Short answer: Exchange lists 7 roofing contractors in Kentucky. Kentucky has no statewide roofing contractor license; bills to create one under the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HB 350 in 2025, HB 150 in 2026) stalled in committee. Instead, roofers are policed through local licensing or registration, such as Louisville Metro and Lexington, and through KRS 367.620 to 367.628, which bans deductible rebates on insurance-funded jobs. Senate Bill 153 tightened those rules for contracts signed on or after July 15, 2026.
Statewide license
Kentucky issues no state roofing contractor license; licensing bills HB 350 (2025) and HB 150 (2026) were referred to committee and never enacted.
Insurance-claim roofing law
KRS 367.620 to 367.628 govern Kentucky contracts paid from property or casualty insurance proceeds, including roofing, siding and tree or debris removal.
Deductible rule
Under KRS 367.628 a Kentucky contractor may not pay or rebate an insured's deductible or give the insured anything worth more than $100.
Cancellation right
A Kentucky homeowner may cancel an insurance-funded contract until midnight of the fifth business day after the insurer says all or part of the claim is not covered (KRS 367.622).
Residential code
The 2018 Kentucky Residential Code, Third Edition (August 2024), based on the 2015 IRC, is adopted by 815 KAR 7:125, effective December 3, 2024.
Local enforcement
Under KRS 198B.060, Kentucky permits and inspections for single-family homes are mandatory only where the local government has adopted an ordinance requiring them.
Who licenses roofing contractors in Kentucky?
Nobody does at the state level. Kentucky licenses HVAC contractors, electricians, plumbers and fire protection contractors, but there is no state roofing contractor license and no state exam for roofers. A roofing company can lawfully work in most of Kentucky after registering the business, carrying the insurance its customers and local governments require, and following the state consumer protection rules for insurance-funded work. That catches many out-of-state owners and developers off guard, because neighboring states license roofers differently.
Lawmakers keep trying to change this. House Bill 350 in the 2025 Regular Session would have created a roofing contractor licensing program under the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction in KRS Chapter 198B. It would have barred unlicensed people from presenting themselves as roofing contractors, set fees and penalties, and created a roofing contractors fund. It was referred to the House Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations Committee in February 2025 and went no further. House Bill 150 in the 2026 Regular Session revived the same idea and was referred to the same committee on January 14, 2026, with no further action recorded.
In practice, licensing for Kentucky roofers is local. Louisville Metro, Lexington-Fayette and other cities and counties use contractor licensing or registration ordinances to control who may pull building permits. Whether a roofer must hold a local credential depends on where the property sits, whether that jurisdiction requires a permit for the work, and whether the roofer or the owner pulls it.
For anyone hiring, the lack of a state license means the usual shortcut of looking someone up on a state board website does not exist for Kentucky roofing. Vetting depends on local license records, insurance certificates, references from recent jobs, and knowing what Kentucky statutes require in the contract itself.
What does Kentucky's storm-chaser law say about insurance-funded roofing jobs?
Kentucky first regulated insurance-funded roofing in 2012, when House Bill 421 (2012 Ky. Acts ch. 97) created what is now KRS 367.620 to 367.628, effective July 12, 2012. The law was originally written around roofing contractors and homes of one to four units. Amendments in 2017, 2025 and 2026 widened it into a general rule for real estate goods or services contracts, meaning contracts to repair, replace, build or improve Kentucky real estate, including tree and debris removal, where payment is expected to come from property or casualty insurance. It now reaches commercial as well as residential property.
The core prohibitions in KRS 367.628 are aimed at the tactics associated with storm chasers. A contractor may not act as a public adjuster or negotiate a claim on the insured's behalf, and may not market itself as a claims specialist, insurance expert or insurer affiliate. A contractor may still write estimates and talk with the insurer's adjuster about the damage after a claim is filed. On insurance-funded work the contractor may not pay or rebate the deductible, grant a discount against its fee, or give the insured more than $100 in bonuses, gifts, referral fees or anything else of value.
The statute also targets fraud and conflicts of interest. Contractors may not damage a property to enlarge the scope of work or win the job, may not have a financial connection to a public adjuster or appraiser, and may not solicit those services for the owner. A contractor also may not file a mechanic's lien against the insured for charges above what the insurer has paid or is expected to pay. Deliberately damaging a roof is treated as a fraudulent insurance act under KRS 304.47-020 and as first-degree criminal mischief.
Enforcement runs through KRS 367.627. The Attorney General may sue and seek a civil penalty of $5,000 per violation, and an injured person may sue for an injunction, twice their actual economic damages, and reasonable attorney's fees and costs. Proof of actual damages is not needed to obtain the other remedies.
Which licenses, permits and registrations apply in Kentucky?
