What Is a Roofing Qualifying Agent?

What does a roofing contractor license cover?

It covers installing, repairing and replacing the materials that keep water out through the roof: shingles, tile, slate, shakes, metal roofing, membranes, built-up and coated roofs, flashing and underlayment. In many states it also covers roof waterproofing and skylights, and repairing the roof decking or fascia uncovered during a reroof. It doesn't cover structural framing, since rafters, trusses and any structural change belong to a general or framing contractor. Siding is usually its own trade or part of general contracting. Some states license sheet metal separately, and gutters and architectural metal can fall on either side of that line. A roofer may install the roofing around rooftop solar panels and seal the attachments, but the solar system and its wiring need a solar or electrical license (learn more about your state here).

What does a qualifying agent do in roofing?

Where a state licenses roofing, the qualifier is the individual responsible for the roofing work the business does, and in some states that's the person who passed the state roofing exam. The license can depend entirely on that person: in at least one state, it stops working if the business has no active qualifying party. Reroof permits and inspections are typically handled locally, and the qualifier answers for code compliance, including wind and ice requirements where they apply. That covers the jobs themselves, from residential tear-offs and reroofs to repairs and commercial low-slope membrane systems, and how they're built.

Two things set roofing supervision apart. The first is work at height: federal OSHA rules require fall protection for roofing work 6 feet or more above a lower level. The second is storm-damage work. After hail and wind events, some residential roofing is paid through homeowners' insurance claims, and some states have laws governing how roofers handle those claims. A qualifier who only lends a name to the license isn't supervising, and that's a license rental. See our guides on how the qualifying agent relationship actually works and renting or leasing a contracting license.

Is roofing licensed at the state level, and can another license cover it?

It depends on the state, and roofing doesn't follow the pattern of other trades. Some states license roofing at the state level, either with a dedicated roofing license or as one class within a broader contractor system, and some license only residential roofing. Others don't license roofing statewide, and cities and counties may require registration, a local license or proof of insurance before issuing permits. In some places there's no license requirement at all, and voluntary industry credentials are the only screen. How a general contractor license relates to roofing also varies. In some states a GC must subcontract roofing to a licensed roofer unless it holds the roofing license too, with narrow exceptions such as roofing a building the GC is constructing. In others a residential contractor license covers roofing, or a GC can include roofing only as part of a larger multi-trade project (learn more about your state here).

What does it take to get licensed in roofing?

Roofing has little that's unique in licensing terms. Where it's licensed, the license is generally at the contractor level, with no state apprentice, journeyman or master roofer credential, and the individual credential that exists is passing the state roofing exam as the qualifying party. Where no state license exists, voluntary industry credentials fill part of the gap. Two things are specific to the trade even though they aren't licensing requirements: federal OSHA fall protection rules apply to roofing work nationwide, and some states regulate how roofers handle insurance-paid storm-damage work. See our guides on what experience is required, how to gain experience, and what education is required.

What else should you know?

Most of what applies to any trade is covered in our guides. See starting a contracting business without a license and how long you have to replace a qualifying agent for when a business needs a qualifier, renting or leasing a contracting license for why renting isn't an option, and the state-by-state directory for how requirements differ. See all ten trades on our trades page, and the full list of guides on our guides page.

How do you find a roofing qualifier or a business hiring one?

findQualifier.com is a public, searchable board of licensed professionals advertising their availability to work as a qualifier, by state and trade. Browse available qualifiers, browse businesses looking to hire, or post a listing.