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Questions to ask local roofers before you sign: twelve checks, each with a source
Short answer: ask about the license, the written contract, the scope, the permit, the money and the paper trail, and ask each one in a way that gets an answer you can file. Virginia's contractor regulation says what a residential contract must contain, and the state's consumer guide says what to check before you hire. This guide turns those documents into twelve numbered questions, explains why each matters, and shows what a good written answer looks like.
- Virginia requires a signed written contract before work starts or payment is accepted
- A door-to-door roofing sale can carry a three business day right to cancel
- The state guide says a bid far below the others may leave out work
The twelve questions, in five groups
Each card below holds one question to ask, followed by the reason a source gives for asking it. Write the answers down or ask for them by email, because a spoken answer cannot be compared later.
Group A. Who is doing the work
What are your Virginia license number, class and classification?
Why it matters: The Code of Virginia makes it a misdemeanor to contract for work on someone else's property without a license or without the proper class for the value of the work. DPOR's consumer guide adds that a number printed on a card or an ad does not prove the license is valid, so look it up yourself.
Sources: Code of Virginia 54.1-1115; DPOR guide.
Will your own employees be on my roof, or subcontractors?
Why it matters: The Board's regulation lists contracting with an unlicensed or improperly licensed subcontractor as a prohibited act, and so is misclassifying workers as employees or independent contractors. Ask who the crew belongs to and who holds the license for the person doing the roofing.
Source: 18VAC50-22-260(B)(29) and (37).
Who supervises the crew, and who do I call during the job?
Why it matters: The same regulation makes it a prohibited act to fail to supervise helpers and laborers who assist licensed tradesmen. A named person and a direct number turn that rule into something you can use.
Source: 18VAC50-22-260(B)(32).
Group B. What is being built
Which layers of the roof system does the scope name?
Why it matters: ARMA describes an asphalt shingle roof as six components working together: shingles, underlayment, ice and water barriers, starter strip, hip and ridge products, and balanced ventilation. A quote that names only the shingle leaves the other five to guesswork. Other materials have their own layer lists, so ask for the equivalent.
Source: ARMA, Asphalt Roofing Systems Components.
What materials, in what quality and color, are written into the contract?
Why it matters: DPOR's guide says the contract should specify materials by quality, quantity, size, color or brand where it applies, and shows the difference between a precise line and a vague one. The regulation requires a list of the specified materials and work the consumer asked for.
Sources: DPOR guide; 18VAC50-22-260(B)(9)(d).
How will flashing, pipe boots and valleys be handled?
Why it matters: IBHS lists loose, bent or missing flashing at edges, valleys and penetrations, and cracked pipe boot seals, among the roof problems to look for. If those details are not in the scope, the quote cannot be compared with one that includes them.
Source: IBHS, roof maintenance guide.
What does cleanup cover, and what should the crew avoid on my property?
Why it matters: DPOR's guide says to put complete cleanup and debris removal in the contract, and to give instructions about pets, children and places where materials may not be stored.
Source: DPOR guide.
Group C. Paper and permits
Who applies for any permit, and will the contract say so?
Why it matters: The state guide says the contractor should obtain the permit in the contractor's name, that the contract should spell this out, and that otherwise you may be held responsible. The regulation lists failing to get a required permit or inspection as a prohibited act. Whether your roof needs one is a county question, covered below.
Sources: DPOR guide; 18VAC50-22-260(B)(9)(f) and (33).
How are changes handled once the job has started?
Why it matters: The regulation requires any change to cost, materials, work or completion date to be in writing and signed by all parties, and lists skipping written change orders as a prohibited act.
Source: 18VAC50-22-260(B)(9)(j) and (31).
Group D. The money
What is the payment schedule, and what is tied to progress?
Why it matters: The regulation requires the contract to state the amounts and schedule of progress payments, including a specific statement of the down payment. DPOR's guide says a schedule should follow progress rather than dates, that payments should never run ahead of the work, not to pay 100 percent of the bill until the work is 100 percent complete and required inspections are done, and never to pay cash.
