How to Check a Roofer in New Jersey: Registration, Contract and Questions

What does registration mean for a roofer in New Jersey?

Home improvement contractors working in New Jersey register with the Division of Consumer Affairs, within the Attorney General's office. Registration is the state's record that a contractor has applied and met its conditions. It is not a promise of quality, so use it as a first check, then ask about the work.

The rule comes from the Contractors' Registration Act, and applicants are expected to meet insurance conditions set by the state. Requirements are updated from time to time, so confirm the current ones with the Division of Consumer Affairs directly; the Attorney General notices listed at the end of this guide are the starting point.

This guide deliberately gives no fee, threshold or insurance amount, because those are the parts that change. What it can say is what to ask for and why.

A registered contractor is not automatically a good one, and an unregistered one is not automatically bad. The point of the check is that a registered contractor is on the state's books, can be looked up and can be complained about.

How do I ask a roofer for their registration number?

Ask plainly before any visit is booked, and again when you receive the written quote. A registered contractor can give the number from memory, and it should match the one on the contract, the truck and any advertising. Then confirm the number and the business name with the Division of Consumer Affairs.

State notices say the number must appear on contracts, ads and vehicles, so ask to see it written down and not only to hear it said.

If you are put through to a roofer by phone, ask for the number on that call and write it down. You can check it before you agree to a visit or a contract.

• Ask: the registration number and the exact business name it belongs to.
• Match: the name and number on the quote, the contract and any advertising.
• Confirm: with the Division of Consumer Affairs, not with the contractor's say-so.

What must a New Jersey home improvement contract include?

Published legal summaries of the state's regulation, N.J.A.C. 13:45A-16.2, say a contract over $500, and any change order, must be written and signed by both parties, and must include the registration number, a description of the work, the total price, start and completion dates and a three-day cancellation notice.

This summary comes from published commentary on the regulation, not from the regulation text itself, so treat it as a guide to what to look for and check the regulation or the Division.

Omitting required terms can also be a problem under the state's consumer fraud law, according to published commentary on a New Jersey court decision. The practical lesson is simple: a contract that leaves out the basics is a warning sign, and a roofer who resists putting the basics in writing is telling you something.

What should I ask about insurance?

Ask for a current certificate of insurance and check it is in the contractor's name, and ask whether workers on your roof are covered. Registration involves insurance conditions, but a registration number does not tell you whether a policy is in force today. The certificate does, and your own insurer can advise what you need.

A roof job carries real risk: falls, damaged property and water in the house if rain arrives mid-job. A contractor without current coverage leaves you exposed to the consequences.

Ask the roofer to have their insurer send the certificate directly to you if you want to be sure it is genuine. This guide states no insurance amount, because the required figure is the Division's to confirm and may change.

What are the red flags in a roofer?

Pressure to sign on the spot, a demand for full payment up front, no written scope, reluctance to give a registration number, a quote that arrives without anyone looking at the roof and door-to-door offers right after a storm. Any one of these is reason to pause and check before you commit.

After a nor'easter or a big thunderstorm, crews knock on doors. Some are fine; some are not. The safest response is the same: take their details, check their registration with the state and compare with another quote.

A good roofer expects to be asked. They will give you the number, a written scope and time to decide. If you feel hurried, you are probably being hurried for a reason.

• Quoting a firm price without inspecting the roof or the attic.
• Asking for most or all of the money before work starts.
• Offering a discount for signing today.
• Having no written contract, or a contract that omits dates, price or the registration number.
• Using a business name that differs from the one on the paperwork.

What else is worth checking besides registration?

Ask for a few recent jobs of the same kind as yours, and look at the roofs from the street if the owners agree. Ask how long the roofer has worked in your town, who will be on the roof, whether subcontractors are used and who answers the phone if something goes wrong. Registration is the first check, not the last.

A roofer who works on Trenton rows every week handles a party-wall joint differently from one who mostly does suburban re-roofs. The same goes for slate on an old house in Bordentown or a flat roof on the back of a Burlington twin. Ask for work that resembles yours, and ask what they would do differently on your house.

Ask who will actually be on the roof. Some contractors use their own crews and some use subcontractors. Neither is wrong, but you should know which, and the contract should be with the business whose registration number you checked.

Neighbors are the best reference on a street of rows. If a roofer has done the house next door, you can see the work and ask how the schedule, the mess and the final bill compared with the quote. Talk to more than one person if you can.

What if something goes wrong after the work?

Start with the contractor, in writing, with dated photographs. If that does not resolve it, contact the Division of Consumer Affairs, which receives complaints about registered contractors. Keep the contract, the receipts and any change orders. Insurance questions go to your insurer, and nobody on this line can say what a policy covers.

Records are your best protection. Keep the signed contract, every change order, the payment receipts and the photographs of the work as it went. If decking was replaced, keep the photographs of it.

Be specific in your complaint: what was promised, what was done, what is wrong and what you want. A clear, dated record is easier for a contractor to answer and for a regulator to follow.

How does this apply if my house is on the Pennsylvania side?

Different rules apply. Pennsylvania contractors who do home improvement work register with the state Attorney General, not with New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs. If the house is in Bucks County, read the guide on hiring a roofer on the Pennsylvania side, and ask the roofer which state registration they hold.

The service area for Trenton Roofing crosses the Delaware, so a roofer who works in Trenton may also work in Morrisville or Bristol. The rules follow the property, not the roofer's home address.

The guide on hiring a roofer on the Pennsylvania side covers the Attorney General's registration. For a general view of what moves a quote, see the roof replacement cost guide.