installs with in-house crews, is an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, BBB A+ Accredited and HAAG Certified, and specializes in residential roof replacement across Livingston County and Greater Southeast Michigan. Inspections are free and come with written findings and photographs. Call (810) 588-3933 or use the form on this page.