Before a Kentucky building official issues a building permit, the law requires them to ask the builder for one specific document: proof of workers’ compensation coverage. That requirement is in the workers’ compensation statute rather than the building code, which is why it rarely comes up in a conversation about roofing — and why it is a useful thing for a property owner to know exists.
Does a Kentucky roofer have to show proof of workers’ comp?
To get a building permit, yes. KRS 342.610(6) requires every local building official to obtain proof of workers’ compensation coverage from the builder before a permit is issued.
The text is specific. Prior to issuing any building permit under KRS 198B.060(10), every local building official shall require proof of workers’ compensation coverage from the builder before a permit is issued. A contractor who is exempt — under the exception in KRS 342.650(2), or otherwise exempt from the chapter — has to certify that in writing, on a form prescribed by the commissioner, instead of producing coverage. In other words the statute does not accept silence. It wants either a certificate or a written claim of exemption. The statute is published by the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission and this version is effective July 14, 2018.
What is “up-the-ladder” liability?
It is the rule in KRS 342.610(2) that pushes responsibility for an injured worker up the chain. A contractor who subcontracts work is liable for compensation to the subcontractor’s employees unless the subcontractor secured coverage itself.
The same subsection then widens who counts as a contractor. A person who contracts with another to have work performed “of a kind which is a regular or recurrent part of the work of the trade, business, occupation, or profession of such person” is, for purposes of that section, deemed a contractor, and the other person a subcontractor. The subsection also states that it does not apply to the owner or lessee of land principally used for agriculture. A contractor who ends up paying that compensation may recover the amount paid and necessary expenses from the subcontractor primarily liable.
The certificate is not paperwork for its own sake. It is the document that decides whose insurance answers if someone falls off your roof.
Whether that “regular or recurrent part of the work” test reaches a particular owner is a legal question, and it is a genuinely different question for a homeowner hiring a roof repair than it is for a business whose regular work is operating and maintaining buildings. We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice. The reason to raise it here is that it explains why asking for the certificate is normal and reasonable rather than suspicious, and why a contractor who runs a real business will have it ready.
The three documents worth asking for
| Document | What it answers |
|---|---|
| Workers’ compensation certificate, or a written exemption certification | Whose coverage responds if a worker is injured on your property. KRS 342.610(6) is why a building official asks for it. |
| General liability certificate | Damage to the building or its contents during the work. Separate coverage from workers’ comp. |
| A written scope and price | What is being repaired, what is not, and what the number covers. |
Two practical notes from working on roofs in Central Kentucky. First, certificates expire, so the date on the one you are handed matters as much as the name on it — a certificate issued eight months ago tells you about eight months ago. Second, ask for it before the crew is on the roof, not after, because the awkward version of this conversation is the one that happens with a ladder already up. A contractor who takes the question as an insult is telling you something; one who emails the certificate in ten minutes is telling you something too.
Related reading: how to read a roofing estimate covers the written-scope side of the same conversation, the Kentucky three-day right to cancel a roofing contract covers what happens if you sign and change your mind, and roof repair in Lexington, KY explains how we scope a repair.
Does a small roof repair need a building permit at all?
That depends on the scope and on the local jurisdiction, and the building official has the final word for a specific building. The point of KRS 342.610(6) is narrower: wherever a building permit is being issued, the official is required to get proof of coverage from the builder first.
What if the contractor says they are exempt?
KRS 342.610(6) contemplates that. A person exempt under the exception in KRS 342.650(2), and any contractor otherwise exempt from the chapter, must certify that to the local building official in writing on a form prescribed by the commissioner, in lieu of providing proof of coverage. Ask to see that certification rather than taking the statement verbally.
Is general liability insurance the same thing?
No. Workers’ compensation covers injury to workers. General liability covers damage the work causes to property and injury to others. They are separate policies and a contractor can carry one without the other, which is why it is worth asking about both by name.
Last updated November 4, 2026.
Set up a repair inspection
Need a roof looked at around Lexington, Richmond, Beattyville or the Red River Gorge? Call Central Roof Repair at (859) 310-1209. We will look at it, tell you what we see, and put the repair scope in writing — and we will hand you our certificates when you ask.
By Central Roof Repair
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