Rain season is here, and so are the door knockers. Every fall a few people walk Norco streets offering cheap roofs with cash up front. California has clear rules that protect you from that, and knowing four of them takes about five minutes.
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The Roofer Needs a State License
In California, anyone who contracts for work valued at $1,000 or more in labor and materials, or work that needs a building permit, must hold a current license from the Contractors State License Board.1 A reroof needs a permit, so every reroof needs a licensed contractor.
Roofing has its own license class, called C-39. Ask for the license number and look it up on the CSLB website before you sign. The lookup shows whether the license is active, whether there is a bond, and whether the company carries workers' comp for its crew.2
The Down Payment Has a Hard Cap
State law caps the down payment on a home improvement job at 10 percent of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less.3 On almost any reroof, that means $1,000 is the most anyone can ask before work starts.
A roofer who wants half the money up front to buy materials is asking for more than the law allows. After the first payment, payments should follow the work, so you pay for what is done.
Reroof Rules by the Numbers
You Can Change Your Mind for Three Days
After you sign a home improvement contract you have three days to cancel, and the cancellation has to be in writing and mailed before midnight of the third day.3 The contract should spell out the price, when each payment is due, who pulls the permits and when the job will be done.
If someone pushes you to sign today and start tomorrow, that is a reason to slow down. Good roofers expect you to read the contract.
A Reroof Needs a Building Permit
California building code requires a permit before a building is built or altered, and your city or county building department is the one that issues it.4 In Norco that is the City of Norco. In Home Gardens and other unincorporated areas it is Riverside County.
The permit matters for two reasons. An inspector checks the work, and the permit record helps when you sell, because buyers and their inspectors ask about the roof. Replacing a large part of a roof can also bring in the state energy code, which in our climate can call for a cool rated roof surface.5 A licensed roofer checks that while quoting.
What This Looks Like With Us
Loyalty Roofing holds CA license #1152913 in the C-39 roofing class. We give you a written quote after we see the roof, we pull the permit, and we never ask for more down than the law allows. If you want a second look at a quote someone else gave you, call (951) 855-9916 and we will tell you what we see.
Thinking about a new roof? Start with our roof replacement page, or our tile roof repair page if you have tile, since the tile can often be saved.
Neighbors Also Ask
- Can a handyman replace my roof?
- Not legally if the job needs a permit or comes to $1,000 or more. A reroof needs both, so it needs a licensed contractor.
- What if a roofer already took a big deposit?
- Get everything in writing and check the license on the CSLB site. The board takes complaints against licensed contractors and offers help when the contractor is unlicensed.
- Do repairs need a permit too?
- Small repairs often do not, but rules vary by city. Ask the roofer, or call your city building department.
Where This Comes From
- Contractors State License Board, What Type of Contractor Do I Need
- Contractors State License Board, Check a License
- Contractors State License Board, Contracts and Binding Agreements
- Contractors State License Board, Do I Need a Building Permit for My Project
- California Energy Commission, Building Energy Efficiency Standards