Oregon · Roofing licensing · official-source guide
Yes. Oregon licenses roofers at the state level through the Construction Contractors Board under ORS Chapter 701. A roofing company needs a residential or commercial endorsement that matches the structure. New applicants complete 16 hours of pre-license training, pass an 80-question exam, file a surety bond and liability insurance, and pay a $400 fee for a two-year license.
Verified against agency sources on 2026-09-28. Rules and fees change; confirm with the named authority before relying on this guide.
Yes. Oregon licenses roofers at the state level through the Construction Contractors Board, known as the CCB. Under ORS 701.021, a person or joint venture that undertakes, offers to undertake or submits a bid to do work as a contractor must hold a current CCB license with an endorsement that fits the structure. Roofing has no license of its own. A roofer holds a general contractor license, a specialty contractor license or a limited contractor license, and the endorsement on the card decides which jobs the company may bid. The word bid matters. The statute reaches offers and bids, not only finished work, so a door hanger, a website quote form or a written estimate handed to a homeowner all count as offering to do the work. In Oregon the state license comes first, and local governments layer their own business taxes and permits on top of it. A city or county cannot issue a building permit to a person who needs a license unless the permit applicant holds a current license with the right endorsement. The CCB is the single agency to check for bonds, insurance, complaints and discipline. The rest of this page covers which endorsement a roofing company should hold, what it costs, what you must show in advertising, and what storm work adds. Fees and amounts below come from the CCB and the Oregon Revised Statutes as fetched on the verification date, and the statute text fetched is the 2025 edition.
ORS 701.021 splits endorsements by the structure. For a residential structure the choices are residential general contractor, residential specialty contractor, residential limited contractor, residential developer, and several narrow service endorsements. Small commercial structures accept the residential general, specialty and limited endorsements as well as the commercial levels. Large commercial structures require a commercial endorsement. OAR 812-003-0131 defines the scope. A residential general contractor may bid or perform an unlimited number of unrelated building trades or crafts on residential or small commercial structures. A residential specialty contractor may bid or perform two or fewer unrelated trades on those structures, and if three or more unrelated trades are performed or subcontracted, the entire contract price cannot exceed $2,500. Most roofing companies that only roof, and perhaps add gutters or skylights, fit the specialty endorsement. A roofer who also frames, sides, paints and finishes interiors on the same job needs the general endorsement. The rule text counts trades but does not name which trades are related to roofing, so a company that packages several services should ask the CCB before it prices a mixed job. Holding the wrong endorsement is a licensing violation even when the license itself is current. The CCB lists working without the proper endorsement, such as a residential contractor on a commercial project, among its common violations. Adding an endorsement later is an application to change the license, not a new license.
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The residential limited contractor endorsement is the cheapest way in, and it has hard ceilings. ORS 701.038 bars a residential limited contractor from performing work above $40,000 in gross annual volume and from entering into any contract above $5,000. OAR 812-003-0131 adds the same conditions for the endorsement: annual gross business sales cannot exceed $40,000 and no contract price can exceed $5,000. The bond is $15,000 and the liability insurance minimum is $100,000, both set in ORS 701.081. A full residential reroof is often priced well above a $5,000 contract limit. That makes the limited endorsement a fit for small repair jobs such as flashing and patching, and a poor fit for a company that sells replacements. The penalty for crossing the line is heavy. OAR 812-005-0800 says a limited contractor working outside the conditions of the endorsement can be permanently barred from the limited category. A roofer who is close to either ceiling should apply for the specialty endorsement before the overage happens, not after. The CCB charges $20 for an endorsement change according to its fee list. Marketing matters here too. Your ads must show the license number, and a homeowner who looks it up will find the endorsement you actually hold, so quote only what that endorsement allows.
