Central Roof Repair · Hiring & Compliance
There is no Kentucky roofing contractor license. The state licenses several construction trades, and roofing is not one of them — so when a contractor in Lexington or Richmond says he is “licensed,” the honest follow-up question is licensed by whom, and for what. A bill filed in the 2026 session would change that. As of today it has not.
Does Kentucky license roofing contractors?
No. The state agency responsible for building construction licenses four construction specialties and building inspectors, and roofing appears on none of those lists.
The Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction describes its own remit this way: it “enforces statewide standards for building construction,” ensures fire and life safety in existing buildings, and “licenses/certifies plumbers, electricians, boiler contractors, sprinkler and/or fire alarm contractors and building inspectors.” Plumbing, electrical, boilers, fire suppression, inspectors. No roofing.
That is a statement about state licensure only, and it is worth being precise about what it does not mean. It does not mean roofing work is unregulated. Kentucky’s residential and building codes still apply to the work itself, local governments still issue permits where their ordinances require them, workers’ compensation law still applies to employees, and a contractor still owes you whatever the contract says. What is missing is a single state credential a homeowner can look up.
“Licensed and insured” is four words. Three of them are verifiable in Kentucky. One of them, for roofing, has nothing behind it at the state level.
What can a homeowner actually verify today?
Four things, all of them real documents rather than claims. None of them is a roofing licence, and together they are a better filter than one would be.
| What to ask for | Why it is checkable |
|---|---|
| Certificate of general liability insurance, issued by the carrier | Ask that it be sent by the insurance agency rather than handed to you. The certificate names the insured, the policy period and the limits. |
| Proof of workers’ compensation coverage | If the crew are employees, this is the document that keeps an injury on the roof from becoming a claim against your homeowner’s policy. |
| Local contractor registration, where the jurisdiction has one | Lexington-Fayette runs a registration process through its Division of Building Inspection. Its contractor registration page requires an occupational business licence, a Home Office Certificate or Certificate of Occupancy, and general liability plus workers’ compensation insurance with the urban county government listed as certificate holder. |
| A written scope, not a one-line total | The quote should name the system, the underlayment, the flashing work and the ventilation plan, because that is what distinguishes two bids that look identical on price. |
Two credentials you may be shown are real but voluntary, and should be read as such. Manufacturer certifications — the ones that gate the stronger workmanship warranties — are issued by the shingle or membrane maker, not by Kentucky. Trade-association programmes are likewise private: the Kentucky Roofing Contractors Association publishes a contractor certification of its own. Voluntary is not worthless; it simply is not a state licence, and nobody should present it as one.
What is House Bill 150, and where does it stand?
It is a 2026 session bill that would create a state roofing contractor licence. Its last recorded action was a committee referral in January, and we are reporting status only — not predicting an outcome.
The Legislative Research Commission record for 2026 RS House Bill 150, “AN ACT relating to roofing contractors,” sponsored by D. Grossberg, shows two actions: introduced in the House on 01/07/26 and referred to Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations on 01/14/26. That referral is the last action on the record. The bill record is a live public document and it updates itself; check it rather than this page if the question matters to a decision you are making.
What the bill as filed would require is worth knowing, because it is a fair description of the gap the current system leaves:
| Provision in HB 150 as filed | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who would be licensed | Anyone, including a subcontractor, who in the ordinary course of business engages in or solicits commercial or residential roofing services for a fee, including alteration, construction, installation, maintenance, renovation, repair and waterproofing (Section 1) |
| Who would be exempt | Persons engaged in demolition or cleanup of construction waste containing roofing material, and persons working under the direct supervision of the roofing contractor as an employee, day labourer or contract labourer (Section 1) |
| Administering agency | The department, which would administer and enforce the act and evaluate applicant qualifications (Section 3) |
| Examination | A nationally recognised examination, validated to measure competency, offered on a regular schedule around the state (Section 6) |
| Insurance floor | Proof of compliance with workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance law, plus general liability of not less than $500,000 (Section 5) |
| Fee ceilings | Initial application not to exceed $200; renewal not to exceed $200; duplicate licence not to exceed $25; reinstatement not to exceed $100 (Section 4) |
| Public register | The department would maintain a current register of licence holders as a matter of public record, and a complaint process (Section 4) |
| Enforcement | Refusal, suspension, revocation, probationary conditions, administrative fines, and injunctive relief in Franklin Circuit Court or the circuit court where the violation occurred (Sections 3 and 8) |
The line in that table a homeowner should notice is the public register. The reason “is he licensed?” is hard to answer in Kentucky today is not that nobody keeps records — it is that there is no single list to search.
One observation from Central Kentucky roofs
We are a roofing contractor in this market, so take this as a disclosed interest: the absence of a state licence is the reason the paperwork questions matter more here than they would in a licensing state. The pattern worth naming is seasonal. Storm seasons bring crews into Central Kentucky from outside it, and the honest ones and the rest carry exactly the same state credential, which is none. In that environment the certificate of insurance sent directly by the agency, the workers’ compensation proof, and a scope written in enough detail to be compared are doing the work a licence would otherwise do. Asking for all three is not an insult to a good contractor; it is the only filter available.
Questions homeowners ask
If roofing is not licensed, does my roof still have to meet code?
Yes. Licensure of the contractor and the code requirements for the work are two separate things. Kentucky’s adopted codes set requirements for roof assemblies and the structural loads behind them — see the notes on slope and roof-covering limits in the Kentucky code and design wind speed and snow load by county.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Kentucky?
That is a local question, and the answer differs between a merged urban county and a rural county. Ask the city or county building department that covers the address, before the work starts rather than after.
Does a contractor’s certification from a manufacturer mean the state approved him?
No. Manufacturer certifications are issued by the materials maker and typically gate that maker’s enhanced workmanship warranty. They are a genuine signal about training and warranty eligibility, and they are not a Kentucky licence.
Where do I check the status of HB 150 myself?
The Legislative Research Commission bill record at apps.legislature.ky.gov is the primary source and it updates as actions are recorded. Reporting a bill’s status is not a prediction that it will pass.
Last updated: October 3, 2026
By Marcos Gil, REALTOR® — Keller Williams Commonwealth · KY Real Estate License No. 296259 · Call or text (859) 310-1209.
General information about Kentucky licensure and a pending bill, current as of October 3, 2026. Not legal advice, and not a prediction of any legislative outcome. Verify the bill’s current status with the Legislative Research Commission and licensure questions with the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction.
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