Unlicensed roofing contractors can face heavy fines, cease-and-desist orders, and extensive legal actions. However, the most severe penalty for unlicensed roofers is the hindrance of this career. Internet users are strongly against unlicensed roofing.
In this article, we'll discuss why unlicensed roofing work in Illinois is a risk. We sifted through 10 discussion threads from Reddit, Roofing Talk, and BiggerPockets to gather user sentiments and reasons. Here are links to some of the discussion threads:
Fines and stunted careers are the biggest dangers of working as an unlicensed roofing contractor. Unlicensed roofers also have to lower costs by cutting corners to compete with licensed contractors. Here are some details on the 4 risks of working as an unlicensed roofer:
Unlicensed roofing is illegal in Illinois and can lead to:
According to the Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act, you need a limited or unlimited roofing license to work on residential or commercial roofing projects, respectively. Working on any project without the necessary license leads to fines.
These civil penalties and fines have been bolstered after the Illinois Assembly's recent Act SB2503. Please do not risk your finances and acquire a license.
A license guarantees your skill in every trade, like BBB Accreditation for any business. Naturally, roofers without a roofing license are considered untrustworthy. We sifted through countless Reddit threads to understand user sentiments.
According to the threads we analyzed, an overwhelming 61% of people advised against hiring an unlicensed roofer. Some of the most common reasons that people used to justify their opinion were:
87% of homeowners are strongly against hiring unlicensed roofers. As an unlicensed roofer, you cannot progress your roofing career. On the contrary, you will ruin your local reputation and future post-licensing growth.
Unlicensed roofing contractors lack the skills and knowledge about local building codes and techniques. Unqualified contractors can often mess up roofing installation. The homeowners can sue or proceed with other legal actions.
The journey you take to get your license gives you the knowledge to perform your duties effectively. A license is your seal of approval that guarantees your skills and knowledge. That's why licensed professionals have lower building code violations.
Roofers cannot operate without the support of their peers. You'll need connections from fellow workers in the same or adjacent industries, like HVAC, Plumbing, and Siding. Unfortunately, most of these have negative sentiments about unlicensed work.
We analyzed 39 responses from tradesmen, and here are their insights on unlicensed roofers:
Unlicensed contractors often have to lower prices, while licensed roofers have to account for liability, workers' compensation, and other insurances. In retrospect, this makes licensed roofers seem expensive compared to unlicensed roofers.
Lower charges disrupt the market, promote poor workmanship, and force licensed roofers out of business. That's why most professionals prefer roofers who get an Illinois roofing license.
There are countless dangers of hiring an unlicensed roofing contractor. For example, subpar work can reduce your property's value. Homeowners might also have to pay for costly repairs and potential damages.
That's why 77.8% of homeowners are strongly against unlicensed roofing contractors. Here's a small chart to put things into perspective:
According to Illinois State Laws, insurance agents can refuse damage claims for unlicensed roofing work. According to most forum users, hiring unqualified roofing contractors is the easiest way to get an insurance company to deny claims.
According to our research:
Insurance is your backup plan for when something goes wrong. Unfortunately, this plan becomes void if the involved parties do not operate legally. Insurance companies have an extra incentive to deny your claims if they find a legal breach.
During our research, we found countless homeowners recounting their experiences with unlicensed roofers. For example, one roofer on Reddit explained why you should never hire an unlicensed roofer with pictures of an ill-installed roof.
The roofer in question was called for a valley repair. However, while surveying the damage, he found numerous poorly-installed asphalt shingles with loose nails. You can find other harrowing stories from homeowners in similar situations.
This happens because unlicensed roofing contractors often lack skills. In service skill industries, licenses are a testament to your skills. That's why every homeowner should look for a licensed contractor.
Hiring an unlicensed contractor may be cheaper in the short term, but it can result in long-term technical debt. This happens because:
These three factors lead to hidden long-term costs. For example, a loss of warranty means you cannot claim any losses because of faulty roofing materials. This can even bring down the resale value of your house.
Furthermore, you will have to replace the whole roof if the workmanship is subpar. Here's one account from a homeowner to put this into perspective:
"As someone who bought a house with a new roof installed by a 'unlicensed but skilled' contractor, and then, within 2 months of moving in had to get the entire roof redone by an actual licensed contractor... hire the guy licensed to do the work.
Our roof looked professionally done and passed inspection... but it turned out the unlicensed contractor didn't apply the flashing correctly, and we started getting leaks... Also, because the guy was just a guy and didn't have a business or license, there was no recourse for us to get repairs or money back. Dude just ghosted."
According to various threads and user experiences, unlicensed roofers can hold you liable for injuries sustained while working on your property. Since they do not have insurance, you will become the most likely recipient of legal action.
We found that 89% of people in every thread cited a lack of liability insurance as a risk of hiring unlicensed roofers. Homeowners fear this because there have been cases where roofers without liability insurance have sued for injuries.
While not as common, there have been strings of roofing-related scams. In May of 2025, the BBC wrote a news piece on roofing scams in Portsmouth. Journalists uncovered a string of scams and extortion from fake, unlicensed roofers.
One victim was an elderly lady, Veronica, who was charged £35,000 for a repair worth only £2,000. The bogus tradesmen asked for £500 in cash and £8,000 in an immediate cheque. After "completing" the work, they asked for a further £26,500 in cheques.
Fortunately, Veronica cancelled the second cheque after a friend informed her of the scam. The men in question were operating without a license, falsely under the name of DC Roofing and Sons, owned by Darren Comben.
There have been other scams as well, such as:
Yes, according to the Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act, you need a roofing license to become a roofer. Working on roofing projects without a license leads to fines and legal penalties.
Section 17 of OSHA outlines penalties for violations of workplace safety regulations. It authorizes fines for employers who fail to comply with standards, increased penalties for willful or repeated violations, and criminal charges for knowingly violating requirements that result in worker death.
The maximum fine for a serious OSHA violation in 2025 is $16,131 per violation. Willful or repeated violations carry a maximum fine of $161,323 per violation. Failure-to-abate violations accrue daily penalties of up to $16,131 until corrected. These fines adjust annually for inflation.
According to our research 87% of homeowners are strongly against hiring unlicensed roofing contractors. This implies lower job opportunities, revenue, and risks of fines for people operating without a license.
This deterrence also extends to people in the same profession. During our research, we found that professional roofers are against unlicensed roofers. Their reasons include market disruptions, price gouging, and negative PR for the roofing industry.
Unlicensed roofing is an unnecessary financial risk in Illinois. You can get an Illinois roofing license with only a month of diligent preparation. Boost your career and operate legally, join our roofing license classes today.
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