Sources: 18VAC50-22-260(B)(9)(c); DPOR guide.
Will I receive lien releases from subcontractors and suppliers?
Why it matters: DPOR's job file list includes lien releases from subcontractors and material suppliers next to the contract, permits, invoices and photos. Ask when they will be delivered, then keep them.
Source: DPOR guide.
Group E. If something goes wrong
What are my cancellation rights, and who handles a complaint?
Why it matters: Cancellation rights must be disclosed in the contract. A sale that starts at your door can carry a three business day right to cancel under Virginia law and the FTC rule. Failing to honor the terms of a written guarantee is a prohibited act, so ask for those terms in the contract. For complaints, DPOR says to write to the contractor first, then to the Board if needed.
Sources: 18VAC50-22-260(B)(9)(g) and (30); Code of Virginia 59.1-21.3; 16 CFR Part 429; DPOR guide.
For a closer look at hiring from the roofer's side of the paperwork, our choosing a roofing contractor guide covers license classes in more detail, and the roof inspection guide covers what to look at first.
What the written contract must name
For residential work, 18VAC50-22-260 sets minimum contract content. The table pairs each item with the question above that checks it, so you can hold a draft contract against the list. This is a summary of the regulation, not legal advice, and the Board's own text controls.
| Required item | What it should look like in your draft | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Start date and estimated completion date | Two dates, not "soon" or "weather permitting" | 9 |
| Total cost statement | One total for a standard contract, or the cap for a cost-plus contract, or a fixed labor figure for time and materials | 10 |
| Progress payments and down payment | Each amount and the event that triggers it | 10 |
| Specified materials and work | The items you asked for, named, not "roof as needed" | 4, 5, 6 |
| Events beyond the contractor's control | A plain-language clause saying such delays are not abandonment | 9 |
| Permit, inspection and zoning assurance | A statement that the contractor will comply with local requirements | 8 |
| Cancellation rights | Disclosed in the contract itself | 12 |
| DPOR statement of consumer protections | Your signed acknowledgment that you were given and read it | 12 |
| Contractor identity | Name, address, license number, class and classifications | 1 |
| Changes in writing | A clause that cost, material, work or date changes need signatures from all parties | 9 |
| Recovery Fund notice | A notice of the Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund with the Board's contact information | 12 |
Source: 18VAC50-22-260(B)(9)(a to k), Virginia Administrative Code, opened October 26, 2026.
Two timing rules sit around the table. The contract must be signed by both sides before work starts or any payment is accepted, and a fully executed copy must reach you before work begins.
Warning signs the state guide lists
DPOR's guide does not rely on a feeling. It lists specific signs that trouble may be ahead, and each one maps back to a question you can ask.
- You cannot verify the contractor's name, address, telephone number or credentials (questions 1 and 2).
- The salesperson uses scare tactics, intimidation or threats to get a signature.
- The contractor says your house will be used as a model job in return for a special price.
- The price is offered only if you sign today.
- The contractor refuses references, or a reference has reservations.
- You are asked to pay for the whole job in advance, or to pay cash instead of by check or money order (question 10).
The guide recommends at least three written bids on identical specifications, says not to accept the lowest automatically, and warns that a bid substantially lower than the others probably means a mistake or work left out.
DPOR says the Board may be unable to help with a complaint against an unlicensed contractor, and the Recovery Fund is narrow: the statute ties it to an unsatisfied court judgment and to improper or dishonest conduct, not mere breach of contract. Ask an attorney how either applies to you.
A sensible order for the conversations
- Look the license up before the first visit. Use the DPOR license lookup, which shows license status and disciplinary history, and check the class and the roofing classification against the work you want.
- Describe the job the same way to every roofer. DPOR's guide stresses identical specifications so that bids can be compared.
