Checking a North Carolina contractor after a hurricane, one step at a time

Step 1: Slow the process down

The licensing board's disaster page opens with plain advice: don't rush into repairs, however badly they are needed. It recommends at least three bids, caution with door-to-door offers and flyers left at your door, and asking friends and family which contractors they have used. While you collect bids, keep a record of the damage; the directory's guide to documenting roof damage for a claim covers what to photograph.

Step 2: Look the company up

Open the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors search. You can search by company name, the qualifier's first and last name, license number, phone number, street address or city, and filter by classification type.

What to read in the result:

• Classification. The board's classifications page lists building, residential, highway, public utilities and specialty licenses. Roofing is the specialty classification S(Roofing), and roofing work is also included within the building and residential classifications.
• Limitation. Limited licenses stop at $750,000 per project and intermediate ones at $1.5 million; an unlimited license has no ceiling.
• Home state. The board says it does not recognize licenses issued by other states or countries.

Step 3: Know where the $40,000 line sits

Under G.S. 87-1, a general contractor is someone who undertakes construction where the cost of the undertaking is $40,000 or more. A contractor who bids or works above that line without a license commits a Class 2 misdemeanor under G.S. 87-13. Smaller jobs below that figure need no state license, so for them the board's other advice does the work: ask for three written references and a written contract.

Step 4: Confirm the insurance yourself

A certificate handed to you is only a starting point. The Department of Justice storm-repair alert says not to take a company's word on coverage; contact the insurer directly and ask it to send you the company's certificate of insurance.

Step 5: Put the whole job on paper

The board wants the contract to describe the work in detail, including materials, equipment, a payment schedule and a completion timeline (source). The Department of Justice's page on roofers adds warnings specific to storm work:

• Drive-by roofers often ask for an exclusive contract, which blocks you from hiring another roofer who offers a lower price.
• They may skip over the deductible you will owe under your homeowners policy.
• An insurance adjuster is not a building inspector or engineer.
• State law lets you cancel within three days, but canceling after that window may bring large fees.

If you are filing a claim, the directory's walkthrough of the roof insurance claim process explains the order of events.

Step 6: Keep payments behind the work

• Never pay in cash; the board calls a check the safest method.
• Don't let payments get ahead of completed work, and keep every receipt.
• Avoid a large deposit or payment in full up front, per the board's hurricane-season release.

Step 7: Ask whether a permit is needed

North Carolina's permit exemption is written into G.S. 160D-1110(c). Work costing $40,000 or less on a single-family residence, done to the State Building Code, needs no permit unless it involves one of the listed exceptions. Two matter for roofs: the addition, repair or replacement of load-bearing structures, and "the addition of roofing, excluding replacement." A straight reroof can therefore fall under the exemption while new roof area or structural repair does not. The board's advice is to contact the local building permit office before work starts.

Step 8: Close out the job cleanly

Before the last check, look over the finished work and have the contractor confirm that all subcontractors and suppliers have been paid, so no liens remain against your property (board guidance).

If something goes wrong

• Board complaint. The complaints page says a complaint may be eligible if the contractor is licensed, or if the contractor is unlicensed and the contract is $40,000 or more.
• Homeowners Recovery Fund. The fund is a last resort for owners or former owners of a single-family dwelling who lost money to a dishonest or incompetent licensed contractor, or to an unlicensed one who falsely claimed to be licensed. An award cannot exceed 10 percent of the fund's balance at approval.
• Consumer protection. Scams and price gouging go to the Department of Justice through its complaint page. Its price gouging page explains that the law applies when a state of emergency is declared and allows civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.

For the bigger picture on repairs, see the directory's storm damage roof repair guide and its summary of North Carolina roofing licensing.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licensed contractor for a roof repair under $40,000?

The state license is required at $40,000 and above under G.S. 87-1. Below that, verify insurance, references and a written contract instead.

Does replacing my roof require a building permit in North Carolina?

Under G.S. 160D-1110(c), work of $40,000 or less on a single-family home is exempt unless an exception applies, and the roofing exception covers the addition of roofing, excluding replacement. Confirm with your local inspections office.

Can I back out of a roofing contract I signed at my kitchen table?

The Department of Justice says North Carolina law lets you cancel within three days, and warns that drive-by roofers may charge large fees if you cancel later.

What does the Homeowners Recovery Fund cover?

It is a last-resort fund for single-family homeowners harmed by a licensed general contractor, or by an unlicensed contractor who fraudulently claimed a license, after other avenues of recovery are exhausted.