Hiring a Roofer in New Jersey: Home Improvement Contractor Registration

Does New Jersey license roofers?

Not as a roofing trade. New Jersey has no general roofing licence. Contractors who do home improvement work, which includes roofing on a house, register with the Division of Consumer Affairs as home improvement contractors. The registration is annual, and the number begins with 13VH.

The difference between a licence and a registration is more than wording. A licence usually means the holder has passed an exam to practise a trade. A registration records that a business is known to the state and is subject to its consumer rules. Both are useful to a homeowner for the same reason: they give you something to check.

The details of the registration have changed over the years. Older state releases from 2012 and 2013 describe the requirement, and the figures in them, such as the insurance minimum, may no longer be current. This page therefore states none of them. When you need a rule, ask the Division or read the current statement on its site.

Washington Roofing is a call line that connects you with an independent local roofer, who does the work. Neither this line nor this website holds a roofing licence or a registration. The roofer's number is given on request by phone.

What should a registered roofer show you?

The registration number should appear on the contract, in advertising and on the work vehicle, according to published descriptions of the rule. Ask to see it in writing before you sign, and write it down. Requirements can change, so check the current rule with the Division.

A number on a truck is easy to read from the driveway. A number on the contract is the one that matters, because the contract is the document you will rely on. If the number is missing, ask why, and do not sign until it is there.

A roofer who hesitates to give a registration number, or offers one that fails the check, is telling you something. A roofer who gives it readily and explains what it covers is behaving as you would hope.

Check the number yourself rather than relying on a screenshot or a card. The Division of Consumer Affairs is the body to ask, and its name is easy to search for.

How do I verify a registration number?

Contact the agency that issues it, the Division of Consumer Affairs in New Jersey or the Attorney General's office in Pennsylvania, and ask whether the number belongs to the business that quoted you and is current. Do not rely on the roofer's own copy or a printed card.

Write down the business name exactly as it appears on the contract, the number and the date you checked. If the name on the registration is different from the name on the truck or the paperwork, ask why.

If the number does not check out, ask the roofer. There may be an innocent reason, such as a renewal pending. Do not pay a deposit until you have an answer.

• Business name on the contract
• Registration number written on the contract
• Date you checked it
• Name of the person who gave you the number

What does the call line do about registration?

The line connects you with an independent local roofer and gives that roofer's registration number on request by phone. It is not published on the site for privacy reasons. The line itself holds no roofing licence or registration, and the contract you sign is with the roofer.

That arrangement is explained on the about page. What matters for you is that you can ask for the number when you call, or when the roofer phones to arrange the visit, and check it before signing.

Be wary of any roofer, however you find them, who cannot or will not give you the number.

What about storm-chasers and door-knockers?

After storms, crews from outside the area sometimes go door to door. Some do honest work, but the risk is paying a deposit to someone you cannot find later. Ask for the registration number, a written contract and an address, and do not sign over insurance claim rights.

A deposit is not unusual in itself. A large deposit demanded on the spot is a reason to slow down. Take the quote home, check the number and compare it with another.

The guide on what to do when a storm leaks through your roof and the page on insurance storm claim help cover what to document and what never to agree to.

Is registration the same as being good at the job?

No. Registration shows a roofer is known to the state, not that the work is good. Also ask for a written scope, a clear price, a permit plan and references you can reach, and see photographs of recent comparable work. The registration number is one check among several.

You can also ask the roofer who will actually be on your roof: employees or subcontractors, and who supervises. A small local company usually answers this plainly.

For roof permits, ask your town's construction office what applies. Our guide on permits for roof replacement in Warren County lists the questions.

What should be in a roofing contract?

The roofer's name, address and registration number, a description of the work and materials, the price and payment schedule, the start and expected finish, who handles the permit, what happens if hidden damage is found, cleanup and how changes are agreed. Anything promised verbally should be written in.

A contract protects both sides. It also gives you something to point to if the job drifts. Read it all, including the small print about changes and disputes, before you sign.

Ask what is excluded. A roof contract that does not mention decking, flashing or disposal is silent where problems usually arise. Silence is not a promise.

Keep your copy with the scope, the photographs and the receipts. If you ever need to talk to the Division, the Attorney General or your insurer, that file is what you will use.

What questions should I ask before the first visit?

Ask for the registration number, who will be on the roof, whether the roofer handles the permit, how hidden damage is handled, how long the work usually takes and how to reach the roofer afterward. A roofer who answers plainly on the phone is likely to do so in person.

You can ask these when you call the line and again when the roofer phones to arrange the visit. This line cannot promise a day or an arrival time, because the roofer controls the schedule.

If you are comparing roofers, ask each the same questions and note the answers. Differences are information.

What if something goes wrong?

Start with the roofer, in writing, with photographs. If that does not resolve it, the agency that registers the contractor, the Division of Consumer Affairs in New Jersey or the Attorney General in Pennsylvania, takes complaints. This site does not give a specific procedure because none was sourced.

Keep dates and copies. Describe what was agreed, what was done and what you want. Be factual.

If the problem is damage from a storm and not workmanship, your insurer is the first call, not the roofer. See roof storm claim help.

Why do the Pennsylvania towns follow different rules?

Because the state line changes the law. Easton, Bangor, Martins Creek and Ackermanville are in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, where contractors register with the Attorney General once annual work reaches $5,000. The New Jersey 13VH number does not apply to a Pennsylvania address.

Pennsylvania's registration fee is reported differently by different sources, so none is stated here. Contracts over $500 need statutory terms and the registration number, according to the Attorney General's description of the law.

A roofer who works on both sides of the Delaware should be able to tell you which registration applies to which job. The Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge and the Northampton Street Bridge make it easy to forget the border is there. For slate roofs near Bangor, see slate and historic roofing.

If your property is in New Jersey but the roofer's office is in Pennsylvania, ask which registration they hold and how it relates to your job. The answer should be specific.