Louisiana’s New Expectations for Roofers… What a Homeowner Should Know!
As owners of H2H Roofing our goal has always been to keep homeowners in the loop with new laws, new products on the market, and to be transparent about the process of working with H2H Roofing. Everyone we invite to be a part of our team feels passionate about educating homeowners and sharing information! That’s why we started this roofing blog, to keep y’all informed, so you can make the best decision for your home and your family. In this blog, we’re going to dig into some of the recent changes in the roofing industry, that affects homeowners as well us roofing contractors. And as roofing trades people it’s our job to stay up to date and current on our licenses and insurance so that we can continue to serve the communities in Southeastern Louisiana and continue to give you all the very best. Let’s get into it!
Every home has a roof, and every roof is important to that home. It turns out, no matter where you are located, that roof generally serves a similar purpose. There are some places, however, where that roof might be getting more of a workout than others. The Gulf Coast, and Southeastern Louisiana to be specific. The yearly occurrence of hurricane season means that the average homeowner here in Southeastern Louisiana is acutely aware of a number of things when compared to homeowners in other parts of the country.
Some of the more obvious things include a thorough accounting of personal property for insurance, having a preparedness plan, emergency contacts ready, and an evacuation plan. While it’s a good idea for homeowners anywhere to have these things on their mind, the truth is, “out of sight, out of mind,” is often the prevailing reality. Another item on that list that Louisiana residents have to be keenly aware of is the condition of their roof. Insurance requires it, mortgages require it, and the general protection of your home requires it…and that’s where a licensed roofing expert can help.
Our region, unsurprisingly, has a lot of resources in that arena. Especially during storm season, it can feel like 25 new roofing experts were falling from the sky along with the wind, rain, and hail. It’s one of the reasons H2H Roofing started, to be a local roofing company you could trust. Far too many stories include an unlicensed professional or a company from another state that was gone as soon the roof was done.
Recently, the state government in Louisiana implemented changes in the licensing requirements, creating stricter qualifications for who can, and cannot perform any work related to roofing. At H2H Roofing, we feel this is a positive step in the right direction, and we’d like to share what that means for you as a homeowner. First, we’d like to discuss how things were, so you can better understand how things are now.
Being a Licensed Roofing Contractor in Louisiana used to mean…
Prior to August 2025, there were 2 license’s which allowed contractors to perform residential roofing work:
—> Home Improvement License
—> General Contractors License
Realistically speaking, a residential General Contractor’s licenses reflected those contractors who focused more on larger projects, new builds, and managing specialty trades; whereas a Home Improvement license reflected those professionals who focused primarily on smaller home improvement projects and included roofing. The roofing work, however, did not include any structural roofing work. This isn’t to say that a professional carrying a Home Improvement license wasn’t qualified to perform residential roofing work. And these licenses had requirements which protected homeowners, such as being in good standing with the state and carrying minimum required insurance.
What was becoming more prevalent though, was unregistered and unlicensed individuals soliciting residential roofing work, often leaving homeowners with no recourse if something goes wrong. What also can fall through the cracks is when a specialty trade, such as residential roofing, isn’t your primary focus, making it harder to keep on top of updated standards in the required installation and application methods.
What Being a Licensed Roofing Contractor in Louisiana means now…
As of August 2025, a new license was introduced by the state, the Residential Roofing License. That means there are 3 main licensees allowing for work performed on residential structures. Only 2 of which allow contractors to perform residential roofing work:
—> General Contractors License
—> Residential Roofing License
As a result of the new Residential Roofing License, the Home Improvement License no longer allows for any residential roofing work to be performed. This new license is similar in nearly every way to a General Contractors license, it requires to be registered and in good standing with the state, to pass a stringent examination, and to carry high standards of insurance coverage. The most notable difference really, is that a contractor carrying the Residential Roofing license is saying that roofing, as a specialty trade, is the company’s primary focus.
A general contractors license can be viewed as the highest licensing designation, yet it also indicates a broad knowledge on many areas – where the roofing license can be considered an expert in a focused area. You might even think about this like going to the doctor’s and seeing a primary care physician to get a big picture view on your health, however, it’s equally as important to meet with specialists.
Keeping Homeowners Protected, Knowledge is Power…
Before you engage any contract, but specifically when it comes to roofing, check their credentials:
- Are they in good standing with the state? Find Your Contractor Here!
- Is their license current? Find Your Contractor’s License Here!
- Is their insurance current?
What’s more, if you’re having your roof replaced as a result of a loss which is covered by your insurance, you might be surprised that insurance companies often leave the due diligence of whether a contractor is licensed or not up to the homeowner!
This is starting to change as more and more carriers are checking the credentials of contractors before approving funds to be released. Don’t chance it, start with a licensed contractor from the start!
H2H Roofing is proud to share our credentials, find them here:
H2H Roofing’s State Registration
H2H Roofing’s Residential Roofing License (search Here to Help)
And while we’re at it, you can see some of our other credentials here:
H2H Roofing is Fortified Certified!
H2H Roofing is Owens Corning Preferred!
At H2H, people and relationships matter, and we’re excited to offer our community not only the best in roofing solutions, but the most qualified team to handle your project. If you’d like to hear more about our highly qualified team call us at 985.778.0009 or email us a support@h2hroofing.com. We’re really honored to serve Southeastern Louisiana and pass along the benefits of working with a licensed, insured, and local roofing contractor to homeowners, ensuring their roofs are in the best hands!
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