Ohio roofer licensing and Cincinnati registration

What the state does and does not do

Ohio does not issue a state license for roofing. The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board licenses five commercial trades, among them electrical and plumbing, and roofing is not one of them. That means there is no state roofing license number to look up. Ohio does protect buyers in other ways, such as the three-day right to cancel a sale made at your home. More on that.

What the City of Cincinnati requires

• The City of Cincinnati requires every contractor working inside city limits to hold a current contractor registration, renewed each year, under Municipal Code Chapter 1106.
• The city says it cannot issue building permits until all the contractors on a job are registered.
• City registration for contractors without a state license is valid for one year from the date it is issued.
• The city's registered contractor form lists Roofing and Roof Coverings as their own trade lines.
• An owner who does the work personally on a house of one to three units that they will live in for at least a year after the job is exempt from registering.

Registration is not a skills test. It tells you the company has put its name on file with the city, which is a floor, not a recommendation.

Outside the city

Norwood, Cheviot and Blue Ash are not part of Cincinnati, and neither are the townships. Suburbs and townships outside the city set their own rules, so ask the roofer what your local building office requires.

What to check before you sign

1. The company's full legal name and address, the same on the bid and the contract.
2. For a job inside Cincinnati, that the company is registered with the city. Call Buildings and Inspections if you are unsure.
3. Proof of liability insurance and workers' compensation, sent to you by the insurer or the agent.
4. Complaints on file. The Attorney General also suggests checking for complaints filed with the Attorney General's office and the Better Business Bureau before you sign.
5. An itemized price on paper, with a payment schedule that does not pay in full up front.