Cost & Buying

How to Verify a Roofing Contractor's License, Bond & Insurance in WA, OR & ID

The Peaks & Valleys field teamWritten by the crews and inspectors on the roofs

Checklist2 min readLast reviewed August 2, 2026How we research

The short answer

Before you sign a roofing contract, verify the company is registered and bonded through your state's official tool — Washington L&I, Oregon CCB, or Idaho's contractor registration — and ask for a certificate of insurance sent directly from their insurer. It takes five minutes and it's the single best protection against the contractors that give the trade a bad name.

Part of our guide to What a Roof Replacement Actually Costs in Washington & Oregon (2026).

After every big Northwest storm, out-of-state trucks appear in the neighborhoods that got hit. Some are honest. The predatory ones count on you not making two phone calls. Here’s the five-minute background check that protects you — and it works just as well on a local company as an unfamiliar one.

Why this five minutes matters

A roof is a five-figure purchase with a warranty measured in decades. That warranty is worthless if the company behind it isn’t real, isn’t insured, or isn’t around in three years. Verifying registration, bond, and insurance is the cheapest insurance you’ll ever buy on the job.

Washington — L&I

Washington registers construction contractors through the Department of Labor & Industries. Use the official “Verify a Contractor” tool and confirm:

Registration is active (not expired or suspended)
A bond is on file
Liability insurance is current
No pattern of unresolved complaints or lawsuits

Official tool: secure.lni.wa.gov/verify.

Oregon — CCB

Oregon requires a Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license. Search the company on the CCB site and confirm the license is active, bonded, and insured, with the CCB number matching the one on the bid.

Official tool: Oregon CCB license search.

Idaho — contractor registration

Idaho requires construction contractors to register with the state (Idaho Contractor Registration) and carry liability insurance. Confirm the registration is current and ask for proof of insurance directly.

Then ask for these, directly

Registration is the floor. Before you sign, also get:

A certificate of insurance sent to you from the contractor’s insurer — confirming current liability and workers’ compensation coverage. Workers’ comp matters: if an uninsured worker is hurt on your roof, you can be the one exposed.
The physical local address you could actually drive to.
Manufacturer certification, if they’re offering an enhanced manufacturer warranty — those require the installer to be certified by the manufacturer.

Red flags the paperwork exposes

Reluctance to provide a registration number or insurance certificate
A registration in a different name than the one on the contract
Only a P.O. box or an out-of-state address
Pressure to sign today, before you’ve verified anything — the storm-chaser tell

If a company clears all of this and gives you a clear, line-item bid, you’re dealing with a professional. If it stumbles on step one, you just saved yourself a very expensive lesson.

We hand you our registration and insurance details before you ask. Book a free inspection and verify us while we’re standing there — that’s the standard every roofer should welcome.

Questions homeowners actually ask

How do I check if a roofing contractor is licensed in Washington?

Use the Washington State L&I 'Verify a Contractor' tool. Search the business name or registration number and confirm the registration is active, the bond is in place, and there's no history of unresolved complaints or lapsed insurance. Washington registers contractors rather than 'licensing' roofers specifically, so registration + bond + insurance is what you're confirming.

What's the difference between bonded and insured?

A bond is a relatively small financial guarantee the state requires so there's a limited pool to draw on for certain disputes. Liability insurance protects your property if the contractor damages it, and workers' comp protects you from liability if a worker is injured on your roof. You want all three — and the bond is the floor, not the ceiling, of protection.

Why does an out-of-state storm-chaser's paperwork matter so much?

Because the warranty is only as good as the company standing behind it. A crew registered three states away can vanish after the check clears, leaving you with no local bond, no reachable insurer, and no one to call in year three. Verifying local registration is how you avoid that.

Should I ask for the insurance certificate directly?

Yes — ask for a certificate of insurance sent to you directly from the contractor's insurance agent, not a photocopy. It confirms the policy is current and lets you verify the coverage limits and that workers' comp is included. Legitimate contractors do this routinely.