Licence / permit / registration
Issued by
Who needs it
Key threshold or rule
State roofing contractor license
None (Kentucky has no state roofing license)
Not applicable
HB 350 (2025) and HB 150 (2026) proposed one under KRS Chapter 198B; neither was enacted
Building Type A contractor license
Louisville Metro Division of Construction Review
Contractors pulling building permits in Louisville Metro
$125 per year, Jan 1 to Dec 31; 6 CE hours before renewal for single- or multi-family permitting
Building Type B contractor license
Louisville Metro Division of Construction Review
Contractors needing one permit in Louisville Metro
$50; valid for one permit; one per person or company per renewal year
Contractor registration
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Division of Building Inspection
All contractors working in Lexington-Fayette
Unregistered contractors cannot obtain building permits
Emergency contractor registration
Kentucky Attorney General (SB 153, 2026)
Roofing, siding, water mitigation and tree or debris contractors in a declared emergency area, when ordered
Proof of liability insurance or bond and workers' comp; certificate posted at job site; 90-day ban on in-person solicitation without owner approval
Residential building permit
Local building department where enforcement is adopted
Owner or contractor on one- and two-family work
Mandatory for single-family only where a local ordinance requires it (KRS 198B.060); proof of workers' comp under KRC R115
How do I check a roofing contractor in Kentucky before I sign?
7 checks, in order, using the Kentucky registers and rules described on this page:
Ask the local building department whether a permit is required, since KRS 198B.060 makes single-family permits mandatory only where a local ordinance says so.
In Louisville Metro, confirm the roofer holds a current Building Type A license from the Division of Construction Review. In Lexington, confirm the company is registered with the Division of Building Inspection.
For an insurance-funded job, check that the contract has the KRS 367.624 boldface five-business-day cancellation notice, the assignment-of-benefits notice and a detachable Notice of Cancellation form in duplicate.
Refuse any offer to waive, pay or rebate your deductible or any gift worth more than $100. All are prohibited by KRS 367.628, and you can report them to the Kentucky Attorney General.
Do not pay a deposit on an insurance-funded contract until the cancellation window has closed, as KRS 367.626 requires, unless the payment is for emergency work already done.
After a declared emergency, ask for the contractor's Attorney General registration certificate and confirm it is posted at the job site.
Collect certificates of general liability and Kentucky workers' compensation coverage, and get lien waivers from suppliers and subcontractors, who generally must notify an owner-occupied homeowner within 75 days of last furnishing under KRS 376.010.
What changed for Kentucky roofing contracts in 2025 and 2026?
Two rounds of amendments landed in quick succession. The first, 2025 Ky. Acts ch. 15, took effect June 27, 2025, and applies to contracts entered into on or after that date. It added KRS 367.621, which says KRS 367.620 to 367.628 control over any conflicting law, and amended the cancellation, disclosure and payment sections.
The second, Senate Bill 153 (2026 Ky. Acts ch. 54), was signed on April 8, 2026, and its changes to the contract rules apply to contracts entered into on or after July 15, 2026. It broadened the definition of contractor to include anyone who directly or indirectly solicits an insurance-funded job, added tree and debris removal, excluded claim adjusting from covered services, and removed the earlier carve-out that let a licensed public adjuster act for an insured while also doing the work. It also gave the Attorney General concurrent authority with local prosecutors over the related insurance fraud offense.
Senate Bill 153 also created a new disaster-response section in KRS Chapter 367. After the Governor or a local government declares a state of emergency for an incident that destroys real estate, the Attorney General may order roofing, siding, water mitigation and tree or debris contractors working in the designated area to register with his office. Registration requires proof of liability insurance or a bond, workers' compensation compliance, prior business names from the past 10 years and disclosure of business-related lawsuits. Registered contractors must post the certificate at each job site and show it on request. For 90 days after the declaration they may not solicit door to door in the area without the owner's prior approval, although advertising, phone and digital contact remain allowed.
If you signed a roofing contract before July 15, 2026, the earlier version of the statute governs it. For new work, ask any contractor whether its contract forms were updated for Senate Bill 153, and if an emergency order is in force, ask to see the Attorney General registration certificate.
What must a Kentucky roofing contract include before you sign?
KRS 367.624 sets out mandatory disclosures for any contract expected to be paid from insurance proceeds. Before signing, the contractor must give you a mailing address, a telephone number and, if it has them, a fax number and email address. The contract must carry a notice in at least 10-point boldface type telling you that you may cancel before midnight on the fifth business day after you receive written notice from your insurer that all or part of the claim is not covered.
A second boldface notice must state that the contract may not assign or transfer your insurance policy rights or benefits in violation of KRS 304.20-105, and that a contract doing so is void and unenforceable. The contractor must also attach a completed Notice of Cancellation form, in duplicate, that is easy to detach. Under KRS 367.622 you can cancel by handing written notice to the contractor, mailing it to the address in the contract, or sending it by fax or email. No particular wording is required.