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Commercial roofing is licensed on a different track. ORS 701.084 sets the commercial specialty contractor level 1 and level 2 endorsements for companies that do a limited number of trades, and the commercial general contractor level 1 and level 2 endorsements for companies that do many. Small commercial structures can be roofed under a residential endorsement. ORS 701.005 defines a small commercial structure as a nonresidential structure with a ground area of 10,000 square feet or less and a height of not more than 20 feet, with further conditions in the definition. Anything larger is a large commercial structure and requires a commercial endorsement. The commercial specialty level 1 endorsement requires a $55,000 bond and general liability insurance of at least $1 million. Level 2 specialty requires a $25,000 bond and at least $500,000 of insurance. Both specialty levels also require key employees: level 1 needs one or more key employees with a combined total of at least eight years of qualifying experience, and level 2 needs four years, under ORS 701.050. Commercial contractors must also carry workers compensation insurance, per the CCB license page. A company that holds both a residential and a commercial endorsement files a surety bond for each endorsement under ORS 701.068. Roofers who chase both a house reroof and a warehouse recover need to price two bonds and two insurance requirements, not one. Confirm the endorsement before quoting a building that borders the size limits.
The CCB lists nine steps to licensure. The first is 16 hours of pre-license training from an approved provider, followed by the Oregon exam. The person who completes the training and passes the exam becomes the responsible managing individual, or RMI, and must be an owner or employee of the business who manages or supervises its construction activities. The applicant must be at least 18 years old. Next comes the endorsement choice, then filing the business with the Secretary of State Corporation Division, a surety bond in the required amount, proof of general liability insurance naming the CCB as certificate holder, and workers compensation insurance if the company will hire employees. Applicants also collect employer account numbers such as state and federal tax numbers. The application requires the bond with power of attorney, the insurance certificate, the certification and signatures form, and the fee. The CCB says applications may take six to eight weeks to complete, and it suggests filing online as early as possible. The exam result carries a clock: an applicant must apply for the license within 24 months of passing the test, and a contractor whose license lapses for more than 24 months must retake the training and pass the test again. Under ORS 701.091 a licensed business must have at least one responsible managing individual at all times. If the RMI changes, the business must notify the board, so keep that person on staff.
The Oregon exam is based on the Oregon version of the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, second edition. It tests business practices and law, not shingle installation technique. There are 80 multiple choice questions, a passing score is 70 percent, which is 56 correct answers, and candidates have three hours. The exam costs $60 and is paid directly to the exam provider, PSI. The exam is open book. Candidates may use the reference manual, which may be highlighted, underlined and tabbed before the session, and may make handwritten notes in it beforehand, but cannot bring in loose paper and must not write in the manual during the exam. Scores appear immediately. A candidate who fails can reschedule, pay the fee and test again. After the 16-hour training, the training provider alerts PSI, and PSI sends instructions for registering and paying. If nothing arrives within a few days the CCB tells candidates to contact the pre-license provider. There is one shortcut for people already credentialed elsewhere. Applicants who passed the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors do not have to complete the 16-hour training, but they must still pass the Oregon exam covering laws, rules and business practices, and they must send the CCB a transcript of the NASCLA result to become eligible. Veterans may be able to obtain reimbursement for test costs through the U.S. or Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs.
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The CCB two-year license fee is $400. The CCB fee page explains that the board raised the fee by $75, from $325 to $400, and that the new fee applied to renewals beginning July 1, 2024 and to new applications beginning July 1, 2025. The CCB license page now lists the initial application at $400 for applications received on or after July 1, 2025, and the renewal at $400 every two years. Other fees the CCB lists include $20 for an endorsement change, $20 for license inactivation, and $60 for the exam paid to the exam provider. The 16-hour pre-license course is priced by each approved training provider, so the CCB does not publish one number for it. The provider price may include the reference manual, which the CCB says to confirm before buying a copy separately. Bond and insurance premiums are also separate costs paid to a surety and an insurance carrier, and those premiums are not set by the state. ORS 701.060 lets the board charge up to $20 for an application to add another endorsement, which matches the CCB list. Lead-safe work is a separate credential, and the CCB names working on pre-1978 homes without a lead-safe license as a common violation, which matters when reroofing older houses. Applications can be paid online by credit card, debit card or ACH. A completed application must be uploaded at the time fees are paid. Budget the fee, the course, the exam and the first year of premiums before setting a start date.
