Kentucky and Alabama: no state roofing license on one side, a $2,500 line on the other

Kentucky: consumer rules instead of a license

The state's Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction lists its searchable license types as building inspector, electrical, electrical inspection, manufactured housing, HVAC, plumbing and fire. Roofing isn't among them. A 2026 bill to create a roofing contractor license under that department, HB 150, went to the House licensing committee on January 14, 2026, and the legislature's record shows no later action.

What Kentucky does have is a set of rules for contracts expected to be paid from property or casualty insurance, in KRS 367.620 to 367.628, most recently amended in 2025 and 2026:

• A five-day exit. You can cancel the contract before midnight of the fifth business day after your insurer tells you in writing that all or part of the claim isn't covered.
• Written notice up front. The contractor must give you its mailing address, phone number and a detachable Notice of Cancellation form before you sign.
• No advance payment during that window. A contractor can't require payment in advance until the cancellation period ends and must return deposits within 10 days if you cancel, though one that did emergency or repair work to prevent further damage can collect a reasonable amount for it.
• No deductible games. A contractor may not offer to pay or rebate any part of your deductible, act as your public adjuster on the claim, or damage your property to enlarge the job.

The 2026 law behind the latest amendments, Senate Bill 153, signed April 8, 2026, lets the Attorney General order roofing, siding, water-mitigation and tree contractors working in an area under a declared state of emergency to register, post the certificate at each job site, and stay away from in-person solicitation for 90 days unless the owner asks. Separately, the Attorney General's office lists local contractor registration programs set up with officials in storm-hit areas, including the City of Mayfield and Graves County, where registered contractors display placards on job sites and vehicles.

Mayfield, December 10, 2021

The Mayfield tornado came from a very long-track supercell that formed over eastern Arkansas and left a nearly continuous damage path across northeast Arkansas, western Tennessee and western Kentucky; this tornado itself began in northwest Tennessee. Rated EF4, its Graves County segment records 24 direct deaths and 210 injuries. FEMA issued emergency declaration EM-3575 on December 11 and major disaster DR-4630 on December 12, 2021, both covering Graves and Warren counties.

On December 11, an EF3 struck Bowling Green in Warren County; that segment records 16 deaths and 63 injuries.

Alabama: Home Builders Licensure Board

Alabama's home builder law covers anyone who builds or improves a residence for others when the cost exceeds $10,000, and it pulls in a residential roofer when the cost exceeds $2,500. The law defines a residential roofer as a person who installs products or repairs surfaces on a home's external upper covering to seal, waterproof or weatherproof it. It also leaves homeowners free to do this work on their own residence.

The board's rules describe the roofers license as a license limited to roofing: it covers installing or repairing a home's external covering and nothing else. Applicants must post a bond of at least $10,000.

Checking an Alabama roofer

Search the name on the contract in the board's license lookup. For a roof job over $2,500, expect a roofers license or a residential home builder license; for a job that goes beyond the roof, a roofers license alone doesn't cover it.

Tuscaloosa, April 27, 2011

The Tuscaloosa tornado touched down in rural northern Greene County and moved northeast through southern Tuscaloosa and western Jefferson counties before lifting northeast of downtown Birmingham. Its Tuscaloosa County segment, rated EF4, records 44 direct deaths, 800 injuries and a $1.5 billion damage estimate. FEMA issued EM-3319 the same day and major disaster DR-1971 on April 28, covering Jefferson, Madison and Tuscaloosa counties.

The same day produced an EF4 segment near Cluttsville in Madison County, home to Huntsville, with nine deaths. Tuscaloosa County had also been hit by a December 16, 2000 F4 near Hull that killed 11 people and injured 144.

Alabama roofers on the National Roofing Directory

The directory has city pages for Birmingham, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa and Hoover.

You can also browse the directory's pages for Birmingham, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa and Hoover, its Alabama storm center and its Alabama licensing page. For Kentucky, start with its licensing by state page.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Kentucky roofer offer to cover my insurance deductible?

No. A contractor may not offer to pay or rebate any part of an insurance deductible as an inducement under KRS 367.628, which applies when the work is expected to be paid from property or casualty insurance proceeds.

Does an Alabama roofers license cover other work on the house?

No. The Home Builders Licensure Board's rules limit a roofers license to installing or repairing a home's external covering; work beyond that falls under the board's home builder license rules.

Did Kentucky create a roofing license in 2026?

No. The licensing bill, HB 150, stalled in committee, per the legislature's record. The 2026 law that did pass, Senate Bill 153, created emergency registration with the Attorney General for storm areas rather than a standing license.