What Are the Rights of a Roofing Contractor in Illinois?

The Illinois Attorney General’s office claims they receive thousands of complaint letters annually from homeowners quarreling with home repair contractors. All workers in this state should not only have Illinois roofing contractor insurance but should also be aware of all the rules and regulations laid out in the Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act as well as the Home and Repair Remodeling Act.

As far as roofing in Illinois is concerned, if you consider yourself a contractor who works for others and is involved in the construction, reconstruction, repair, maintenance, or waterproofing of their roofs, then you’ll need a license under the Roofing Act.

Licensing

In the state of Illinois, the licensure of a roofing contractor is governed by the Roofing Act. There are certain documents and information, such as worker’s compensation insurance, property damage insurance, and current public liability proof, you’ll need to provide in order to get a license under the Act.

There are two kinds of licenses a roofing contractor can get in Illinois; an unlimited license and a limited license.

1. Roofing contractors with limited licenses can only render roofing services for multi-family housing buildings and residential properties with 8 units at most.
2. Roofing contractors with unlimited licenses, on the other hand, can offer services for all types of properties, whether industrial, commercial, or residential.

Limited license applications must include a bond of $10,000, while the unlimited license requires a bond of $25,000.

Burden of Proof

It’s up to the consumer or customer to make sure that the contractor they hire has a valid roofing license. Currently, there are more than 3,000 licensed contractors in the state of Illinois.

Getting in touch with both the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General’s (AG) office for information about contractor complaint records and licensing status is how a consumer should do their due diligence. Roofing contractors aren’t obligated to provide consumers with copies of their registration or licenses. It’s up to the customer to do their own due diligence and find that information.

When problems arise between a roofing contractor and a homeowner, the Illinois AG’s office usually recommends you try and resolve the issue directly between each other first before seeking redress from the court.

If you’re the roofing contractor and you fail to respond when there’s an issue, the homeowner can file a legal claim with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, which will then provide a cooperative mediation program to try and help avoid expensive court battles.

If you need to go through a lawsuit to solve the issue, you might want to strongly consider seeking professional legal assistance to help you explore the options you have for resolving the case.

Final Words

Roofing contractors in Illinois need to be well-versed with the Illinois Roofing Licensing Act to help make sure they are aware of their rights as contractors. The primary purpose of this act is not only to protect the consumer but the contractor as well. Hopefully, now you have an idea of some of the rights you possess as a roofing contractor in the state of Illinois.