Louisiana's New Roofing License Law: How to Verify Your Contractor Before Signing Anything

Louisiana's New Roofing License Law: How to Verify Your Contractor Before Signing Anything

By Acadiana Roof Restoration LLC | Scott, LA | Veteran-Owned | IBHS FORTIFIED Certified | Roof Maxx 5-Star Dealer

July 14, 2026

Louisiana changed the rules for roofing contractors on January 1, 2026. Most homeowners do not know it yet, and some contractors are counting on that.

Act 422 created a new residential roofing license classification through the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. Any contractor performing roofing work valued at $7,500 or more is now required to hold a valid state license. That covers nearly every full roof job in the state.

Before you sign a contract with any roofing company in South Louisiana, you need to know how to check their credentials. Here is what the law requires, what to ask, and what is at stake if you hire the wrong contractor.

What Act 422 Actually Requires

The law is straightforward. Any person or company that advertises, bids on, or performs roofing work on a residential structure for $7,500 or more must hold one of the following:

A Louisiana LSLBC Residential Roofing License
A Residential Construction License
A Building Construction License
A Commercial Roofing License

Contractors who held one of the broader licenses before Act 422 passed are already covered. Everyone else had until January 1, 2026 to obtain the new Residential Roofing License or stop taking qualifying jobs.

To get the new license, a contractor must pass two exams (Louisiana Business & Law and the Residential Roofing Trade exam), demonstrate $50,000 in net worth, and carry at least $100,000 in general liability insurance. These are not high bars for an established, legitimate operation. But they are enough to filter out the most fly-by-night operators.

A separate law, Act 239, also took effect August 1, 2025, requiring permits and inspections for all roof construction and re-roofing. Combined, these two laws mean the days of a truck pulling up after a storm and starting work with no license and no permit are, legally speaking, over.

How to Check a Contractor's License (Takes Two Minutes)

Go to lslbc.louisiana.gov and use the license search tool. Enter the contractor's company name or license number. The result will show you whether they hold an active, valid license and which classification it is.

If they are not in the system, do not hire them. Full stop.

Ask the contractor directly before any work begins: "What is your LSLBC license number?" A licensed contractor answers that question without hesitation. An unlicensed one either gives you a runaround or gives you a number that does not check out.

You can also ask for a copy of their general liability insurance certificate. A legitimate company has one and can email it to you the same day.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

The stakes go beyond the legal technicality. Three real risks come with hiring an unlicensed contractor:

First, your insurance claim. If a storm damages your roof and you hire an unlicensed contractor to repair it, your insurer may deny coverage for future claims related to that work. Insurers investigate claims carefully, and non-permitted or unlicensed work is a documented basis for denial.

Second, your FORTIFIED designation. A FORTIFIED roof can only be installed by a contractor certified through IBHS. That certification requires the contractor to also hold a valid state license. If you hire an unlicensed contractor to install what you are told is a FORTIFIED roof, no evaluator will issue the designation, and you will not receive the insurance discount that comes with it.

Third, your legal recourse. If a licensed contractor does substandard work, the LSLBC has enforcement authority, and you have clear legal channels. If an unlicensed contractor disappears after a bad install, your options are severely limited.

The law was designed with exactly this in mind. Louisiana's roofing market has long attracted unqualified operators after storms. Act 422 gives homeowners a simple, verifiable way to separate legitimate contractors from the rest.

Storm Chasers and the Post-Hurricane Window

South Louisiana gets storms. After every significant weather event, out-of-state contractors flood the market, knock on doors, and offer fast quotes. Some are legitimate. Many are not.

After a storm, the pressure to act quickly is real. Tarps need to go up, leaks need to be stopped, and insurance adjusters are scheduling inspections. That urgency is exactly what unlicensed operators exploit.

Before you sign anything after a storm, verify the license. A reputable contractor understands that you are asking and will not pressure you to skip that step. If someone pushes back on a license check, that is your answer.

Acadiana Roof Restoration is a South Louisiana company. We live and work here. We are not going anywhere after the job is done.

What to Ask Before You Sign

These four questions take less than five minutes and protect you completely:

What is your LSLBC license number? Verify it at lslbc.louisiana.gov.
Will you pull a permit before starting work? The answer should be yes, every time.
Can you provide your general liability insurance certificate? A legitimate company sends it same day.
Are you certified by IBHS to install FORTIFIED roofs? If you want a FORTIFIED designation, this credential is non-negotiable.

Acadiana Roof Restoration answers yes to all four without hesitation. We are fully licensed through the LSLBC, IBHS FORTIFIED certified, carry full general liability coverage, and permit every job. You can verify our license at lslbc.louisiana.gov before you call us.

One More Thing: Permits Protect You

Act 239 requires permits for roofing work, but homeowners can verify this themselves too. Once a permit is pulled, it becomes a matter of public record. A licensed contractor who is also pulling permits is a contractor who expects to be inspected and is confident in their work.

An inspection by the local building department is not just a bureaucratic box to check. It is an independent verification that the installation meets code. If you ever sell your home, a permitted roof is a documented asset. An unpermitted roof is a red flag that buyers, their inspectors, and their lenders will flag.

Call Us

Acadiana Roof Restoration LLC is fully licensed, IBHS FORTIFIED certified, and Louisiana's only 5-Star Roof Maxx dealer. We serve Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and the surrounding parishes.

If you want to verify our credentials before calling, go to lslbc.louisiana.gov. We will be there.

When you are ready to talk, call 337-999-ROOF (337-999-7663) in Lafayette or 225-385-ROOF (225-385-7663) in Baton Rouge. Free assessment, no obligation.