How to check a Connecticut roofer before you sign

Connecticut does not issue roofing licenses. What it requires is registration: anyone doing home improvement work on a house, which includes installing a roof, must hold a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration with the state Department of Consumer Protection (DCP). That registration, plus a contract that meets state rules, is your first line of protection.

Step 1: Look up the registration

1. Ask the roofer for their HIC registration number. Registered contractors are expected to put it on their contracts.
2. Look it up on the state's license verification site, elicense.ct.gov.
3. Confirm the status is Active, not expired, lapsed or revoked.
4. Check that the name on the registration matches the business name on the proposal.

The DCP says it receives about 1,000 home improvement complaints a year, and 265 complaints about unregistered contractors in a single recent year. A two-minute lookup avoids most of that trouble.

Step 2: Ask about insurance

Ask for proof of general liability insurance and verify the policy with the insurance company, not just the certificate in hand. DCP calls a contractor's refusal to share the policy number and insurer a red flag. If the crew includes employees, ask about workers' compensation coverage too.

Step 3: Read the contract against the state checklist

DCP uses a simple checklist for home improvement contracts. A Connecticut roofing contract should include:

• Credential: the contractor's HIC registration number
• Abstract: a description of the work and materials, including the shingle or membrane product, tear-off and decking terms
• Timeline: the date signed, the start date, the completion date and the date by which you may cancel
• Expense: the contract amount, how you will pay and the payment schedule
• Right to cancel: a written notice of your right to cancel

Both you and the contractor must sign before any work begins. Any change to the work should also be in writing.

Step 4: Use the cancellation window

You can cancel a home improvement contract through the third business day after signing, and Saturday counts as a business day. No work should start during that period. Use it to reread the contract, look up the registration and call the insurer.

Step 5: Pay the deposit the safe way

DCP suggests tying payments to progress, for example a third at signing, a third when materials are delivered or work starts, and the balance on completion and final inspection.

Step 6: Settle the permit question

Agree in writing on who will obtain the building permit, and if the contractor does, confirm with your building department that it was issued. See do you need a permit.