KRS 367.626 controls money. The contractor may not demand advance payment until the five-business-day cancellation window has expired, and if you cancel it must return any payments, deposits or promissory notes within 10 days. A cancelled contract, or one priced in violation of the state's price gouging rules in KRS 367.374, cannot be enforced against you, and you owe no cancellation fee. The contractor may still charge a reasonable and customary amount for emergency work it actually performed, such as tarping or dry-in to stop further damage.
These protections apply only when insurance is expected to pay. For a cash-funded reroof, Kentucky has no roofing-specific contract statute, so the written scope, price, payment schedule, warranty terms and lien waivers you negotiate carry more of the load.
Which building code applies to roofing in Kentucky?
One- and two-family dwellings and townhouses fall under the 2018 Kentucky Residential Code. The current text is the Third Edition, dated August 2024, adopted by 815 KAR 7:125, with the latest amendment effective December 3, 2024. Despite the 2018 label, the Kentucky Residential Code is built on the 2015 International Residential Code with Kentucky amendments, so roof covering requirements generally follow Chapter 9 of the 2015 IRC. Commercial and multifamily work falls under the 2018 Kentucky Building Code, Fourth Edition (February 2024), adopted by 815 KAR 7:120 on the same effective date and based on the 2015 International Building Code.
Kentucky's residential amendments include a roofing-specific change to the drip edge rule in R905.2.8.5. Drip edge is required at eaves and gables of shingle roofs, lapped at least 2 inches, extending at least 0.25 inch below the sheathing and 2 inches up the deck, and fastened at no more than 12 inches on center. Kentucky also accepts alternatives that create a proper drip line, including site-formed coil stock and wood, composite or manufactured fascia trim, which is not standard IRC language.
Climate design values, including whether ice barrier underlayment is required, come from Table R301.2(1), which the Kentucky Residential Code leaves for each local jurisdiction to complete. Ask your local building department or the roofer what the local table requires before you compare bids, because ice barrier at eaves is a real cost difference between estimates.
The Kentucky Residential Code also ties permits to workers' compensation. Section R115 makes a building permit contingent on proof, on forms approved by the Kentucky Labor Cabinet, that every contractor and subcontractor on the job complies with Kentucky workers' compensation and unemployment insurance law.
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Kentucky?
It depends on the jurisdiction. Under KRS 198B.060, permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy for single-family residences are not mandatory unless the local government has passed an ordinance requiring them, and the state department cannot step in to enforce the code on single-family homes. Many Kentucky cities and urban counties have adopted residential enforcement, while some rural counties have not.
Where residential enforcement is in place, reroofing is not on the Kentucky Residential Code's list of work exempt from permits in R105.2. That list covers items such as small sheds, low fences and retaining walls, sidewalks, finish work and small detached decks, not roof coverings. Local departments still set their own procedures, so confirm with the city or county before work starts.
Commercial and multifamily roofs are a different matter. The Kentucky Building Code applies statewide to those buildings, and plan review and inspection are split between the state Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction and certified local programs, based on building size and occupancy. Structural work, deck replacement or added rooftop equipment usually means the permit file needs more than a simple reroof application.
Whoever pulls the permit takes on responsibility for code compliance. If a roofer asks you to pull an owner permit for its work, find out why. In jurisdictions that license or register contractors, that request can mean the company does not hold the local credential.
How do Louisville, Lexington and other Kentucky localities regulate roofing contractors?
Louisville Metro's Division of Construction Review licenses contractors by type of work, and each license must be renewed every year. Its current list has no roofing-specific license. General building permits are tied to a Building Type A license, which costs $125 and runs January 1 to December 31, with 6 hours of continuing education required before renewal for contractors who permit single- or multi-family structures. A Building Type B license costs $50 and covers a single permit, and only one is issued per person or company in a renewal year. Louisville Metro also publishes a guide to reroofing projects covering permit, inspection and code steps.
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government runs a contractor registration ordinance through its Division of Building Inspection. All contractors must register, and unregistered contractors cannot obtain building permits. A roofer that is not registered in Lexington therefore cannot lawfully pull a permit there for work that requires one.
Outside those two urban governments, each Kentucky city or county that enforces the code sets its own permit procedure, and some also license or register contractors, so the rules in Bowling Green, Owensboro or a Northern Kentucky city can differ from the rules a few miles away. A roofer that works across the state may be properly credentialed in one jurisdiction and not in the next.
The Senate Bill 153 emergency provisions add a twist after declared disasters. While an Attorney General registration order is in effect, local governments generally may not impose extra emergency registration or licensing on contractors who comply with the state order. A local government that believes its rules are stricter can ask the Attorney General to confirm that, and the Attorney General must respond within five days. Local occupational license and itinerant merchant ordinances still apply.