Bond and insurance amounts are set in statute and repeated on the CCB license page. For residential endorsements, ORS 701.081 requires a residential general contractor to carry a $25,000 surety bond and at least $500,000 of general liability insurance. A residential specialty contractor carries a $20,000 bond and at least $300,000 of liability insurance. A residential limited contractor carries a $15,000 bond and at least $100,000. For commercial endorsements, ORS 701.084 requires a commercial general contractor level 1 to carry an $80,000 bond and at least $2 million of insurance. Commercial general contractor level 2 is $25,000 and $1 million. Commercial specialty level 1 is $55,000 and $1 million, and commercial specialty level 2 is $25,000 and $500,000. The bond protects customers, not the contractor. Under ORS 701.068, the residential bond must provide that the contractor will pay amounts the board determines on complaints, and the board can require a new bond after a payout. It can also suspend the license until an amount over the bond is paid, and as a condition of reinstatement it can require a bond up to five times the usual amount. The insurance certificate must name the CCB as certificate holder. Workers compensation insurance is required if the business has employees, and commercial contractors must have it. Contractors with no employees are ordinarily exempt, and the CCB explains the exempt and non-exempt classes on its license page. Claiming exemption while employing workers is a listed violation.
A CCB license is valid for two years from issuance under ORS 701.063, and the renewal fee is $400. To renew a residential license, ORS 701.082 requires eight hours of continuing education during the two-year period. Three of those hours must cover laws, regulations and business practices, delivered by the board or an approved provider. The other five must come from approved providers in subjects the board has approved. The statute lists construction business practices, marketing, customer service, accounting, business law, bidding, building codes, safety, energy efficiency, and trade specific subjects such as roofing, excavation or exterior shell construction. A residential contractor who was not licensed by the board as a residential contractor at any point in the six years before renewal must complete an additional eight hours. Licensees certify their hours at renewal, and the board may require verification. A lapsed license can be renewed within two years of lapse, and the board may set the effective date as the last day the contractor was licensed, but a lapse over 24 months means retaking the training and exam under the CCB license page. A contractor who is not working as a contractor can convert to inactive status. An inactive license carries no bond or insurance requirement, but it is not valid for offering, bidding, obtaining permits or performing work, and it cannot be placed in inactive status more than once in a two-year term. OAR 812-003-0330 bars a licensee from advertising work while inactive.
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OAR 812-003-0120 is the advertising rule, and it is specific. No person may advertise or hold out services as a contractor without a current, valid license. No person may claim by advertising or any other means to be licensed, bonded or insured unless holding a current license. The rule requires the license number in newsprint classified and display ads, written bids and building contracts, telephone directory ads, and all business cards, letterhead and business signs at construction sites. Radio and other audio-only ads must include an audible statement of the license number. Television and other video ads must show it visually. Website and other internet advertising must show it visually, and the CCB search page repeats that contractors must put the number on brochures, websites and business cards. The rule does not cover promotional gifts such as pens, cups and clothing, and it excludes permanently affixed signs at the contractor's place of business that primarily display the contractor's name. The rule text fetched does not name vehicle lettering, so it does not say whether a truck door needs the number. Penalties come from OAR 812-005-0800. Failing to include the number in advertising or on contracts is $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second and $400 for later ones. Advertising without a license is $600, or $700 per offense with prior violations or an inactive, lapsed or misleading number. Put the CCB number in the site header, every landing page and every estimate template.
