Wisconsin · Roofing licensing · official-source guide
Wisconsin does not license roofing as a trade. The Department of Safety and Professional Services certifies dwelling contractors and dwelling contractor qualifiers instead, and those credentials are required to pull building permits for one- and 2-family dwellings. The department lists a bond of at least $25,000 or liability insurance of at least $250,000 per occurrence as the headline requirement.
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Verify a licenseVerified against agency sources on 2026-09-28. Rules and fees change; confirm with the named authority before relying on this guide.
Wisconsin does not issue a roofing contractor license. No credential on the Department of Safety and Professional Services list of trades carries the word roofing. The state instead certifies dwelling contractors and dwelling contractor qualifiers, and those credentials exist for one purpose. They let a business pull building permits for one- and 2-family dwellings. Section 101.654 of the statutes says no person may obtain a building permit unless the person annually obtains a certificate of financial responsibility, completes continuing education, and hands the permit issuer proof of that education. So the state credential attaches to the permit, not to the trade. A roofer who never pulls a building permit for a dwelling is not required by these rules to hold either credential. A roofer who does pull one, or whose city demands it, must hold both a Dwelling Contractor certification for the business and a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier for a person. The rule text also carves out owner occupants. A homeowner who lives or will live in the dwelling can pull a permit to work on it without the financial responsibility certificate. For a roofing company this split matters in sales. You may have no state license to show, yet customers and inspectors will still ask what you hold. The clean answer is to say exactly which Wisconsin credentials you carry, and to say plainly that the state does not license roofing as a trade. That wording is accurate, and it avoids the misrepresentation problem covered in the advertising section below.
Sourcesdsps.wi.gov 1dsps.wi.gov 2docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 3docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 4
The Dwelling Contractor certification belongs to a business, not a person. The Department of Safety and Professional Services describes it as a credential held by an organization, and it requires an organization account in the state's LicensE system. Administrative code section SPS 305.31 says the applicant must be the owner of the contracting business, a partner applying for a partnership, or the chairman of the board or chief executive officer applying for a corporation. The applicant certifies compliance with workers compensation and unemployment compensation requirements, and shows proof of a bond or liability insurance. There is also a Dwelling Contractor Restricted certification. The rule note says the department issues the restricted version to an individual who applies using a bond of less than $25,000, and the card reads Financial Responsibility by a bond under $25,000 Certification. Under section 101.654(2m), a contractor on a smaller bond agrees not to perform any work on a dwelling where the estimated cost of completion is greater than the bond amount. For roofing companies that matters, because a full replacement can pass a small bond ceiling quickly. The business certification runs one year from issue and can be renewed. The person who signs up for it is not the person who satisfies the education rule. That falls to a separate credential, the qualifier, covered in the next section, which the business must hold or engage as an employee.
Sourcesdsps.wi.gov 1docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 2docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 3
The Dwelling Contractor Qualifier is held by an individual. Under SPS 305.31(1)(b), a business that pulls permits must hold or employ someone who holds this certification. The purpose, stated in SPS 305.315, is to give permit issuers proof that the continuing education duties in section 101.654 were met. To apply, a person submits an application, an application fee and a certification fee, plus evidence of at least 12 hours in an approved course in dwelling construction completed within one year before applying. The course must cover construction laws, construction codes, and construction business practices, and it must include one or more tests on that material. The statute adds that the course includes instruction on accounting, lien law, ethics, and best business practices, and that providers verify attendance with photo identification. The department page lists no separate state exam fee for this credential, and its exam fee schedule shows not applicable for the Dwelling Contractor Qualifier. The testing therefore happens inside the approved course. The credential does not require a set number of years working in the trade, and none of the department pages list one. For a roofing owner the practical step is to choose a department approved course provider, finish the 12 hours, and upload proof through LicensE. Approved providers upload certificates themselves, since the department cannot accept certificates from applicants.
