Does a Roofer in Hempstead Need a Licence?

Who issues the licence, and what does it cover?

The Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs issues the home-improvement business licence, and roofing is one of the trades it covers.

Nassau County licenses home-improvement businesses through its Office of Consumer Affairs. The licence is for the business, not for an individual technician, and it covers roofing contractors among other home-improvement trades. A homeowner who hires a roofing business in the county is hiring a business that should be licensed for that work.

The licence is a county matter. New York State does not issue a general roofing licence, so a homeowner looking for a state roofing licence in New York will not find one. The county licence is the one to check.

What is the rule about working and advertising?

A business may not operate or advertise until its licence is in hand, according to the county's licensing packet. A business without the licence should not be doing or advertising the work.

The county's licensing packet states that an applicant may not operate or advertise until the licence is in hand. That rule protects the homeowner, because a business that has not been through the county's process has not shown that it is registered to do the work.

A homeowner who sees a roofing business advertising in the county can ask for its licence number. A business that cannot give one should not be hired for the work.

How does a homeowner check the licence?

Ask the roofer for the licence number, check it with the Office of Consumer Affairs and keep a note of the answer before the contract is signed.

Ask for the licence number on the first call, and ask again at the visit. Check it with the county's Office of Consumer Affairs, either by calling the office or by searching its licensing information on the county website. Keep a note of the number, the date you checked it and the name of the person you spoke to.

If the number cannot be checked, or the business gives a different name, do not sign the contract until the difference is explained. A licensed business will not object to the check.

• Ask for the licence number on the first call
• Check the number with the Office of Consumer Affairs
• Note the date and the name of the person you spoke to
• Do not sign until any difference is explained

Does the licence cover gutters and other edge work?

Gutters and edge work that are part of a roofing or home-improvement job are covered by the county's licensing rules as part of that job. The homeowner should ask the roofer to confirm which licence applies to the work.

Gutter work and edge work are often done together with a roof, and they are home-improvement work. Whether a particular gutter job falls under the same licence depends on how the job is set up, so the homeowner should ask the roofer to confirm which licence applies to the whole scope.

The county's Office of Consumer Affairs can confirm the rules for a particular type of work, and the homeowner can ask the office directly if the scope is unclear.

What about Suffolk County, New York City and the boundaries?

Suffolk County and New York City have their own rules and are not covered by this Nassau statement. Long Beach city may have its own rules, which are not confirmed here.

The Nassau County licence statement does not apply in Suffolk County or in New York City. Each has its own licensing rules, and a homeowner on the far side of a boundary should check the rules that apply there.

Long Beach is the only city in Nassau County. Whether the city issues its own licence instead of the county is not confirmed here, so the phone team confirms the licence that applies before any work begins in the city.

What the licence does and does not guarantee

The licence shows that the business is registered to work in the county. It does not guarantee the quality of the work, the price or the warranty, which are set out in the contract.

A licence is a check on registration, not a guarantee of workmanship. A licensed business can still do poor work, which is why the written scope, the inspection report and the terms of any warranty matter. Those are agreed between the homeowner and the business, and the licence does not replace them.

The licence also does not set the price. The homeowner should compare quotes by their scope and their included items, not only by the licence.

What to ask the roofer for before signing

The licence number, the written scope, the decking allowance, the payment schedule and the start and finish dates. A roofer who will not give these in writing should not be hired.

Ask for the licence number in writing, the scope with the covering and the flashing, the decking allowance, the payment schedule and the start and finish dates. Ask for the insurance details of the business as well, since the homeowner should know what cover the business carries.

A roofer who will not provide these details in writing is not a roofer the homeowner should hire. The homeowner is entitled to ask for them, and to take time to check them.

What to do if the roofer has no licence

Do not sign a contract with a business that cannot show a current Nassau County home-improvement licence. Ask for the licence in writing, and if it is not shown, look for a business that can.

A roofing business that cannot show its licence should not be hired for the work. The homeowner can say so plainly, end the conversation and ask the phone team for another roofer. A homeowner who has already paid a deposit should ask the county's Office of Consumer Affairs for advice on what to do next.

If the work has already started with an unlicensed business, the homeowner should stop it and document what was done, with photographs and the dates. That record is useful to the county and to any later repair.

Advertising and the licence in practice

A business that advertises home-improvement work in the county should hold the licence. A homeowner who sees an advert can ask for the licence number before making contact.

The county rule that a business may not advertise before the licence is in hand is one a homeowner can use. An advert for roof work from a business without a licence is a warning sign. Ask for the licence number before contacting the business, and check it with the county.

The licence number should be shown on the business's paperwork, the estimate and the contract. A homeowner who receives a contract with no licence number should ask for one before signing.

Records to keep after hiring

The licence number and the date it was checked, the signed contract and scope, the payment records and the written note of the completed work. Those records protect the homeowner if a problem appears later.

Keep a copy of the licence number and the note of the date you checked it. Keep the signed contract, the scope, the payment records and the final written note of the work. Those documents show what was agreed, what was paid and what was done, which is what a homeowner needs if a problem appears after the work is finished.

Keep the records with the house papers. A homeowner who sells the house can give the records to the buyer, which helps the buyer understand the work that was done.

What a licence number tells a homeowner and what it does not

A licence number shows the business is registered with the county for home-improvement work. It does not show the quality of the workmanship, the reliability of the business or the terms of any warranty.

A homeowner who has the licence number can confirm the business is registered. The number does not tell the homeowner how long the business has worked, how it handles complaints or how its previous jobs turned out. Those questions should be asked directly, and the answers checked against the references the business gives.

A homeowner should also ask for the business's insurance details and confirm the cover on the policy with the insurer. Those are separate checks from the licence, and both are part of hiring a roofer safely.

What to ask the county directly

The Office of Consumer Affairs can confirm how the licence applies to a particular kind of job, such as gutter work, a partial re-roof or a repair. A homeowner can call and ask the question in plain terms.

A homeowner who is unsure whether a job needs the licence, or whether a particular business holds it, can ask the Office of Consumer Affairs directly. Write down the question, the date of the call and the name of the person who answered. That note is part of the homeowner's record of the check.