Roofing license
Roofing license requirements in West Virginia
Yes — West Virginia requires a state contractor license for any construction work, including roofing, valued at $5,000 or more for residential jobs or $25,000 or more for commercial jobs; roofing is licensed as a Specialty Contractor classification.
The short answer
Yes — West Virginia requires a state contractor license for any construction work, including roofing, valued at $5,000 or more for residential jobs or $25,000 or more for commercial jobs; roofing is licensed as a Specialty Contractor classification.
Do you need a license to roof in West Virginia?
Specialty Contractor license (Roofing, classification 010) issued by the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board; roofers can also qualify under the broader Residential or General Building classifications depending on the scope of their work.
Who issues it: West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board (WV Division of Labor).
Last verified: 2026-07-19
West Virginia roofing license at a glance
Every figure here is a plain-English starting point read from the official state board — always confirm the current requirements at the source before you rely on them.
License type / class
Specialty Contractor license (Roofing, classification 010) issued by the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board; roofers can also qualify under the broader Residential or General Building classifications depending on the scope of their work.
Issuing board
West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board (WV Division of Labor) — wvclboard.wv.gov
Exam required
Yes
Experience / qualification
West Virginia's Contractor Licensing Act sets no minimum years-of-experience or education requirement — applicants qualify by passing the required exam(s), not by documenting prior work history. Roofing is treated as an 'untested' specialty, so only the Business & Law exam is required.
Bond
No general contractor-license surety bond is required. Separately, the WV Division of Labor requires a wage bond (equal to four weeks' payroll plus 15% for benefits) from employers who have NOT been engaged in construction work in West Virginia for at least five consecutive years and who do commercial work with employees. Contractors performing only residential (single-family dwelling) work are exempt, as are those with 5+ consecutive years of WV construction activity (or sufficient assets/parent-company backing). Verify current wage-bond status with the Division of Labor's Wage & Hour Section.
Insurance minimum
General liability insurance is required at levels set by Contractor Licensing Board rule (28 CSR 2); commonly cited minimums run from around $300,000 per occurrence for standard classes up to $500,000/$1,000,000 for the highest license class — confirm the current amount for your classification directly with the Board. Workers' compensation and unemployment insurance are also required once you have employees (W. Va. Code § 23-2-1).
Application fee
The Board's current fee is about $90 to apply and about $90 to renew each year — well under the $150 statutory cap on application and annual license fees (W. Va. Code §§ 30-42-7, 30-42-8). The PSI Business & Law exam costs roughly $60 on top of that, plus any classification exam fee.
Renewal
Annually — a license expires one year from the date it's issued; renewing more than 15 days after expiration adds a $25 late fee.
Reciprocity
No blanket reciprocity — West Virginia does not automatically honor another state's contractor license. All applicants, in-state or out-of-state, must complete WV's own application and pass the required Business & Law (and any classification) exam. Limited license-comparison arrangements exist with a few NASCLA-member states for certain classifications, but general contractor licenses from neighboring states are not automatically accepted.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| License type / class | Specialty Contractor license (Roofing, classification 010) issued by the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board; roofers can also qualify under the broader Residential or General Building classifications depending on the scope of their work. |
| Issuing board | West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board (WV Division of Labor) — wvclboard.wv.gov |
| Exam required | Yes |
| Experience / qualification | West Virginia's Contractor Licensing Act sets no minimum years-of-experience or education requirement — applicants qualify by passing the required exam(s), not by documenting prior work history. Roofing is treated as an 'untested' specialty, so only the Business & Law exam is required. |
| Bond | No general contractor-license surety bond is required. Separately, the WV Division of Labor requires a wage bond (equal to four weeks' payroll plus 15% for benefits) from employers who have NOT been engaged in construction work in West Virginia for at least five consecutive years and who do commercial work with employees. Contractors performing only residential (single-family dwelling) work are exempt, as are those with 5+ consecutive years of WV construction activity (or sufficient assets/parent-company backing). Verify current wage-bond status with the Division of Labor's Wage & Hour Section. |
| Insurance minimum | General liability insurance is required at levels set by Contractor Licensing Board rule (28 CSR 2); commonly cited minimums run from around $300,000 per occurrence for standard classes up to $500,000/$1,000,000 for the highest license class — confirm the current amount for your classification directly with the Board. Workers' compensation and unemployment insurance are also required once you have employees (W. Va. Code § 23-2-1). |
| Application fee | The Board's current fee is about $90 to apply and about $90 to renew each year — well under the $150 statutory cap on application and annual license fees (W. Va. Code §§ 30-42-7, 30-42-8). The PSI Business & Law exam costs roughly $60 on top of that, plus any classification exam fee. |
| Renewal | Annually — a license expires one year from the date it's issued; renewing more than 15 days after expiration adds a $25 late fee. |
| Reciprocity | No blanket reciprocity — West Virginia does not automatically honor another state's contractor license. All applicants, in-state or out-of-state, must complete WV's own application and pass the required Business & Law (and any classification) exam. Limited license-comparison arrangements exist with a few NASCLA-member states for certain classifications, but general contractor licenses from neighboring states are not automatically accepted. |
How to get a roofing license in West Virginia
- Contact the Contractor Licensing Board (CLBoard@wv.gov) to confirm your classification — roofing generally falls under the Roofing specialty (or Residential/General Building for broader scope) — and which exams you need.
- Schedule and pass the required PSI exams: the Business & Law exam plus any classification exam your scope requires.
- Get a Business Registration Tax Number from the WV State Tax Department and register your business with the Secretary of State.
- Line up general liability insurance (and workers' comp/unemployment insurance if you have employees) at the Board's required minimums.
- Submit your license application with the required fee (currently about $90; statute caps it at $150) and, if you do commercial work with employees, verify your wage-bond status with the Division of Labor.
- Renew annually before your 1-year expiration date to avoid the $25 late fee.
Working without a license in West Virginia
Contracting without a license after a cease-and-desist order is a misdemeanor: a fine of $200-$1,000 for a first offense, $500-$5,000 (and up to 6 months in jail) for a second, and $1,000-$5,000 plus 30 days to 1 year in jail for a third or later offense. The Board can also impose its own administrative penalty of $200-$1,000 for unlicensed contracting, plus up to $200 per day for unlicensed work on projects of $25,000 or more (W. Va. Code § 30-42-14).
Last verified: 2026-07-19
Roofing license rules change and often vary by city and county. This page is a plain-English starting point, not legal advice — always confirm the current requirements with the state board linked below before you rely on them.
Verify at the source: wvclboard.wv.gov
More official sources: W. Va. Code § 30-42 — Contractor Licensing Act · WV Contractor Licensing Board — Apply for License
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