Sourcesdsps.wi.gov 1docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 2docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 3dsps.wi.gov 4
The department publishes its trade fees in one table. For the Dwelling Contractor, meaning the business, the initial credential fee is $25 and the application fee is $15. The Dwelling Contractor Restricted has the same $25 and $15. For the Dwelling Contractor Qualifier, meaning the person, the initial credential fee is $30 and the application fee is $15. On renewal, the business credential costs $25 a year, and the qualifier costs $30 every two years. A late continuing education fee of $25 applies to the qualifier renewal, and the table lists a $200 reinstatement fee for expired credentials. The table also shows a credential period of 1 year for the Dwelling Contractor and 2 years for the Qualifier, both counted from date of issuance rather than a fixed calendar date. A credential can be renewed roughly four weeks before it expires, and the department emails the address on file. Payment runs through LicensE by credit card, debit card, or ACH, and the department warns that ACH can add three to five business days to processing. Convicted applicants can ask for an optional predetermination before applying. The fee table does not include the cost of the 12 hour course, which the provider sets, and the cost of a bond or insurance policy is also outside the department fee table. Neither figure is published by the state, so this page does not quote one.
Section 101.654(2) sets the financial responsibility test. An applicant must have one of two things in force. The first is a bond endorsed by a surety company authorized in Wisconsin, conditioned on complying with the one- and 2-family dwelling code. The statute sets a floor of $5,000 for that bond. The second is a general liability policy of at least $250,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, death, or damage to the property of others, issued by an insurer authorized in the state or eligible as a surplus lines insurer. The department's Dwelling Contractor page states the working rule more simply. It says a Dwelling Contractor must have a bond of at least $25,000 or a general liability policy of at least $250,000 per occurrence, and it asks for up to date proof of financial responsibility at renewal. A bond under $25,000 produces the restricted certification described earlier. The statute also requires workers compensation coverage if section 102.28 makes it mandatory for the applicant, and proof of unemployment insurance contributions if the applicant owes them under chapter 108. A bond or policy cannot be cancelled except on 30 days written notice to the department, or 10 days for nonpayment of premium. The department suspends the certificate without prior notice or hearing if no replacement proof arrives. Roofers should track policy renewal dates against this rule.
Sourcesdocs.legis.wisconsin.gov 1dsps.wi.gov 2docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 3
The business certification is valid for no longer than one year from issue, per SPS 305.31(5) and section 101.654(3), and the renewal requires the fee and current proof of financial responsibility. The qualifier renews every two years and requires 12 hours of department approved continuing education. Four of those hours must be in construction laws and codes and contracts, liability, and risk management, which matches the statutory minimum in section 101.654(1m). The rule also expects attendance at professional meetings or seminars, and it caps credit for technical or professional society meetings at 6 hours per biennial renewal cycle. Course providers upload completion records, and the department gives providers 14 days to do it, so finish courses well before the renewal date. The department also warns that education must be complete before the renewal application is submitted. A person who let the qualifier lapse more than two years follows a reinstatement pathway, and a business credential expired more than one year follows its own reinstatement path. The department may revoke or suspend a certificate if the holder skips the continuing education, builds a dwelling without a required permit, is convicted of a crime related to dwelling construction, or has been adjudged bankrupt on two or more occasions. The pages reviewed for this file did not describe any reciprocity or endorsement path for these two credentials.
Sourcesdsps.wi.gov 1dsps.wi.gov 2docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 3docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 4
Wisconsin ties the certification duty to the building permit, so the exposure sits there. Section 101.65(1m) bars a municipality from issuing a building permit to a person who must be certified under section 101.654 unless the person shows the department certificate or other evidence satisfactory to the department. Section 101.65(1r) requires the city to have an owner who applies for a permit sign a statement. It warns that if the owner hires a contractor who is not bonded or insured as required, the owner may be liable for bodily injury or property damage from the work, and may be unable to collect losses from the contractor. A roofer without the certificate therefore hands the customer a risk that the customer signs off on. The general penalty in section 101.66(3) says whoever violates that subchapter forfeits not less than $25 nor more than $500 for each violation, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense. Section 101.654(5) also lets the department revoke or suspend for building a dwelling without a required permit. The pages reviewed did not identify a specific penalty for roofing work done with no permit and no credential, so this page does not state one. The Attorney General opinion cited in the annotation to section 101.654 adds that local licensing ordinances can be preempted if they demand more financial responsibility, education, or testing than state law.
Sourcesdocs.legis.wisconsin.gov 1docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 2docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 3
Whether a roof job triggers the Dwelling Contractor rules depends on the permit. The Uniform Dwelling Code, which sets the statewide one- and 2-family standard, exempts two things that matter here. Under SPS 320.05(1), the code does not apply to dwellings begun before the code took effect, or to additions and alterations to them, and the rule note says a municipality may adopt the code for those additions and alterations. Under SPS 320.05(3), the code does not apply to repairs or maintenance of dwellings. A roof replacement on an older house can therefore fall outside the state permit trigger, while a new roof on a newly built dwelling, or an addition, is part of a permitted project. The city or county sets the rest. Section 101.65(1) lets cities, villages, towns and counties pass ordinances for construction and inspection of new dwellings and set their own fees and penalties. The consumer protection rule at ATCP 110.03 adds another layer. Before a buyer signs, the seller must tell the buyer about every building or construction permit the home improvement requires, and the seller may not start work until the required state and local permits are issued. So the question is local. Call the building inspector in the municipality where the roof sits, and put the answer in the contract.
