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Questions to ask before you hire a roofer in Phoenix

Sun-baked shingles on a 1970s ranch house, slipped or cracked concrete tile on a stucco home, or a leak that shows up after the first monsoon storm — Phoenix roofing jobs come with their own rules. Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) licensing and bonding, City of Phoenix permit rules for re-roofs and material changes, written contract requirements, lien protections for owner-occupants, and special rules for storm insurance claims all affect what a solid quote should include. Use these questions to compare Valley roofers on verified credentials, permit practice, and a written scope — not just who knocked on your door first.

Questions to ask

1. What is your Arizona ROC license number, does the license class cover residential roofing, and are you the company named on that license?

Why it matters: Arizona issues separate residential and commercial contractor licenses, and the license belongs to the business. The residential roofing classification is R-42 Roofing, which covers installing and repairing tile, shingles, shakes, slate, metal roofing systems, urethane foam, and roof insulation or coatings, plus the flashing, valleys, and sheet metal needed to do that; CR-42 is the dual residential and commercial version (ROC: License classifications). The ROC’s pre-hire advice is to look the license up in its Contractor Search, make sure the license class covers the work in the contract, and confirm the person you’re negotiating with is an authorized representative of that company by calling the phone number on the ROC record (ROC: Before You Hire). The small-job “handyman” exemption does not apply to work that requires a building permit (A.R.S. §32-1121).

2. Can you show me your bond on the ROC record, plus current certificates for liability insurance and workers’ compensation?

Why it matters: The ROC requires a bond to be licensed, but it notes that apart from workers’ compensation it does not require contractors to carry insurance (ROC: Before You Hire). Roofing is work at height, so ask for a certificate of general liability insurance and proof of workers’ comp before anyone climbs on your roof, and confirm the bond on the contractor’s ROC record. Arizona’s post-disaster consumer guidance from the Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions also tells homeowners to ask for proof of liability and workers’ compensation insurance (DIFI: Disaster assistance resources).

3. Who determines whether my job needs a permit, and who will pull it if it does?

Why it matters: Inside the City of Phoenix, a re-roof with the same type of material as the original roofing is on the list of work exempt from a building permit in the City’s 2024 code amendments (City of Phoenix: 2024 IBC Chapter 1 amendments, Section 105.2 (PDF)). The City’s residential permit brochure says a permit is needed for roofline extensions and for replacing wood or asphalt shingles with a tile roof (City of Phoenix: How to obtain a residential permit (PDF)). Exempt work still has to meet code, and the City says the property owner is responsible for that (City of Phoenix: Work exempt from permit (PDF)). Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Peoria, and other Valley cities run their own building departments, and unincorporated areas fall under Maricopa County Planning and Development, so confirm your jurisdiction. The ROC also says permits are the owner’s responsibility, even though many contractors include them in the contract, and that you must tell the contractor about any HOA or CC&R restrictions (ROC: Before You Hire).

4. Are you tearing off to the deck or laying a new layer over the old roof, and how many layers are up there now?

Why it matters: Phoenix’s 2024 code amendments exempt a re-roof or roof recover with the same type of material from a building permit but set no layer limit of their own (City of Phoenix: 2024 IBC Chapter 1 amendments, Section 105.2 (PDF)), and the City’s residential code amendments leave the model code’s re-roofing section in place (City of Phoenix: 2024 IRC amendments (PDF)). Under that model code, a new roof generally can’t go over one that already has two or more layers, and slate, clay or concrete tile roofs can’t be covered over at all. If your roof already has two layers, ask for a tear-off, and confirm the rules for your house with Phoenix Planning & Development. An overlay costs less up front but hides the deck, so ask the roofer to state in writing how many existing layers they found, whether they physically got on the roof, and why they recommend tear-off or overlay. Two bids that differ on this point are not quoting the same job.

5. If you find rotted or damaged decking after we sign, how will that be priced, and who does it if it’s extensive?

Why it matters: Under the ROC’s R-42 scope, a roofer may replace up to 10 percent of the total roof substrate square footage for substrate problems discovered after the contract is signed; anything beyond that must be subcontracted to a properly licensed contractor (ROC: License classifications). Ask for a per-sheet or per-square-foot deck repair price in the contract, a requirement to photograph damage before replacing it, and a signed change order for anything beyond the allowance (ROC: Before You Hire).

6. Does the job include skylights, fascia, or lifting rooftop AC or evaporative cooler equipment — and is that within your license?

