Indiana Roofing License Requirements (2026) | Municipal + IC 24-5-11 Guide

Indiana does not issue a state roofing contractor license. Roofing is regulated by individual cities — Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Evansville, and most larger municipalities each run contractor registrations with separate fees, bonds, and insurance minimums. Statewide, every roofer is bound by the Home Improvement Contracts Act (IC 24-5-11), which requires a written contract with specific disclosures on any residential improvement project over $150, and by the Roofing Contractor Insurance Claim Act (IC 24-5-11.5), which bans deductible rebating and mandates rescission disclosures on insurance-claim roofing.

Governing Authority

Under Revised Code of the Consolidated City and County, Chapter 875 (Contractors) and Chapter 871 (Electrical), Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services — City of Indianapolis / Marion County (BNS) is the body that issues this license and enforces compliance with it. BNS issues municipal contractor, electrical, and HVAC licenses for Indianapolis and Marion County. Indiana has no state license for these trades, so BNS is the dominant licensing authority for Central Indiana.

Official portal: https://www.indy.gov/agency/department-of-business-and-neighborhood-services
Address: 1200 Madison Avenue, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46225
Phone: (317) 327-8700

Eligibility Requirements

At a minimum the applicant has to be 18 years old and supply a valid Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). No Indiana residency requirement.

Good moral character

Municipal applications review felonies individually.

Background investigation

Indianapolis requires background disclosure; other cities vary.

Experience & Education Matrix

No fixed number of years of experience is set out in the cited sources for this credential; instead, the controlling requirement is no statewide experience threshold; Marion County / Indianapolis requires an Improvement License Class 4 for residential roofing over $7,500.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services application statement

Education substitution

Not applicable.

Examination Structure

Rather than a written state examination, the cited materials route this credential through: None at state level. Indianapolis DBNS does not currently require a trade exam for Class 4 roofing.

Insurance & Financial Security

A contractor license surety bond of $10,000, on the BNS's prescribed form, is a precondition to issuance.

General liability

Indianapolis requires $500,000 per occurrence GL for Class 4 Improvement License. Most Indiana cities require $500,000 to $1,000,000.

Workers' compensation

Mandatory for every Indiana employer with one or more employees under IC 22-3.

Additional financial requirements

Indianapolis DBNS requires a $10,000 surety bond for the Class 4 Improvement License.

Application and License Fees

Fee	Amount
Application (non-refundable)	$80
Initial license	$80
Renewal (every year)	$80

Maintenance & Renewal

Expect to renew the Indiana — No State Roofing License (Municipal Registration Only) every year. Renewal currently costs $80. Annual renewal per city. Lapsed bond or insurance suspends registration.

Continuing education: No state CE. Cities may require brief registration updates.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Indiana Roofing License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity and Endorsement

Indiana does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for this classification.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

No state license to reciprocate. Each city issues its own registration.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares Roofing license requirements in every state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Register the business entity with the Indiana Secretary of State. LLC or corporation filing plus EIN.
Identify city registration requirements. Indianapolis Class 4 Improvement License, Fort Wayne contractor registration, South Bend contractor license, etc.
Apply for the Indianapolis Class 4 Improvement License. DBNS online application plus $10,000 surety bond, $500,000 GL certificate, and $80 fee.
Bind general liability and workers compensation. $500,000–$1,000,000 GL market standard; workers comp mandatory at one employee under IC 22-3.
Adopt IC 24-5-11 compliant contract template. Residential improvement contracts over $150 must be written and include start/end dates, price, payment schedule, and notice of rights.
Comply with IC 24-5-11.5 insurance-claim roofing rules. No deductible rebating, three-day rescission, and written disclosure of insurance policy terms.
Renew city registrations annually. Indianapolis Class 4 renews annually with updated bond and insurance.

Common Filing Mistakes

Drawn from the board instructions and sources cited on this page, the pitfalls below are the ones most likely to slow down or sink a Indiana Roofing application.

Working Indianapolis without Class 4

Marion County residential roofs over $7,500 require DBNS Class 4. Unlicensed work is a code violation with stop-work orders.

Deductible rebating

IC 24-5-11.5 treats rebating insurance deductibles as deceptive consumer sales. Treble damages plus AG enforcement.

Tornado-season tear-off exposure

Indiana sits in tornado alley. Leaving roofs open during severe-weather watches creates total-loss exposure and insurance disputes.

Ice and water shield on north-central jobs

IRC R905.1.2 requires ice-barrier membrane in regions with average January temps at or below 25°F. Most of Indiana qualifies — inspectors fail jobs without it.

Contract without IC 24-5-11 disclosures

Residential improvement contracts missing required disclosures are voidable by the homeowner. Courts refuse to enforce them in collection actions.

Study and Reference Materials

What follows are the regulator-cited and commonly used preparation references for this trade. They appear here for convenience only; CLR takes no compensation for them.

IC 24-5-11 Home Improvement Contracts Act — State of Indiana. Contract law applicable to every Indiana roofer.
IC 24-5-11.5 Roofing Contractor Insurance Claim Act — State of Indiana. Insurance-claim contract rules.
Indiana Building Code (IBC/IRC adoption) — Indiana DHS Fire Prevention and Building Safety. Roof assembly requirements.

Pre-Submission Checklist

The items below are the ones worth confirming before the application is filed with BNS:

☐ Indiana Secretary of State entity registration
☐ Indianapolis DBNS Class 4 application (or other city license)
☐ $10,000 Indianapolis surety bond
☐ Public liability certificate ($500K+ per occurrence)
☐ Indiana workers compensation declaration page
☐ IC 24-5-11 compliant written contract template

Other Indiana Trade Licenses

Should the Roofing path not apply, these other Indiana trade guides from CLR may help:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Indiana have a state roofing license?

No. Roofing is regulated only at the municipal level. State law imposes contract and insurance-claim rules but does not license roofers.

What is the Indianapolis Class 4 Improvement License?

DBNS Class 4 authorizes residential improvements including roofing valued at $7,500 or more in Marion County. Requires a $10,000 bond and $500,000 GL.

What is IC 24-5-11.5?

The Indiana Roofing Contractor Insurance Claim Act. Bans deductible rebating, requires written disclosure of insurance policy terms, and gives homeowners three-day rescission on insurance-claim contracts.

Is workers comp required?

Yes for every employer with one or more employees under IC 22-3.

Can one license cover all Indiana cities?

No. Each city runs its own registration. Working statewide means registering in every city where you operate.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-05-30 · Next scheduled review 2026-08-28