- Ask questions 4 to 7 in writing. The answers become the scope in the quote.
- Read the draft contract against the table above. Do not sign a blank or partly blank contract, and remember the guide's point that anything you sign may become the contract.
- Sign only once, then keep a job file. The contract, change orders, permits, invoices, lien releases and dated photos belong together.
Roofers of Arlington installs, repairs and replaces roofs, flat and metal systems included, in Arlington and nearby. You can book a phone consultation and bring this list to it: give the address and the building type, and ask the twelve questions of us as you would of anyone.
Where Arlington rules come in
Question 8 depends on where the building stands and what kind of building it is. The Arlington roofing hub walks through the county's permit table, the building-type test and historic district review, so this guide does not repeat them. Which guide fits you depends on the building:
- Condo and co-op roofs: when an association signs the contract, the questions go to the board or manager.
- Slate roofs and other historic coverings.
For the work itself, see roof replacement, roof repair and roofing materials. For how insurers and policies fit in, the neutral background is on the roofing insurance page, and your own insurer is the one to ask about coverage.
Sources behind each question
Opened October 26, 2026.
- 18VAC50-22-260, Board for Contractors: filing of charges; prohibited acts
- DPOR Board for Contractors: What You Should Know Before You Hire A Contractor (PDF dated 2017; dollar figures in it are not used here)
- DPOR Board for Contractors page and the license lookup
- Code of Virginia 54.1-1115, prohibited acts and 54.1-1118, definitions for the recovery fund
- Code of Virginia 59.1-21.3, cancellation of a home solicitation sale
- 16 CFR Part 429, FTC Cooling-Off Rule
- ARMA: Asphalt Roofing Systems Components
- IBHS: Extend the Life of Your Roof Through Routine Maintenance (published September 29, 2025)
Questions people ask
Does a Virginia roofer have to give me a written contract?
For residential work, the Board for Contractors regulation treats a failure to use a legible written contract as a prohibited act. The contract has to be signed by you and by the licensee or the licensee's agent before work begins or payment is accepted, and you are owed a fully executed copy before work starts. Subcontractors and routine maintenance or service contracts are carved out of that rule.
Can I cancel a roof contract I signed at my front door?
Possibly. Virginia's Home Solicitation Sales Act gives a buyer the right to cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after signing, by written notice to the address in the agreement. The federal Cooling-Off Rule uses the same three business day window for door-to-door sales. Both have exceptions, including sales made entirely by phone or electronic means at the buyer's own initiation, so ask the Board for Contractors or an attorney how they apply to your paper.
Who should apply for the roofing permit?
The state consumer guide says the contractor should apply for and obtain any necessary permit, that the contract should say so, and that work should not start until you hold copies of the issued permit. It warns that the permit holder takes on general contractor responsibility. Whether your roof needs a permit at all depends on the locality; for Arlington see the county table summarized on our hub page.
What counts as abandonment of a roofing job?
The Board for Contractors regulation defines abandonment as unjustified cessation of work under the contract for 30 days or more. The required contract language about events beyond the contractor's control states that delays caused by such events are not abandonment. Ask what the contract says about weather and supply delays before you sign.
Will the Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund repay me if the work is just poor?
Not necessarily. The statute ties the fund to a claimant who holds an unsatisfied judgment involving residential construction against a licensed contractor, and it defines improper or dishonest conduct to include fraud, material misrepresentation, gross negligence, continued incompetence or intentional building code violations, but not mere breach of contract. DPOR adds that filing a claim does not guarantee payment.
Can an unlicensed roofer take me to court for payment?
The Code of Virginia says a construction contract signed by someone working without a valid license cannot be enforced by that contractor unless the contractor gave substantial performance in good faith and did not actually know a license was required. It also says failing to renew a license creates a presumption of that knowledge. This is what the statute says; for your situation ask an attorney.
Talk through your roof with Roofers of Arlington
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