Illinois licenses roofing contractors through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act. A Limited license covers residential buildings of eight units or fewer, an Unlimited license covers all buildings, and the licensee's number must appear on every contract and bid. Verify the number in the department's online look-up before signing.
Key takeaways
- Unlike some states, Illinois does license roofers specifically: the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) issues roofing contractor licenses under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 335.
- The Act was due to lapse on 1 January 2026, but Public Act 104-0427, passed on 15 August 2025, moved the repeal date to 1 January 2031, so the licensing requirement is in force.
- There are two classes: Limited, for residential buildings of eight units or fewer, and Unlimited, for all types of building, so a commercial roof needs an Unlimited licensee.
- The licensee's number and name must appear on every roofing contract and bid and on a building permit application; later amendments also require it in advertising.
- A license number on paper proves nothing until it is checked in the state's look-up, so verify the name, the class and the status before you sign or pay a deposit.
Does Illinois license roofing contractors?
Yes. Illinois is one of the states that licenses the roofing trade itself. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation issues roofing contractor licenses under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 335. Anyone roofing a home for pay is expected to hold one, with limited exceptions such as an owner working on their own property.
Not every state does this; some issue only a general contractor license, and some issue none for roofing at all. In Illinois the roofing trade has its own statute, its own license classes and its own entry in the state's license look-up.
The statute carries a sunset date, which is a feature of how Illinois reviews its professional licensing acts. The repeal date was originally 1 January 2026. Public Act 104-0427, passed on 15 August 2025 as Senate Bill 2503, moved it to 1 January 2031. The Act is therefore in force, and a roofer who tells you licensing has lapsed is mistaken.
Homeowners may work on their own property without a roofing license. That exemption covers you on your own house and does not cover a friend, a neighbor or a business that does the job for you.
What is the difference between a Limited and an Unlimited license?
A Limited license covers roofing on residential buildings of eight units or fewer. An Unlimited license covers all buildings, including commercial, industrial and larger multifamily roofs. Single-family homeowners can hire either class, while an owner of a nine-unit building or a warehouse needs an Unlimited licensee.
The class matters mostly to building owners, boards and managers. A single-family house, a duplex or a small condo building falls within the Limited license. A larger condominium building, a strip of shops or a flat-roofed office needs the Unlimited class. See the pages on condo and townhome roofing and commercial flat roofs for how that plays out.
| Class | Buildings covered | Typical customer |
|---|---|---|
| Limited | Residential buildings of eight units or fewer | Owner of a house, duplex or small condo building |
| Unlimited | All building types | Owner or manager of a commercial, industrial or large multifamily building |
Where must the license number appear?
On every roofing contract and bid, and on building permit applications. The Act requires the licensee's number and name on the contract or bid, and later amendments extend the requirement to advertising. If a quote arrives without a number, ask for it in writing before you discuss anything else.
This is the most useful protection in the statute because it is easy to apply. You do not need to dig for the number; the roofer is required to put it in front of you. A document that omits it is incomplete, whatever else it says.
The Village of Schaumburg also asks for a copy of the state roofing license with a reroofing permit application, so a roofer working there needs one on file. The permit guide describes that process. If a roofer is reluctant to give you the number, or says the permit does not need one, treat that as a reason to stop.
Schaumburg Roofing is a call line that connects you with an independent local roofer; it holds no roofing license and does not do the work. The contract is with the roofer, so the number that matters is the roofer's. Ask for it on the phone when the roofer calls to arrange the visit, and expect to see it on the written quote.
How do I look up a license, step by step?
Ask the roofer for the full business name and the license number, then search the Department's online license look-up by number or by name. Check that the name matches, the class suits the building, and the status is active. Write down what you find and the date, then compare it with the contract.
The look-up is the authority. A state consumer brochure for roofing, as summarized in secondary sources, says license numbers begin with a 104 prefix, which is a useful clue but not a guaranteed format, so do not reject a number just because it looks different or accept one just because it starts that way. Check it in the database.
- Ask for the legal business name as it appears on the license, and the number.
- Search the Department's online look-up for roofing contractors.
- Confirm that the business name and the number belong together.
- Check that the class, Limited or Unlimited, covers your building.
- Check that the status is active and not expired or suspended.
- Save a screenshot or note of the result, with the date.
- Compare the number on the look-up with the number on the contract and the bid.
