- No state registration needed for residential roofing jobs of $2,000 or less. Commercial license needed at $50,000 or more.
- Plan for a business and law exam.
- A $15,000 residential roofing registrant surety bond.
- Residential roofing registration renews every year.
Do you need a state license in Arkansas?
Arkansas 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 registration needed for residential roofing jobs of $2,000 or less. Commercial license needed at $50,000 or more.
Arkansas license types for roofing work
Arkansas 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 |
|---|---|
| Residential Roofing Registration | Roofing, roof decks and roofing sheet metal on single-family homes over $2,000 |
| Commercial license, Roofs, Roof Decks, Roofing Sheet Metal | Commercial projects of $50,000 or more |
Steps to get licensed in Arkansas
- Decide if you do residential roofing over $2,000, commercial work of $50,000 or more, or both.
- For residential roofing, buy the $15,000 residential roofing registrant bond.
- Get workers' compensation insurance if you have employees.
- Mail the registration application with the $20 filing fee.
- Renew the registration every year.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
The license to apply for. Residential Roofing Registration.
Arkansas roofing exams
Trade exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Business and law exam. The commercial license requires a business and law test.
What it costs in Arkansas
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 |
|---|---|
| Residential roofing registration filing fee | $20 |
| Commercial license filing fee | $100 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. Workers' compensation coverage if you have one or more employees.
Bond. A $15,000 residential roofing registrant surety bond.
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Residential roofing registration renews every year.
Reciprocity. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Good to know in Arkansas
- Contractors with a residential builders or residential remodelers license do not need the roofing registration.
- A home improvement license with the roofing classification no longer covers residential roofing; those contractors need the registration.
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 Arkansas Contractors Licensing 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.