If you need a new roof, a new law went into effect on January 1st that you should know about. Executive Director of the State Licensing Board for Contractors, Brad Hassert, says only contractors with a residential construction or roofing license can legally perform roofing work.
“It’s really in place for a consumer protection aspect, and maybe a side effect of that is a little cooperation with our home insurance companies to lower them rates,” Hassert said.
Hassert says the change in the law will ensure that roofing work is conducted by qualified professionals who received a license after passing a roofing exam.
“Those who have been putting on roofs for many, many years, didn’t necessarily have to take any type of competency or trade exam to install a roof,” Hassert explained.
Prior to January 1st, state law allowed for home improvement contractors to install roofs, but Hassert says they do not have the necessary qualifications.
“That is the number one complaint that we receive, as an agency, about the poor workmanship or the fraudulent type of workmanship that is done. We believe that this puts us in a better posture to control that,” Hassert noted.
Hassert says it’s also now a criminal offense to do contracting without the proper license class.