What the look-up does not tell you
A valid license shows that the state recognizes the business. It does not tell you the quality of its work, whether it carries insurance for your job, or what it will charge. Ask for proof of insurance separately, ask for references from nearby houses, and read the contract. This site states no bond or insurance amounts because it has not confirmed them.
Some secondary guides quote bond and insurance figures for Illinois roofers. This guide leaves them out because the sources are not official and the details may have changed. For anything involving a bond or an insurance minimum, ask the Department.
Insurance is a separate question. Ask the roofer for a certificate showing current coverage, and call the insurer named on it to confirm it is in force. A roofer who works without coverage can leave you exposed if someone is hurt on your property or something is damaged during the work.
What is the difference between a state license and a village registration?
A state license is the credential that lets a business do roofing in Illinois. A village registration is a local administrative step, such as the contractor registration Schaumburg asks of out-of-town firms. One does not replace the other, and a registration with a village says nothing about whether the state license is current.
Owners sometimes hear that a roofer is registered in the village and take it as proof of a license. Schaumburg publishes a contractor registration with a fee and an expiry at the end of the calendar year, and says it does not require a bond or insurance for that registration. It is a record that the contractor is known to the village, not an assessment of competence.
The reverse also applies. A valid state license does not mean the contractor has registered where the village requires it, or that a permit has been pulled for your job. Ask the roofer to confirm both the license and, where relevant, the local registration and the permit, and ask the building department if you are unsure. Other villages differ, and some of the places around Schaumburg are not documented on this site, so the building department is the authority there.
What should the contract say besides the license number?
It should name the roofer and the license number, describe the scope in writing, state the material and grade, give the start and finish expectations, set out payment terms, say who pulls the permit and what happens if hidden damage is found. Anything promised on the phone but absent from the paper is not part of the deal.
A good contract reads like a plan. It lists what is coming off, what the decking allowance is, which flashing is being replaced, what the cleanup includes and how a change in scope is priced and approved. It also says when payments fall due and ties the final payment to completion.
Ask about your right to cancel. Rules about cancellation and deposits depend on how and where the contract was signed, and this site does not state them. If the roofer cannot explain the cancellation terms, or the contract does not mention them, ask the roofer to put them in writing and consider asking a lawyer or a consumer office to read the document before you sign.
- The roofer's legal name, address and Illinois license number
- A written scope with material, grade and quantities
- A decking allowance and the rate beyond it
- Permit responsibility and the cost, if any
- Payment schedule and the condition for the final payment
- Start and completion expectations, with allowance for weather
- Cleanup, including magnetic nail sweeps
- Change-order process in writing
What are the red flags, especially after a storm?
No license number on paper, a number that does not check out, pressure to sign immediately, a request for a large cash payment up front, and an offer to take over your insurance claim. After a big storm, out-of-area crews arrive quickly, and a license check takes five minutes and is worth doing every time.
The weeks after severe weather are when door-to-door offers are most common. NWS Chicago's records of the 10 August 2020 derecho and the 13 March 2026 damaging winds show how widely a single storm can affect roofs, and the demand it creates is what brings crews from elsewhere. Some are excellent and some are not. The license look-up separates those who are registered from those who are not.
Be especially careful about an assignment of benefits or any document that hands your insurance claim to the contractor. Read it, and do not sign it at the door. The storm damage guide lists the order of calls to make.
Frequently asked questions
Is a roofer in Illinois required to be licensed?
Yes. The Roofing Industry Licensing Act requires roofing contractors to hold a license from IDFPR, with exceptions such as an owner working on their own property. The licensing requirement remains in force.
Is a general contractor license enough for a roof?
Not for roofing in Illinois. The Act sets a roofing license on its own. Ask for the roofing license number, and check the class, Limited or Unlimited, against your building.
What if the roofer says the number is pending?
Do not sign or pay until it is active and verified. A pending application is not a license. Ask the roofer to come back with a number that checks out.
Does the license number go on the permit application?
Yes. The Act requires the number on building permit applications, and Schaumburg asks for a copy of the license before issuing a reroof permit.
Who do I call if a roofer does not hold a license?
The Department's website explains how to file a complaint about a licensee or about unlicensed work. Keep copies of the contract, photographs, messages and any payments before you contact anyone.
Sources
This guide is general information for Cook County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.