How to Check a Roofer's Registration in Rhode Island

Roofers must be registered

Rhode Island law requires anyone who builds, remodels or repairs structures to be registered with the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board (CRLB), and roofers are named on the board's list. A contractor can't offer, bid on or do the work without a current registration. Employees of a registered contractor, and homeowners working on the home they live in, don't need their own.

Registration lasts one year. To get it, a contractor completes a 5-hour pre-registration course and shows the board proof of at least $500,000 in liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance. Letting the insurance lapse invalidates the registration.

Look them up on crb.ri.gov

Go to the board's Registration/License Status Lookup at crb.ri.gov. You can search by registration number, company name, or the contractor's last and first name, and filter by contractor type. For a house, look for a Residential or Residential/Commercial registration that is current.

A contractor's registration number must appear in their advertising, so you can usually find it on their website, truck or business card. Towns also can't issue a building permit to an unregistered contractor, and they list the contractor's registration number on the permit.

Don't look for a 'roofing license' for your house

Rhode Island's commercial roofing license covers roofs on nonresidential buildings. It doesn't apply to homes with four or fewer units, so a roofer without that license can still be fully legal on your house as long as their contractor registration is current.

Check complaints and insurance too

The CRLB lets you search consumer complaints and read its enforcement decisions. Ask the roofer for a current certificate of insurance as well.

The board also lists red flags: no proof of registration or insurance, no references, a roofer who avoids pulling permits, and no written contract. In Rhode Island, a written contract is required for any job over $1,000.

If something goes wrong

Homeowners can file a complaint with the CRLB against a contractor who worked on their home, ideally within one year of when the work was finished. An inspector investigates, and the board can issue fines and suspend or revoke a registration.

The board can't award damages, but it can help arrange a settlement, and it may order a deposit returned if no work or materials were provided. For money damages, you would go to Rhode Island state court.

How RoofPrice chooses partners

RoofPrice only works with roofers who meet our partner requirements, starting with a current Rhode Island contractor registration and full liability and workers' compensation insurance. You can still look up any roofer yourself on crb.ri.gov before you sign.