Tennessee: checking a roofer's license, county by county

Who licenses roofers in Tennessee

The Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors regulates contractors, home improvement contractors, limited licensed electricians and limited licensed plumbers under Tennessee Code Annotated Title 62, Chapter 6.

The contractor license: $25,000 and up

A contractor's license is needed before bidding or negotiating a price on a project of $25,000 or more as a prime contractor. The same page says a roofing subcontractor hired by a contractor, rather than by the owner, needs a license when the roofing portion reaches $25,000, counting materials, equipment and labor.

The home improvement license: $3,000 to $24,999 in nine counties

For residential remodeling from $3,000 to $24,999, the board requires a home improvement license, but only in counties that have adopted the law: Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Haywood, Knox, Marion, Robertson, Rutherford and Shelby. Roofing is named in the definition of covered improvements. Applicants post a $10,000 surety bond or other approved financial security and show proof of general liability and workers' compensation insurance.

What that means in the four listing cities

How to check a Tennessee license

Use the board's Verify a License search with the business name exactly as it appears on your contract. The board's home page also offers a separate check on a company's qualifying agent and a way to file a complaint. If the job is over $25,000, look for a contractor license; if it's a smaller residential job in one of the nine counties, look for the home improvement license.

Nashville's tornado record

The March 3, 2020 tornado began in western Davidson County and tracked east for more than 60 miles through Wilson County into Smith County, and the NWS narrative counts 5 deaths and 220 injuries along the whole path. The Davidson County segment alone is rated EF3 and carries 2 direct deaths, 170 injuries and a $1.09 billion property damage estimate. FEMA declared major disaster DR-4476 on March 5, 2020.

Nashville was hit again on December 9, 2023, when an EF2 with winds up to 120 to 125 mph struck the Madison area; that storm led to DR-4751, declared December 13, 2023. From 2016 through 2025, NOAA's Storm Events Database records 17 tornado events in Davidson County, 12 of them rated EF0.

Memphis and Shelby County

Shelby County's recent record is mostly straight-line wind. The database lists 183 thunderstorm wind events there from 2016 through 2025, 23 of them at 65 knots or more, against a single tornado event. Its costliest tornado since 2000, the February 5, 2008 EF2 in Whitehaven, crossed in from DeSoto County, Mississippi, damaged several warehouses and killed three people inside one of them.

Tennessee roofers on the National Roofing Directory

The directory has city pages for Nashville, Memphis, Franklin and Murfreesboro.

Browse by city on the directory's pages for Nashville, Memphis, Franklin and Murfreesboro, or statewide on its Tennessee roofing contractors page. The Tennessee storm center and Tennessee licensing page round out the set.

Frequently asked questions

Does a roofer in Franklin need a Tennessee license for a small job?

Not a state one below $25,000. Williamson County isn't on the board's list of home improvement license counties, so the state credential that applies there is the contractor license at $25,000 and up.

What insurance does a Tennessee home improvement licensee carry?

The board's application asks for proof of general liability and workers' compensation insurance, along with a $10,000 surety bond or other approved security, per the home improvement license page.

How do I file a complaint about a Tennessee contractor?

The Board for Licensing Contractors lists a File a Complaint option on its home page, alongside Verify a License and the qualifying agent check.