- No state roofers license is needed for residential roofing jobs of $2,500 or less.
- No exam route. You show a local business or occupational contractor license from an Alabama city or county, held now or within one year before you apply.
- A $10,000 license or permit bond naming the board as obligee.
- Every year. Licenses run by calendar year. Six hours of continuing education are required before renewal.
Do you need a state license in Alabama?
Alabama licenses some roofing work at the state level and leaves the rest alone. Which side of that line a job falls on decides whether you need the state license.
No state roofers license is needed for residential roofing jobs of $2,500 or less.
Alabama license types for roofing work
Alabama splits the work into 2 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Roofers License | Residential roofing only |
| Unlimited Home Builders License | Covers residential roofing without a separate roofers license |
Steps to get licensed in Alabama
- Get a local business or occupational contractor license from an Alabama city or county.
- Request the roofers license application package from the board.
- Have your surety send the $10,000 license or permit bond directly to the board.
- Submit the notarized application with the $100 processing fee and the $150 license fee.
- Renew every year after completing six hours of continuing education.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. No exam route. You show a local business or occupational contractor license from an Alabama city or county, held now or within one year before you apply.
The license to apply for. Residential Roofers License (license with limitation, limited to residential roofing).
Alabama roofing exams
Trade exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Alabama
The board lists 2 fees along the way. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application processing fee for new applicants (nonrefundable) | $100 |
| Annual license fee, residential roofing | $150 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Bond. A $10,000 license or permit bond naming the board as obligee.
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Every year. Licenses run by calendar year. Six hours of continuing education are required before renewal.
Reciprocity. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Good to know in Alabama
- Holders of a limited home builders license still need a roofers license to do residential roofing.
- Homeowners working on their own home are exempt, but roofers they hire are not.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for a roofer near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how roofing companies run on Koira.