Pennsylvania Roofing License Requirements

Pennsylvania has no statewide roofing trade license, trade exam, bond, or general-contractor license. Instead, the Office of Attorney General administers Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration under HICPA. Roofing is a listed home improvement when performed at a private residence. A contractor generally must register unless it falls within HICPA’s exception for a small contractor whose home-improvement work is under $5,000 in the prior taxable year, or another statutory exception applies. HIC registration requires at least $50,000 personal-injury and $50,000 property-damage liability coverage and a $100 two-year registration fee. Construction permits and any municipal trade credentials remain project- and jurisdiction-specific.

Who Regulates This Work

Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General — Home Improvement Contractor Registration (PA OAG HIC) is the primary authority or official reference used for this guide. The controlling authority cited here is Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, 73 P.S. §§ 517.1–517.18. The Attorney General administers statewide Home Improvement Contractor registration. It is consumer-protection registration, not a roofing competency license; local governments retain limited trade-licensing and construction-permit authority.

Official reference: https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/businesses-and-organizations/home-improvement-contractor-registration/

State and Local Eligibility Rules

There is no single statewide application for this work, so this guide does not impose a uniform applicant-age, identification, or tax-number rule. Check the business, specialty-trade, and local authorities that govern the actual project. HICPA applies to out-of-state contractors offering or performing covered Pennsylvania home improvements. Follow the OAG’s current online application requirements.

State-level applicant screening

The HIC application includes background disclosures; OAG’s current system also supports automated criminal-docket checks.

Background-check requirements

Provide the background disclosures required in the current HIC application.

Experience and Scope Requirements

No single statewide year-based experience threshold governs the local or scope-specific path described here. The controlling requirement is no experience threshold — HIC is a consumer protection registration.

Education and scope boundaries

Not applicable.

Testing Requirements

There is no single statewide trade examination for the local or scope-specific path described here. The applicable testing rule is: None — Pennsylvania does not require a trade exam for HIC.

Insurance, Bonds, and Project Requirements

No statewide contractor-license bond applies to the local or scope-specific path described here. A city, county, permit authority, public owner, or project contract may still require a bond, so confirm the actual project requirements before bidding.

General liability

HIC registration requires at least $50,000 personal-injury and $50,000 property-damage liability coverage. A local authority, owner, lender, or contract may require more.

Workers' compensation

Determine the business’s Pennsylvania workers’ compensation obligation and any applicable exemption before employing workers or applying locally.

Financial or filing requirements

No financial statement required. No surety bond at state level.

State and Local Fees

Fee	Amount
Application or registration	$100
Initial credential or registration	$100
Renewal (every 2 years)	$100

To budget for the applicable registration, permits, insurance, and project requirements, open the cost calculator preloaded for Pennsylvania roofing.

Renewal and Ongoing Compliance

Expect to renew the Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration every 2 years. Renewal currently costs $100. Update changes to HIC registration information within the time required by HICPA and keep insurance current.

Continuing education: No HIC continuing-education requirement is stated in the OAG materials reviewed.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Pennsylvania Roofing Compliance Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the state, local, and project checks.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Out-of-State Credentials and Local Recognition

Pennsylvania has no single statewide credential for this path to transfer through NASCLA. An authority may consider an outside license, examination, or experience record only under its own current rules.

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

HIC registration is Pennsylvania-specific and is not a trade credential. Confirm any local trade-license rules with the project jurisdiction.

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

Roofing Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Pennsylvania's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before bidding or beginning work:

Delaware Roofing License Requirements — Delaware Contractor Business License and Contractor Registration Certificate
Maryland Roofing License Requirements — Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) Contractor License
New Jersey Roofing License Requirements — New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor Business Registration for Residential Roofing
New York Roofing License Requirements — New York Roofing Contractor — No State License; Local Requirements Apply
Ohio Roofing License Requirements — Ohio — No State Roofing License (Municipal Registration + Insurance)
West Virginia Roofing License Requirements — West Virginia Contractor License for Roofing Work

Step-by-Step Compliance Roadmap

Determine whether HIC registration applies. Roofing is home improvement at a private residence. Confirm whether the business qualifies for the small-contractor or another statutory exception before relying on an exemption.
Arrange the required HIC coverage. Maintain at least $50,000 personal-injury and $50,000 property-damage liability coverage for HIC registration.
Submit or renew through the OAG HIC system. The current nonrefundable registration and renewal fee is $100 every two years; online card payments add a $2 processing fee.
Use the required written contract. A home improvement contract over $500 must be written, legible, and signed, and must contain the HICPA-required terms.
Display the registration number correctly. Include the PA registration number in advertisements, contracts, estimates, and proposals as required by HICPA.
Check the local construction authority. Confirm local building-permit and any municipal contractor or trade-license requirements before work begins. Philadelphia is one example with separate contractor and trade-license rules.

Pre-Work Checklist

Before bidding or beginning work, confirm each item below with the authorities that govern the project location and scope:

Determine whether the HICPA registration requirement or an exception applies
OAG HIC application or renewal and $100 two-year fee
At least $50,000 personal-injury and $50,000 property-damage liability coverage
HICPA-compliant written contract for a covered contract over $500
PA registration number on required advertisements, contracts, estimates, and proposals
Local contractor or trade credential where the project jurisdiction requires it
Project permit and inspection materials from the authority having jurisdiction

Common Compliance Mistakes

The issues below are the most likely to create an unlicensed-work, registration, permit, or scope problem for Pennsylvania Roofing work, based on the official sources cited on this page.

Using the old $50 fee

The OAG reports that the HIC registration and renewal fee increased to $100 every two years.

Treating the $5,000 rule as a per-project threshold

The OAG’s small-contractor exception is based on the contractor’s home-improvement work in the prior taxable year; review the exception before relying on it.

Omitting the PA number from required materials

HICPA requires the registration number in advertisements, contracts, estimates, and proposals.

Using an incomplete covered contract

For a covered contract over $500, HICPA requires a written, legible, signed contract with specified terms.

Assuming HIC replaces local approval

HIC registration is not a trade-competency license. Confirm local permits and any contractor or trade credential for the exact project location.

Official References and Preparation Materials

These are the preparation and reference materials tied to this credential — cited by the regulator or widely used by applicants. CLR earns nothing from listing them.

Pennsylvania OAG HIC contractor FAQ — Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Current scope, registration, insurance, advertising, and contract guidance.
HIC online registration system — Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Current fee and online application process.
Pennsylvania UCC building-permit guidance — Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. State building-permit framework and jurisdiction information.

Other Pennsylvania Trade Licenses

CLR covers other Pennsylvania trades as well — the published guides below may be more relevant:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Pennsylvania license roofing contractors?

Pennsylvania has no statewide roofing trade license. The OAG HIC registration is consumer-protection registration for covered residential home-improvement work, not a competency license.

When is HIC registration required for roofing?

Roofing is listed home improvement at a private residence. A contractor generally must register unless it fits HICPA’s small-contractor exception or another statutory exception; the OAG FAQ describes the small-contractor exception as less than $5,000 of home improvements in the prior taxable year.

What insurance does HIC require?

At least $50,000 personal-injury and $50,000 property-damage liability coverage. Other project participants may set additional coverage requirements.

What must a HICPA contract contain?

For home improvement contracts over $500, use a written, legible contract signed by the consumer and contractor that includes the terms required by HICPA, including the work description, total price, approximate start and completion dates, and cancellation notice.

When does the HIC renew?

HIC registration is valid for two years. The current registration and renewal fee is $100.

Primary Sources

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

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.