Why it matters: Many Phoenix homes have rooftop HVAC units or coolers. The ROC’s R-42 scope lets a roofer lift HVAC equipment to work under it, but if the ducting needs modification that work must be subcontracted; a roofer may also install or replace skylights when no roof framing changes are needed and replace fascia up to 24 linear feet (ROC: License classifications). Ask who disconnects and reconnects rooftop equipment, who is licensed to touch the ductwork, and who is responsible if the unit doesn’t work afterward.

7. Will the contract include everything Arizona law requires, including start and completion dates and a payment schedule?

Why it matters: Arizona law requires contracts between a contractor and a property owner, other than very small jobs, to include the contractor’s name, address, and license number; the owner’s name and the job address; the contract date; the estimated completion date; a description of the work; the total price including taxes; any deposit; the progress payments and the stages at which they’re due; and a notice, in bold type, of your right to file a complaint with the Registrar of Contractors with the ROC’s phone number and website. The contractor must give you copies of everything you sign and a receipt for any cash (A.R.S. §32-1158). For roofing, also ask for the brand and product line, underlayment, flashing and vent details, cleanup and disposal, and both the manufacturer and workmanship warranties in writing.

8. How do you want to be paid, and will payments stay behind the work that’s done?

Why it matters: The ROC advises agreeing on a payment or draw schedule up front, never paying cash, making checks out to the company named in the contract, not letting payments get ahead of the work, and putting every change in a signed change order (ROC: Before You Hire). The Arizona Attorney General adds: don’t pay in full up front, and never pay anyone who demands gift cards or cryptocurrency (Arizona AG: Storm-related repair scams, August 2026).

9. Who are your material suppliers and subcontractors, and will you provide lien waivers as you’re paid?

Why it matters: Arizona gives owner-occupants an important protection: no lien can be placed on an owner-occupant’s dwelling except by someone who has a written contract directly with the owner-occupant, and any waiver of that protection is void (A.R.S. §33-1002). That protection depends on meeting the statute’s owner-occupant definition, so rentals and flips are treated differently. Suppliers and subs generally must serve a Preliminary Twenty-Day Lien Notice to protect their lien rights; that notice tells owners they can ask for a conditional waiver before paying the contractor and an unconditional waiver after (A.R.S. §33-992.01). Waivers are only enforceable in the statutory forms (A.R.S. §33-1008). Keep any twenty-day notices you receive, and match the waivers to them.

10. This is a storm damage claim — will your contract and estimate follow Arizona’s storm-repair rules, and will you leave my insurance deductible alone?

Why it matters: For residential roof repair or replacement after a catastrophic storm in an area designated by an insurer, Arizona requires the contract to tell you that you can cancel within four business days after signing for any reason, and within 72 hours after your insurer notifies you that the claim was denied. The estimate must describe and locate all claimed damage, give the roof repair or replacement area in square feet, say whether the roof was physically accessed, and state that the contractor has made no promises that insurance will cover the loss. The down payment can’t be more than 50 percent of the contract. The contractor may not advertise, promise, or pay your deductible or rebate it, may not start work until the insurer approves or denies the claim (except to prevent further loss), and may not act as your adjuster (A.R.S. §32-1158.02). The Attorney General’s first tip after monsoon storms is to talk to your insurance company to verify what your policy covers before hiring (Arizona AG: Storm-related repair scams). Arizona’s insurance regulator adds that you can choose your own licensed contractor rather than the one your insurer recommends, that you should avoid starting repairs (other than preventing further damage) until your adjuster has seen the property, and that you shouldn’t sign anything giving a contractor exclusive rights to negotiate with your insurer (DIFI: Disaster assistance resources).

11. You came to my door — can I see your license, and does your contract include my right to cancel?

Why it matters: The ROC warns about “bogus home repairs”: travelers and unlicensed operators who go door to door, often targeting older homeowners, with offers of roofing repair, painting, and paving. Its advice is to avoid door-to-door solicitors and get a written contract with the license number and start and completion dates (ROC: Before You Hire). When a sale is made at your home without you having asked for it, Arizona’s home solicitation law requires the agreement to tell you that you can cancel before midnight of the third business day after the transaction, with a cancellation form attached (A.R.S. §44-5001; A.R.S. §44-5004). If something goes wrong with a licensed residential contractor, you generally have two years from when work was last performed to file a complaint with the ROC (ROC: File a complaint), and eligible owner-occupants may also be able to claim against the contractor’s bond and then the Residential Contractors’ Recovery Fund, which the ROC says applies even to having a new roof put on your home (ROC: Recovery Fund); for an administrative claim, the contractor’s license must first have been suspended or revoked as a direct result of your formal complaint, and you must have claimed against the license bond first (ROC: Recovery Fund). An unlicensed roofer gives you none of these protections.

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