Guide · Checked October 22, 2026

How to start a roofing business in Illinois

Illinois requires a state roofing contractor license from the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) for roofing work — general contractors who roof need it too; there is no separate general-contractor license that covers roofing. The business licenses through a qualifying party who passes the Continental Testing exam: a Limited license covers residential buildings of 8 units or fewer, an Unlimited license covers residential, commercial and industrial work, and a Commercial/Industrial-only path also exists. Bond, liability/property-damage insurance, workers' compensation and unemployment-insurance compliance are all conditions of the license.

The verdict for Illinois

Regime: State license (Roofing Industry Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 335 — IDFPR). Total state cost: $373 in state/testing fees ($125 application + $248 exam), before bond premium and insurance. Exam: yes — IDFPR roofing qualifying-party examination via Continental Testing Services (CTS). The full breakdown — classes, thresholds, bond, insurance, sub rules — is on the Illinois state page, and the checker computes it against your job size and role.

The order that works here

Run the verdict for your scope and typical contract value — before the LLC paperwork, because in license states the license names the entity and its qualifying party
Handle the qualifying-party question (who proves experience, who sits the exam) — it sets your timeline more than any fee
Buy bond and insurance to the state's printed minimums for your class
Clear the local layer: The state license governs statewide and the license number must appear on contracts, bids, proposals, vehicles and advertising. Chicago adds its own layer: City of Chicago general contractor licensing and permits apply to work in the city on top of — never instead of — the state roofing license.
Sign nothing until the credential or registration is in hand — and check the deductible law before your first insurance job

The trap in Illinois

Unlicensed roofing is unlawful regardless of job size (an owner working on their own property and true employees are the practical exclusions, not a dollar exemption). Violations are penalized per offense under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act (225 ILCS 335).

Run the license verdict checker

The Launch File for your state — included in the $49 RoofingLicenseCheck Kit

The checker gives you the verdict. The kit gives you the paperwork, in filing order: the application walkthrough for your state's class, qualifying-party documentation templates, the bond and insurance spec sheet with your state's exact minimums, the city-registration checklist pack for no-license states, and the contract-compliance pack (deductible language and required contract notices, including Florida's deadlines calendar).

$49 one-time payment

See the kit

Included in the $49 RoofingLicenseCheck Kit — every item below, for every state, one payment.