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Working without a license is a Class A misdemeanor under ORS 701.990. The same statute makes it a Class A misdemeanor to intentionally use a contractor license number without the licensed contractor's authorization, and to use a number with intent to deceive the public whether authorized or not. On the civil side, ORS 701.992 allows a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each offense. OAR 812-005-0800 sets the guideline schedule: $1,000 per offense for performing work in violation of ORS 701.021 when there is no prior evidence of unlicensed work and no consumer damage, and $5,000 per offense when the owner has filed a complaint for damages caused by the work. Both may be reduced if the contractor becomes licensed within a specified time. The commercial consequences are as severe as the fines. Under ORS 701.131 a contractor cannot perfect a construction lien, file a CCB complaint, or start an arbitration or court claim for payment unless the contractor held a valid, properly endorsed license both when it bid or contracted and continuously while performing the work. For a roofer, that means an unpaid replacement invoice may be uncollectable through the lien system. City and county building offices also cannot issue a permit to an unlicensed applicant under ORS 701.325. The CCB also asks the public to report unlicensed contractors, and it names hiring unlicensed subcontractors as a violation, so a licensed roofer who subs out to an unlicensed crew is exposed too.
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Storm demand pulls in out-of-area crews, and Oregon law applies to them from the first bid. ORS 701.021 covers offers and bids, so a door-to-door canvasser who quotes a roof without an Oregon endorsement is already outside the law. Three consumer rules matter most. Under ORS 701.305, a contractor may not perform work on a residential structure for a property owner without a written contract if the aggregate price exceeds $2,000. Under ORS 701.310, an owner who signs an initial written contract may cancel by written notice before midnight at the end of the next business day, unless both parties agree that work starts sooner or the contractor has substantially begun. Under ORS 701.312, the board may place a contractor on probation if the contractor accepts a deposit of more than 50 percent of the price for a home improvement and then fails to perform diligently or fails to perform. The residential restoration contractor endorsement is narrow. ORS 701.540 says restoration work covers nonroutine cleaning, water removal, inventory, debris removal without demolition, and board-up services after a disaster, and it does not cover repairing or replacing physical components of a structure. A restoration-only license therefore does not authorize a roof replacement. Board-up, such as tarping openings against weather, is within scope. The statute defines disaster as a fire, flood, earthquake, crime or other sudden event, so ask the CCB how it treats a hail event before advertising hail work under that endorsement.
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Oregon does not use the label public adjuster in the statute chapter fetched. It regulates adjusters. ORS 744.502 defines an adjuster as a person that receives a fee, a commission or other compensation to investigate, negotiate or settle first party or third party losses that arise as claims under an insurance contract insuring a domestic risk. ORS 744.505 says a person may not engage in business as an adjuster without a license issued under ORS 744.521, except as ORS 744.515 provides. The exemptions listed in that section include a licensed resident insurance producer, an employee an insurer authorizes in writing to adjust losses, and a person who adjusts one loss while applying for a license within two days of starting. A roofing company is not among the exemptions in the text fetched. On its face, a contractor who negotiates or settles a homeowner's claim with the insurer for compensation is doing what the definition describes, while a contractor who inspects the roof, writes a repair estimate and gives it to the owner to submit is not obviously doing so. Oregon Division of Financial Regulation is the licensing agency. Its adjuster page says resident applicants must pass the Oregon adjuster exam, provide fingerprints, and apply through NIPR, and that individual adjusters complete 24 hours of continuing education to renew. ORS 744.584 lists prohibited conduct for licensees, including misappropriating policyholder money and materially misrepresenting policy terms. Keep scope and price on your estimate, and leave coverage arguments to the owner and the insurer.
Oregon does not run a separate city roofing license in Portland. The CCB license is the credential, and the city layers permits and taxes on top. For one- and two-family homes, the Portland Permitting and Development guide says reroofing with a roofing material of similar weight does not need a building permit, including replacement of some or all existing roof sheathing. The same guide says a permit is needed to reroof dwellings in Wildfire Zones, to reroof a townhouse, and to install building-integrated photovoltaic roof panels and other photovoltaic roof coverings. When a permit is required, ORS 701.325 requires the applicant to file a signed statement with the contractor license number and a statement that the license is in full force, and the issuing agency must list the number on the permit. Portland also runs business taxes through its Revenue Division. The city's page describes the Portland Business License Tax as a net income tax on business activity conducted in Portland, and says it is not a regulatory permit fee and does not entitle a taxpayer to engage in business activity not otherwise allowed. It also covers the Multnomah County Business Income Tax and the Metro Supportive Housing Services business income tax. ORS 701.015 separately addresses business license requirements in cities and metropolitan service districts. Other Oregon cities and counties, including Eugene, Salem and Bend, set their own permit rules, and this page did not verify them. Check the local building office before every job outside Portland.
