The short answer: Texas does not license roofers
Do roofers need a license in Texas? No. There is no state roofing license, no state exam and no state board you can call to look up a roofer. Electricians and plumbers are licensed by the state; roofers are not.
That means anyone with a pickup and a business card can sell you a new roof the day after a hailstorm, and nothing on paper separates that person from a company that has worked your part of Harris County for decades. The checking falls to you. The good news is that most of the things that protect you can be checked in an evening, from your kitchen table, before anyone climbs a ladder.
This guide covers the law as it stands in October 2026, the voluntary programs you may see on a roofer's truck, the checks that actually tell you something, what belongs in a roofing contract, and how to pay without putting your money at risk.
What happened to the 2025 roofing license bill
Texas has come close before. In the 2025 regular session, House Bill 3344 proposed that the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation license reroofing contractors. In the bill analysis, its author noted that Texas does not currently require a state-issued license for reroofing contractors. A House committee reported a substitute version favorably, and on May 8, 2025 the committee report was sent to the House Calendars Committee. It was never scheduled for a vote of the full House, and it died when the regular session adjourned on June 2, 2025.
Because the bill did not pass, none of its licensing rules apply today. The Legislature meets in regular session again in 2027, and a new bill may be filed, but until a law passes, any roofer who tells you it holds a "Texas state roofing license" is mistaken or misleading you.
The RCAT program, described plainly
You may see "RCAT licensed" on a truck or a yard sign. RCAT is the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas, a trade association, and its licensing program is voluntary and run by the association. RCAT states plainly that the state licensing agency, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, has no roofing license.
According to RCAT, a company principal earns the credential by passing a basic business and safety exam and a residential or commercial roofing exam with a score of at least 70 percent, and by showing general liability insurance, which RCAT lists at $300,000 for residential and $500,000 for commercial applicants, with a surety bond option in some cases. It renews each year with eight hours of continuing education. RCAT keeps a search tool for consumers. Treat it the way you would any private credential: it tells you a company took certain steps, and it does not replace the checks below.
What to check instead of a state license
None of these checks takes long. Together they tell you far more than a logo on a truck.
Insurance, sent from the agent
Ask for a certificate of liability insurance, and ask the roofer's insurance agent to send it to you directly, naming you as the certificate holder. Check the company name matches the contract and the dates cover your job. Also ask about workers' compensation: the Texas Department of Insurance says private employers can choose to carry it but in most cases are not required to. A company without it must tell its workers. Ask how an injury on your roof would be handled.
The permit, in the roofer's name
Inside the City of Houston, the Houston Permitting Center exempts roof covering work of up to 100 square feet in total, while a re-roof or overlay needs a residential roofing permit. Suburban cities set their own rules, and unincorporated county areas are different again. Ask whether your job needs a permit, who pulls it, and when the inspection happens. A roofer who suggests skipping a required permit is telling you something.
City registration, where it exists
Some cities register contractors even though the state does not. League City, for example, asks contractors to register with its Building Department each year, with proof of insurance naming the city as certificate holder and a minimum of $250,000 in coverage, and it requires a permit for a re-roof over 100 square feet. Call your city's building department and ask whether the roofer is registered there.
Business records
Look the company up on the Texas Comptroller's Franchise Tax Account Status search, by name or by Secretary of State file number. It shows whether the entity has the right to transact business in Texas. Then compare the legal name with the name on the estimate. A mismatch, or a company formed last week, deserves a question.
Shingle warranty registration
Shingle makers offer a basic limited warranty, and many offer longer system warranties that the installer has to register. One large manufacturer's sample system warranty makes registration the contractor's job, within a set number of days after installation, and says the warranty does not take effect until it is registered to the homeowner and the roofer has been paid in full. Ask which warranty you are buying, who registers it, and when you will see the confirmation.
Local roofs you can drive past
Ask for the addresses of a few roofs the company finished in your part of greater Houston in the last year or two. A roofer that works here should have them. Drive past and look at the ridge, the edges and the flashing around chimneys. If a neighbor is outside, ask how the job went.
