Montana · Checked October 22, 2026
Registration only. Montana does not test roofers for skill. Businesses in construction — expressly including installation or repair of roofing or siding — that have employees must hold the Department of Labor and Industry credential, which until Dec. 31, 2025 was called Construction Contractor Registration and from Jan. 1, 2026 is a Construction Contractor License under House Bill 239. It is a workers' compensation and compliance credential: $70 for two years, no exam and no experience requirement. A solo worker with no employees instead needs an Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate or their own workers' compensation cover.
| Item | Montana |
|---|---|
| Regime | Construction Contractor License from Jan. 1, 2026 (formerly registration) — no exam, workers'-comp compliance only |
| Exam | None. No competency exam, experience minimum or education requirement for the CCL. Separate trade licenses (electrical, plumbing) do have their own exams — roofing does not. |
| Experience | No state experience requirement published |
| Application fee | $70 application fee (DLI proposed rule 24.227.401 under HB 239: 'Application and renewal fee — $70') |
| License / registration fee | $70 covers the two-year license; there is no separate license fee |
| Total state cost | $70 in state fees for two years for the CCL. ICEC is $125 for two years in secondary sources. Workers' compensation premiums are additional and are usually the real cost. — Fee did not change in the registration-to-license transition — active registrations on Dec. 31, 2025 converted automatically to licenses with the same expiration date (DLI CCL program page). |
| Bond | No state bond minimum published |
| Insurance minimums | Montana workers' compensation coverage is the core requirement: businesses with employees must show a valid Montana policy with Montana listed in section 3A, held with DLI as certificate holder. Out-of-state workers' compensation policies do not satisfy Montana construction requirements (secondary DLI summaries) — cover must be through Montana State Fund, a licensed private carrier, or approved self-insurance. No state general liability minimum is published — 'Not published'; $1M is a common market/permit expectation, not a state rule. |
| Who qualifies | The applicant / business owner |
| Timeline | Not published by DLI in the sources checked. Secondary sources estimate about 15-45 days — estimate only. |
| Renewal | Every two years, $70 renewal fee, online through the DLI portal. ICEC also renews every two years. |
| Credential | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Contractor License (CCL) | both | Single class for construction contractors as defined in HB 239 §2 — including anyone who, in an independent business, offers to construct, alter, repair or improve a structure attached to real estate, including installation or repair of roofing or siding, or who employs members of more than one trade on a single job/permit. No trade subclasses for roofing. |
| Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate (ICEC) | both | For a sole proprietor, working partner or working LLC member with no employees who is not personally covered by a Montana workers' compensation policy: a formal waiver of workers' compensation benefits that establishes independent-contractor status. $125 for two years in secondary/DLI-derived sources. |
Subcontractors are construction contractors in their own right in Montana: a roofing sub with employees needs its own CCL, and a solo sub needs an ICEC or personal workers' compensation cover. Generals and owners rely on the sub's CCL/ICEC to avoid being treated as the employer for workers' compensation.
Cities and counties issue building permits and may require a local business license and proof of the state CCL/ICEC to pull a permit. The state credential itself is statewide and is not replaced by a city roofer license.
No specific deductible-waiver statute found. No Montana statute specifically barring a contractor from advertising, offering or paying a homeowner's insurance deductible was located in primary searching on 2026-10-22. General fraud and consumer-protection law (Montana Consumer Protection Act) may still apply — do not read this as permission.
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