The CCB runs a public contractor license search at search.ccb.state.or.us. Its own page says the most accurate way to look up a license is with a CCB license number, and it also allows a search by all or part of the business name or the contractor's last name, and suggests that less is often better when spelling is uncertain. For a roofer that wants to win work, the search page is the customer's first stop, so make the listing accurate: active status, correct endorsement, current bond and insurance, and a business name that matches your ads. OAR 812-003-0260 and 812-003-0280 require the business name to be on file, and OAR 812-005-0800 sets penalties of $50, $100 and $200 for failing to list a business name. Customers can file a complaint through the CCB. ORS 701.143 sets the deadline for an owner of an existing structure: the board must receive the complaint no later than one year after the date the work was substantially completed by the contractor. If the contractor failed to begin the work, the deadline is one year after the contract date, and if the contractor failed to substantially complete it, one year after the contractor ceased work. ORS 701.133 requires notice to the contractor at least 30 days before filing, unless board rule provides otherwise. The CCB explains that its bond backs valid determinations, and ORS 701.068 says the aggregate liability of the surety cannot exceed the bond amount. Respond to complaint letters quickly, because unpaid determinations can lead to suspension.
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These are common details other guides publish about Oregon, but we could not verify them from the agency source. Confirm them directly before relying on them.
Yes. The Oregon Construction Contractors Board licenses roofing contractors under ORS Chapter 701. A roofer needs a residential or commercial endorsement that fits the building, and the requirement applies to bidding as well as to finished work.
The CCB lists a $400 fee for a two-year license, both for applications received on or after July 1, 2025 and for renewal. The exam is $60 paid to the exam provider, and the training course is priced by each approved provider.
The CCB requires at least 16 hours of pre-license training from an approved provider, followed by the Oregon exam. The person who passes becomes the responsible managing individual and must be an owner or employee who supervises construction.
The exam has 80 multiple choice questions with three hours to finish. A passing score is 70 percent, which is 56 correct answers. It is open book using the Oregon version of the NASCLA manual.
ORS 701.081 requires a residential specialty contractor to carry a $20,000 surety bond and at least $300,000 in general liability insurance. A residential general contractor needs $25,000 and $500,000.
A license lasts two years. A residential licensee completes eight hours of continuing education per period, three on laws and business practices and five from approved courses. Some licensees owe an extra eight hours.
Yes. OAR 812-003-0120 says internet advertising, including websites, must show the license number visually. It also applies to written bids, contracts, business cards, letterhead, and business signs at construction sites.
Unlicensed contracting is a Class A misdemeanor under ORS 701.990, civil penalties reach $5,000 per offense, and you lose access to construction liens and CCB and court claims for payment on that work.
Only with a valid endorsement, and a written contract is required above $2,000. The owner may cancel by written notice until midnight after the next business day, unless both sides agree work begins sooner.
ORS 744.502 defines an adjuster as someone compensated to negotiate or settle insurance losses, and ORS 744.505 requires a license. A roofing license is not one of the listed exemptions, so negotiating for pay carries licensing risk.
For one- and two-family homes, reroofing with a material of similar weight needs no building permit, but a permit is needed in Wildfire Zones, for townhouses, and for solar roof coverings. Check before each job.
The CCB public search at search.ccb.state.or.us shows a license by CCB number, business name or contractor last name. The CCB says the number is the most accurate way to look up a license.
We can review the local market, your current search visibility, and paid-search fit before recommending any marketing work.