How to read reviews of Houston roofers
People search for "houston roofers reviews" and "best roofing company houston tx" because there is no state list to consult. Reviews help, if you read them for patterns rather than stars. A few habits make them more useful.
- Read more than one site. A company can look spotless on one platform and very different on another.
- Look for the same complaint repeated: missed start dates, unreturned calls after the deposit, leaks that came back, a permit never pulled. One angry review is noise; five about the same problem is a pattern.
- Read how the company answers bad reviews. A specific, calm reply that explains how it fixed the problem is a better sign than silence or an attack on the customer.
- Check the dates. A burst of glowing reviews in one week, or a company whose reviews all start after the last big storm, is worth a second look.
- Search the legal name with the word "complaint", and check the Better Business Bureau. The Texas Attorney General takes consumer complaints at 800-621-0508.
Houston Expert Roofers does not publish ratings and does not vouch for any company. It is a free phone line that connects you with an independent, locally owned roofing company. That company still has to earn your trust the same way any other roofer does, with the checks on this page.
A checklist before you sign
Take this list to every estimate appointment. A careful roofer will not mind any of it.
| Check | What a good answer looks like | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Legal company name | Matches the estimate, the insurance certificate and the Comptroller record | Three different names, or only a first name and a cell number |
| Insurance certificate | Sent by the agent, current dates, you named as certificate holder | A photo of an old certificate, or "we're covered, don't worry" |
| Permit | The roofer pulls it in its own name where one is required | Asks you to pull it as the owner, or says no one bothers |
| Written scope | Tear-off, underlayment, flashing, vents, decking price per sheet, cleanup | One line: "replace roof" |
| Products | Shingle maker, product line and color named in writing | "Comparable materials" |
| Warranties | Workmanship warranty in writing; who registers the manufacturer warranty | Only spoken promises |
| Payment | A modest deposit, the rest tied to stages, final payment after inspection | Most of the price before materials arrive, cash only |
| Deductible | You pay your own deductible; the contract says so | "We'll take care of your deductible" |
| Insurance claim | Shares its estimate and photos with your adjuster if you ask | Offers to negotiate or file your claim for you |
What belongs in a roofing contract
A roofing contract protects you only as far as it is specific. Before you sign, make sure it covers each of these in writing, not in a conversation on the driveway.
- Who and where. The company's full legal name, a physical address, and the property address.
- The full scope. Whether the old roof is torn off or overlaid, the underlayment, drip edge, flashing (new or reused), pipe boots, ridge vents, and how many sheets of decking are included before a per-sheet price applies.
- The products. The shingle maker, product line and color, so you get what you compared.
- The price and the payment schedule. What you pay when, and what triggers each payment.
- Permits and inspections. Who pulls the permit, and, near the coast, who arranges the windstorm inspection.
- Dates and cleanup. An expected start, how weather delays are handled, nail sweeps and haul-off.
- Warranties. The workmanship warranty, its length and what voids it; which manufacturer warranty applies and who registers it.
- Insurance terms. For a job of $1,000 or more paid with insurance money, the Texas Department of Insurance says the contract must include a notice that you are responsible for your deductible.
The deductible is yours to pay. The Texas Department of Insurance says it is illegal for a contractor to offer to waive, rebate or absorb your deductible, and a contract of $1,000 or more paid with insurance money must include a notice saying so. A roofer also may not act as your public adjuster on a property it works on. Treat any offer to "cover the deductible" as a reason to call someone else.
Read any page that mentions your insurance claim slowly. The Texas Department of Insurance says a roofer may give your insurer an estimate and discuss it with the adjuster, but may not act as your public adjuster, negotiate your settlement or tell the insurer it represents you on a property where it does the work. Public adjusters are separately licensed by TDI. The roof insurance claims guide covers the claim itself.
When to pay a roofing contractor
The safest payment plan keeps your money roughly in step with the work you can see finished.