Sourcesdocs.legis.wisconsin.gov 1docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 2docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 3
Chapter ATCP 110 is the state's home improvement trade practice rule, administered by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and it applies to residential and noncommercial property. Under ATCP 110.05, a home improvement contract must be in writing if it requires any payment before the seller finishes, or if the seller started it through door to door, mail, telephone, or handbill solicitation away from the seller's place of business. Storm chasing roofers fall squarely in that second category. The written contract must be signed by all parties and list the seller's name and address, the name and address of the sales representative, a description of the work and principal materials, the total price, and the dates the work starts and finishes. It must also state any warranty. The seller must give the buyer a copy of the contract before starting work or taking payment. If the seller promises insurance or other protection, the contract must state its terms and the insurer's name and address. Liquidated damages against the buyer cannot exceed 10 percent of the contract price. If English is not the language used in negotiation, the contract must appear in both English and that language. A buyer who suffers a loss from a violation can sue directly under the statute cited in the rule note, and the note says the recovery can be twice the loss plus costs and attorney fees.
Sourcesdocs.legis.wisconsin.gov 1docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 2docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 3
Two separate cancellation rules touch a roofing sale. The first sits in the home improvement rule. Under ATCP 110.07, a buyer who paid before receiving materials or services can cancel and demand a refund when the seller misses a contract deadline, fails to give notice of an impending delay, or when the contract lacks a deadline and the buyer believes the work is late. The buyer can demand return of payments the seller has not yet spent, delivery of unused materials to the site, and a written accounting of how every payment was used. The buyer delivers written notice in person, by certified mail, or by regular mail with proof of mailing. Once a buyer demands the payments back, the rule requires the seller to return them within 15 calendar days. The second rule sits in chapter 423 of the statutes. Section 423.202 gives a customer the right to cancel a consumer approval transaction until midnight of the third business day after the merchant gives the required notice. The customer loses that right only in narrow cases, such as a separate dated and signed personal statement describing an emergency that needs immediate remedy. Use of printed waiver forms is prohibited. Roofers who sell after a storm should build the cancellation notice and the delay clause into the standard contract instead of adding them after a dispute.
Wisconsin's home improvement rule regulates what a roofer may say about credentials more tightly than it regulates where a number must appear. ATCP 110.02(4)(d) bars a seller from misrepresenting that the seller is licensed, bonded, or insured. If the seller does claim any of those, the seller must give the buyer a written statement describing the type of license, bond, or insurance held. That rule matters for a state with no roofing license. A website that says licensed roofer with no detail invites a complaint. A safer line names the credential, such as Wisconsin Dwelling Contractor certification with the number, and names the bond or policy. The same section bars a seller from gaining entry to a home under the guise of a government or utility inspection, and from misrepresenting official authority to inspect. It bars claiming to be an employee or representative of a manufacturer, and it bars calling a home a model or advertising job to lure a price cut. It also bars phony special pricing claims, such as close out or leftover material discounts. The pages reviewed did not find a state rule that requires a license number on vehicles, ads, or estimates for roofers, so this file states none. Check municipal ordinances for door to door solicitor permits before canvassing.
Storm work draws the tightest scrutiny. The Office of the Commissioner of Insurance issued a press release on July 28, 2026 after severe storms brought high winds, tornadoes, and hail, particularly to the eastern part of the state. Its advice to owners was to list damage including damaged shingles, photograph it before cleanup, keep damaged property until the claim adjuster agrees it can go, and keep every receipt. That guidance shapes how a roofer should sell. The owner, not the roofer, files the claim, and the roofer's estimate should document the damage in a way the adjuster can check. The office's lookup page also warns owners that after a storm, out of state repair crews may arrive offering repair services, and it tells owners to contact municipal officials to confirm a crew holds the proper permits, including for door to door sales. It points owners to the Bureau of Consumer Protection and the Better Business Bureau to check complaint history. A roofer who canvasses after hail should carry the state credential, the written contract that ATCP 110.05 requires, the permit information ATCP 110.03 requires, and proof of insurance. Owners are being told to ask for all of it.