How do Kentucky storms and climate affect roofing work?
Kentucky's roofing market is shaped by severe weather. Spring and early summer bring hail, straight-line winds and tornadoes, and winter brings freeze-thaw cycles and ice storms that stress shingles, flashing and gutters. Many replacement roofs in the state are paid for after an insurance claim, which is why the legislature has revisited KRS 367.620 to 367.628 several times.
The December 2021 tornado outbreak in western Kentucky, which devastated Mayfield and other communities, showed how quickly out-of-area contractors arrive after a disaster. The new emergency registration system and 90-day door-to-door solicitation ban in Senate Bill 153 respond directly to that pattern. After any large storm, expect unsolicited inspection offers, and remember that Kentucky law already bars contractors from offering to cover your deductible.
Weather also affects scheduling and quality. Self-sealing asphalt shingles need warm weather to bond, so winter installs may need hand-sealing according to the manufacturer's instructions. Ice dams form along eaves in cold snaps, which makes the ice barrier decision in your local design table more important. Low-slope commercial roofs face ponding and heat in summer and freeze-thaw damage in winter.
For property owners, the practical lesson is to document roof condition before storm season with dated photos, read your policy's roof provisions, and line up a vetted roofer before you need one. Choosing a contractor in the days after a hailstorm, under pressure, is when owners most often skip the Kentucky disclosures and checks described here.
What has changed recently, or is about to change, for roofing contractors in Kentucky?
Last reviewed against the primary sources listed below. Dates are effective dates unless marked otherwise.
— In force: Kentucky Senate Bill 153 changes to insurance-funded real estate contract rules apply to roofing contracts entered into on or after this date.
— In force: Kentucky 2025 Acts ch. 15 amendments to insurance-funded real estate goods or services contract rules took effect for new contracts.
— In force: Kentucky's 2018 Residential Code, Third Edition, and Building Code, Fourth Edition, amendments took effect under 815 KAR 7:125 and 7:120.
Where can I verify a license and check the source in Kentucky?
Every figure and rule on this page can be checked against the primary source. These are the offices that publish them. Confirm current requirements directly before you rely on any of them:
Is there a Kentucky state roofing license I can look up?
No. Kentucky has no state roofing contractor license, so there is no state register to check. Bills to create one, HB 350 in 2025 and HB 150 in 2026, never got out of committee. Check local credentials instead, such as a Louisville Metro Building Type A license or Lexington contractor registration, and confirm the company's liability and workers' compensation coverage directly with the insurer.
Can a Kentucky roofer offer to cover my insurance deductible?
No. On any job paid from property or casualty insurance, KRS 367.628 bars the contractor from paying or rebating the deductible, discounting its fee to offset it, or giving you anything worth more than $100. The Attorney General can seek $5,000 per violation, and you can sue for twice your actual damages plus attorney's fees under KRS 367.627.
How long do I have to cancel a roofing contract in Kentucky if my claim is denied?
If the contract is expected to be paid by insurance, you can cancel until midnight of the fifth business day after you get written notice from your insurer that all or part of the claim is not covered. Written notice by hand, mail, fax or email is enough. The contractor must refund your payments within 10 days but may charge for emergency work already done.
Do Kentucky's 2026 roofing changes apply to my existing contract?
Only if you signed on or after July 15, 2026. Senate Bill 153 (2026 Ky. Acts ch. 54) applies its contract changes to contracts entered into on or after that date. Contracts signed between June 27, 2025 and July 14, 2026 fall under the 2025 amendments, and older contracts fall under the earlier versions of KRS 367.620 to 367.628.
Can a roofer knock on my door after a storm in Kentucky?
Usually yes, but not always. When a state of emergency has been declared and the Attorney General issues a contractor order for the area, covered contractors may not solicit in person for 90 days after the declaration unless you approved it beforehand. They may still advertise, call or contact you digitally, and they must carry an Attorney General registration certificate.
Which code edition will a Kentucky inspector use on my reroof?
For a house, the 2018 Kentucky Residential Code, Third Edition, adopted by 815 KAR 7:125 effective December 3, 2024, which is based on the 2015 IRC. It includes Kentucky's drip edge amendment allowing site-formed coil stock or fascia trim as a drip line. Commercial roofs follow the 2018 Kentucky Building Code, Fourth Edition, based on the 2015 IBC.
Can an unpaid Kentucky roofer put a lien on my house?
Possibly, but there are limits. A lien statement generally must be filed within six months after the roofer last worked, with a copy mailed to you within seven days of filing. On insurance-funded work, KRS 367.628 bars a lien for charges above what the insurer paid or is expected to pay, and subcontractors must give you advance notice.