Before work starts
A modest deposit is common, often tied to ordering materials. The Texas Attorney General advises never paying in full up front and suggests paying by credit card for the extra protection. Be wary of cash-only terms.
During the job
On a larger job, a payment when materials are delivered to your driveway or when the tear-off and decking are done is reasonable. Ask for photos of the bare deck before it is covered.
At the end
Hold the final payment until the roof is finished, the permit inspection has passed and the yard is clean. The Attorney General advises not signing completion papers until the work is done to your satisfaction.
The rule for out-of-town contractors after a disaster
State law adds one more safeguard once a disaster is declared. Under the disaster remediation rules in the Business and Commerce Code (Chapter 58), summarized by the Texas Department of Insurance, a roofer that has had no place of business in your county or an adjoining one for the past twelve months usually cannot demand any money until the repair work begins, and its contract has to include a notice spelling that out. The Attorney General also warns against signing your insurance check over to a contractor.
Door-to-door roofers after a Houston storm
After every big hail or wind event, crews knock on doors across the Houston area. Some are legitimate, but the Texas Attorney General has issued consumer alerts warning about scammers in the aftermath of Houston storms. A knock is not a reason to sign anything that day.
Texas law gives you a cooling-off period. The Attorney General says that when you buy goods or services worth more than $25 from a seller who solicited you away from its place of business, such as at your front door, you can cancel within three business days, and the seller must give you written notice of that right. Some cities also require door-to-door sellers to hold a city permit. Missouri City, for one, says solicitation is not allowed there without the right permit and bars solicitors from homes before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m. Ask to see the permit, and call your city if no one can show one.
If a door-knocker offers to "cover your deductible," wants to negotiate with your insurer for you, or asks you to sign a paper that only "lets us talk to your adjuster," say no and close the door. Then, if you want a roofer, pick one on your own terms.
Mistakes that cost Houston homeowners the most
Signing on the driveway
A contract signed in the first hour after a storm, before you have read your policy or talked to your insurer, is the source of many later disputes. Take a day. Your roof will still be there.
Comparing prices, not scopes
Two quotes that differ by thousands often describe different jobs. Line them up item by item: decking, flashing, vents, underlayment. The roof replacement cost guide shows how.
Trusting a word nobody can check
"Licensed," "certified" and "insured" mean nothing until you see the paper behind them. Since Texas has no roofing license, ask exactly what the word refers to.
Letting the roofer run the claim
The policy is between you and your insurer. A roofer can document damage and share its estimate, but decisions and conversations about your settlement stay with you, or with a public adjuster licensed by TDI if you choose to hire one.
Want a roofer to look at it and give you a written estimate you can check against this list? Call and describe the roof. You are put through to an independent, locally owned roofing company in greater Houston, and the checks above are still yours to make.
How the line fits in
- Call the numberAn automated assistant answers (832) 662-4107 at any hour and asks which service you need, since the line also takes heating, cooling, pressure washing and water damage calls.
- Describe the roofA leak, missing shingles, hail, a limb on the roof or an old roof you want looked at, plus your part of greater Houston and how urgent it is.
- Get put throughYour call is transferred to an independent, locally owned roofing company, which hears a short summary before it picks up.
- Deal with the roofer directlyIt inspects, quotes and does the work, and you pay it (or your insurer does, as you arrange). If it misses the call, it gets your name, number, city and need to call you back.
Texas has no state roofing license. No state agency licenses roofing contractors in Texas, and a 2025 bill to create one (HB 3344) did not reach a vote of the full House before the session ended. So check what you can: a certificate of liability insurance sent to you, a written contract with the full scope, a permit where your city requires one, local addresses you can drive past, and the shingle maker's warranty registration. Some cities also ask roofers to register. The line does not check any of this for you. How to check a roofer before you hire.
About this line: Houston Expert Roofers is a free phone line, not a roofing contractor. It answers your call and connects you with an independent local roofing company, which inspects, quotes and does the work, and which you pay directly. Companies may pay a referral fee. The line never charges you. Read how the line works.