Sourcesoci.wi.gov 1oci.wi.gov 2docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 3docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 4
A public adjuster negotiates an insurance claim for the policyholder, and Wisconsin regulates that job through the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. The office's consumer warning page says nonresident public adjusters must register with the office, while registration for resident public adjusters is optional. Every public adjuster must file the contract with the office and provide it to the consumer before performing any adjusting services. A public adjuster cannot request or accept an assignment of insurance policy proceeds. The contract must attest that the adjuster is bonded, disclose the adjuster's compensation, give the customer the option to void the contract within five days of execution, and notify the customer of the right to complain to the office. The contract cannot require that the insurer issue a check only in the adjuster's name, and it cannot charge collection costs or late fees. Owners can look up public adjusters on the office's lookup tool by choosing license type Public Adjuster. For roofers, the safe line is to act as a contractor, not a claim negotiator. Do not offer to negotiate the claim, do not take an assignment of claim proceeds, and refer owners who want help to a licensed or registered adjuster. The pages reviewed did not quote a statute that names roofers directly, so that boundary comes from the adjuster rules above.
Sourcesoci.wi.gov 1oci.wi.gov 2
Customers, permit clerks, and competitors can check a Dwelling Contractor or Qualifier through LicensE, the department's online system at license.wi.gov. The department page says the public LicensE look up lets anyone check the status of a credential, and the system also shows a holder's credential for verification. Roofers should search their own name and business name in that tool before advertising, so they know what a customer will find. The department can also be reached at 608-266-2112 or dsps@wisconsin.gov, at 4822 Madison Yards Way in Madison, and the office hours listed are 7:45am to 4:30pm. Complaints about a credential holder go through the department's complaint process. Beyond the state, the local layer is real, though this file could not source any city roofing registration. Section 101.65(1) lets cities, villages, towns and counties set their own permit fees and penalties for dwelling construction. State law restricts that authority, and the Attorney General annotation to section 101.654 says local licensure ordinances can be preempted if they impose greater financial responsibility, education, or examination requirements than state law does for permits on one- and 2-family dwellings. Call the municipal building department before each job to learn its permit rule, its solicitor rules, and whether it registers contractors at all. Do not assume a neighboring town matches.
Sourcesdsps.wi.gov 1dsps.wi.gov 2docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 3docs.legis.wisconsin.gov 4
These are common details other guides publish about Wisconsin, but we could not verify them from the agency source. Confirm them directly before relying on them.
No. The state does not issue a roofing contractor license. It certifies dwelling contractors and dwelling contractor qualifiers, and those credentials attach to building permits for one- and 2-family dwellings.
The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services issues it through its LicensE system. The credential is held by a business, and the owner, a partner, or the chair or chief executive applies for it.
It is an individual credential. A business that pulls permits must hold or employ someone with it. It proves the person finished 12 hours of approved dwelling construction education covering laws, codes, and business practices.
On the state fee table, the business credential is $25 with a $15 application fee. The qualifier is $30 with a $15 application fee. Renewal is $25 a year for the business and $30 every two years for the qualifier.
The department page lists a bond of at least $25,000 or general liability insurance of at least $250,000 per occurrence. A smaller bond yields the restricted certification and caps job size at the bond amount.
The business certification is valid up to one year. The qualifier renews every two years and needs 12 hours of approved continuing education, including 4 hours on construction laws, codes, contracts, liability, and risk management.
Not necessarily. The state dwelling code excludes repairs and maintenance, and alterations to older dwellings unless a municipality adopts the code. Ask the local building department, because the city or county decides.
No. The statute exempts an owner who lives or will live in the dwelling and applies for a permit to work on it from the financial responsibility certificate.
Yes in two cases. A written contract is required if any payment is due before the work is done, or if the seller solicited the job door to door, by mail, phone, or handbill away from the shop.
Only truthfully. The home improvement rule bars misrepresenting that a seller is licensed, bonded, or insured, and requires a written statement describing the specific license, bond, or insurance if the seller makes that claim.
Wisconsin regulates public adjusters through the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, with bonding, filed contracts, and no assignment of claim proceeds. A roofer should stay a contractor and refer owners who want claim help to a licensed adjuster.
Use the public look up in LicensE at license.wi.gov. For public adjusters, use the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance lookup tool and select license type Public Adjuster.
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