Hiring a Roofer in Washington: What L&I Registration Means and How to Check It

What does registration with L&I actually mean for a roofer?

Washington requires construction contractors, including roofers, to register with the Department of Labor & Industries before they advertise or take work. Registration is tied to a bond and to insurance, and the law that sets it out is chapter 18.27 of the Revised Code of Washington. Working unregistered carries penalties.

Registration is not a quality rating. It tells you the business has met the state's basic requirements for a contractor and that there is a bond behind it. It does not tell you the roofer is skilled, honest or a good fit for a steep, mossy roof on a mountain road. That is why registration is where checking starts, not where it ends.

The word you will see is registration, though people often say license. The state's own word for what a contractor holds is registration, and the L&I page is where you confirm the status. When a roofer says they are licensed, ask for the registration number and check it yourself.

Bond and insurance figures are not printed on this site. Published sources give different amounts for different contractor categories and years, and the amounts are changed from time to time. L&I's pages carry the current ones.

How do you check a roofer on the L&I verification page?

Open the Department of Labor & Industries page for verifying a contractor, tradesperson or business, and search by name or registration number. The result shows whether registration is active, the workers' compensation account status, any safety citations and any lawsuits against the bond. A roofer whose record will not load or does not match should be asked to explain.

Have the roofer's full business name and, ideally, the registration number written on the quote or contract. Searching by number avoids confusion between similar names. Compare what the page shows with what you were told: the business name, the status, and the dates.

Read each part of the record. Active registration means the business is currently registered. The workers' compensation status matters because an uninsured worker injured on your roof can bring you into a dispute. Safety citations show whether the state has cited the business for workplace violations. Bond lawsuits show whether customers have had to claim against the bond.

• Registration status is active, and the business name matches your quote.
• Workers' compensation account is in good standing for the business.
• Safety citations, if any, are explained and not recent patterns.
• Bond lawsuits, if any, are explained rather than ignored.
• The number on the page is the same one written on your contract.

What should a roofer show you besides a registration number?

A written scope of work naming materials and the areas covered, a price and payment schedule tied to progress, the start window and how weather delays are handled, who applies for any permit, what happens to rotten decking found underneath, and the terms of any warranty. Anything promised aloud should be on paper.

Ask who will be on the roof. A contractor may use its own crew or subcontractors, and both are acceptable, but you should know which. Ask whether the crew is covered by workers' compensation, and whether the business carries general liability insurance and can show it.

Ask for the manufacturer's installation instructions for the product named, because some warranties depend on following them. Ask how cleanup is done, particularly on a property with livestock or a long gravel drive where nails and screws do real harm.

How does this work when a call line puts you through to a roofer?

Concrete Roofing is a call line that connects you with an independent local roofing contractor. The registration, the bond, the insurance and the contract belong to that contractor, not to this site. You can ask for the contractor's registration number on the phone, check it with L&I and then decide whether to go ahead.

The line does not set prices, inspect roofs or sign contracts. The roofer you reach does all of that, and your contract is with them. That makes the verification step more important, not less, because it is the only check that is entirely yours.

If the roofer will not give a registration number when asked, or the number does not match the business name, say so on the call and ask to be put through to a different contractor. You are under no obligation to proceed with the first one.

Why does it matter that the service area crosses three counties?

Registration is a state matter, so the L&I check is the same everywhere. But permits, inspections and local rules come from the county or city, and this service area spans Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties. Verify the roofer with L&I, then ask the local building department about permits.

Concrete is in Skagit County, Darrington is a Snohomish County town and Deming is in Whatcom County. A roofer who works in all three needs to know each office's rules, and you can ask where they have pulled permits before.

The permit guide lists the questions to ask each office. This site has not been able to confirm reroof permit rules for any of the three counties or their cities, so it states none.

What should be in the contract besides the price?

The registration number, the business name and address, the exact scope and materials, the start and finish windows, the payment schedule, how change orders are approved, who applies for any permit, cleanup and the warranty terms. Anything not written down is hard to enforce later, so read it before you sign.

Change orders deserve special attention on a roof. Rotten decking, a hidden second layer or a damaged rafter can turn up the day the old covering comes off. A good contract says that extra work needs your written approval and states a unit price for the likely extras, so you are not negotiating on a roof that is open to the weather.

Look at the payment terms. A schedule that ties payments to stages, such as materials delivered, tear-off complete and final inspection, keeps both sides honest. Be wary of a contract that asks for most of the money before the first bundle of shingles arrives. If a part is unclear, ask for it to be rewritten rather than explained aloud.

Keep your copy somewhere safe, with the quote, the photographs, any permit paperwork and the receipts. If a problem appears in a later wet season, those papers are what you will want.

What can you do if a problem comes up after the work?

Start with the roofer, in writing, with dated photos. If that fails, look at the contractor's record on the L&I verification page and ask L&I what options exist for a complaint or a bond claim. The page shows whether others have had to sue against the bond, which tells you something about the pattern.

Roof problems often show up in the first big storm after the job. A leak at a new valley or a lifted ridge cap is a normal reason to call the roofer back, and most reputable roofers respond. Write down the date, take pictures and keep the message you send.

If the roofer does not answer, check the registration again. A registration that has lapsed, or a record of bond lawsuits, changes your options. This site cannot give legal advice and does not describe the claims process, so ask L&I or an attorney what applies to you.

What are the warning signs of a roofer you should walk away from?

Pressure to sign on the spot, a request for a large payment before work begins, refusal to put the scope in writing, no registration number or one that does not verify, and door-to-door offers after a storm. Any of these is a reason to pause, check and get a second quote.

After a large storm, strangers knock on doors in affected valleys. Some are legitimate, and some are not. A contractor who arrives uninvited, offers to handle your insurance claim and wants a signature today deserves extra scrutiny. The page on storm claim roof help explains what to be careful of.

A calm process is a good sign. The roofer inspects, explains what they found, shows photos, writes a quote and lets you think. If a roofer cannot do that, it is a cheap lesson to find out before the contract rather than after.