Mississippi and Arkansas: two roofing rules and two March 2023 tornadoes

Mississippi: State Board of Contractors

The Mississippi State Board of Contractors states that commercial and residential contractors and roofers must be licensed by the board. Its FAQ sets the lines:

• Residential roofing over $10,000 needs a license.
• Residential remodeling or additions over $10,000 need a license.
• New residential construction over $50,000 needs a license.
• Commercial work over $50,000 needs a commercial license.

Residential Roofing is its own license type. According to the board's licensing page, every applicant takes the Mississippi Law and Business Management exam, and residential applicants must show proof of insurance, though the board sets no minimum coverage amount for them.

Checking a Mississippi roofer

The board's Hire a Contractor page links its license search and lists ten tips. Among them: verify the contractor's license, check at least three references in writing, require a written contract, keep any down payment minimal, pay as work is completed, and hold the final payment until the job is done.

Rolling Fork, March 24, 2023

The EF4 that struck Rolling Fork began over northern Issaquena County near Grant Road, crossed the Steele Bayou Canal into Sharkey County, and then grew substantially in size and intensity. The Sharkey County segment records 14 direct deaths, 150 injuries and an $83 million property damage estimate. FEMA declared DR-4697 for Sharkey County two days later, on March 26, 2023.

Sharkey County's wider record is thin by comparison: NOAA's Storm Events Database lists just 6 tornado events there from 2016 through 2025, three of them rated EF2 and one EF4.

Arkansas: Contractors Licensing Board

Arkansas moved roofers onto their own credential on January 1, 2022. Since then, residential roofing has required registration with the board's Residential Committee instead of a home improvement roofing license. The registration covers "Roofing, Roof Decks, Roofing Sheet Metal" projects over $2,000, labor and material included. Contractors who hold a residential builder or residential remodeler license don't need it.

The board's application packet spells out the limits: a registrant is not a licensed contractor, may not take on work that requires a license, and renews every year. The application requires a $15,000 surety bond and, for companies with employees, workers' compensation coverage.

For scale, the same board licenses commercial work of $50,000 or more and residential building over $2,000.

Checking an Arkansas roofer

Start from the board's Find a Licensed Contractor page, which links to its contractor search. Look for a residential roofer registration, or a residential builder or remodeler license, for any residential roof job over $2,000.

Little Rock, March 31, 2023

The Little Rock tornado started southwest of the Colonel Glenn and Marsh Road intersection in Martindale, uprooting trees and tearing part of a roof off an outbuilding, then moved northeast into a neighborhood off Capitol Hill Boulevard. Rated EF3, its Pulaski County segment records 54 injuries and an $85.71 million damage estimate. FEMA declared DR-4698 for Pulaski County on April 2, 2023.

It was not the county's last major disaster declaration: FEMA's data also lists DR-4873, for severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that began April 2, 2025, among the declarations covering Pulaski County.

Where the National Roofing Directory fits

For roofers in either state, start with the directory's find-a-roofer page for every state, then check each company against the lookups above. For the steps after a storm, see its roofing licensing by state page, its Storm Center and its page on the roof insurance claim process.

Frequently asked questions

Does a $7,000 roof repair in Mississippi need a licensed roofer?

Not under the state board's rules. The Mississippi State Board of Contractors' FAQ sets the residential roofing license line at jobs over $10,000. Above that, check the board's license search before you sign.

Can an Arkansas roofer with a registration also replace my siding?

Not under the roofing registration alone. The board says the registration is only for roofers and that contractors doing other residential work need to keep a home improvement license, per its licensing page.

How soon did FEMA declare disasters after the March 2023 tornadoes?

FEMA's data shows DR-4697 declared for Mississippi on March 26, 2023, two days after Rolling Fork, and DR-4698 for Arkansas on April 2, 2023, two days after Little Rock, per the Disaster Declarations Summaries.