The trust guide
How to Verify a Metal Roofing Contractor in New York
New York State does not license roofers, and neither Clinton, Franklin, Essex, nor St. Lawrence county runs a contractor licensing program. So verification in the North Country rests on three checkable things: active insurance shown by a Certificate of Insurance, a written contract meeting GBL Article 36-A, and manufacturer certification for the standing seam system quoted.
That no-license fact surprises people, and it cuts both ways: a low barrier to entry means the burden of sorting professionals from trucks-with-ladders falls on the homeowner. This page is the sorting procedure.
First, clear away two myths
- "State licensed roofer" is not a thing here. Home improvement licensing in New York exists only at the local level, in New York City, Buffalo, and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland counties. None of those is in the North Country. Anyone advertising as "New York licensed" for roofing in this footprint is claiming a credential that does not exist.
- There is no statewide registration or $20,000 bond. Search summaries repeat a "NY statewide Home Improvement Contractor registration under Article 36-A with a $20,000 bond." The bond belongs to New York City's DCWP licensing program. Article 36-A is a contract-terms law: it governs what a home improvement contract must contain, not who may operate.
Sources: NY Attorney General home improvement fact sheet (ag.ny.gov); NY GBL Article 36-A (nysenate.gov).
Check one: insurance, in writing, from the insurer
Ask for a Certificate of Insurance naming the business, and have it sent to you directly by the insurance agent, not photocopied from a truck binder. It should show current general liability coverage, commonly $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, and New York workers' compensation, which is mandatory for any business with employees and has no roofer exemption. Workers' comp is the one that protects you: an uninsured injury on your property becomes your problem.
Insurance context: NY workers' compensation requirements for roofing businesses (bgesgroup.com; industry insurance references). GL limits are customary, not statutory.
Check two: the Article 36-A contract
For home improvement work over $500, New York's GBL Article 36-A requires a written, signed contract stating the contractor's name, address, and phone, approximate start and completion dates, and a description of the work and materials. Two protections deserve special attention:
- The three-business-day cancellation. You may cancel in writing until midnight of the third business day after signing (GBL 771). A contractor who pressures you to waive it has told you something.
- Deposit protection. Money paid before substantial completion must go into a New York escrow account within five business days, or be secured by a bond or equivalent delivered to you (GBL 771-a). Ask which mechanism applies to your deposit; a professional answers without flinching.
Sources: NY GBL 771 and 771-a (nysenate.gov; law.justia.com).
Check three: manufacturer credentials and snow-country references
Standing seam is a system trade. Panel manufacturers run installer training and certification, and certified installers can usually offer the manufacturer's system warranty on top of their own workmanship warranty. Ask which systems the contractor is certified on and which double-lock profiles they field-seam. Then ask for addresses of snow-country installs old enough to have seen real winters, and drive past one. A metal specialist will volunteer all of this; a generalist adding metal as a sideline will improvise, which matters on the details the panel and seam guide explains.
Three questions that do the sorting
- "Can your agent send me a COI showing GL and workers' comp?"
- "Walk me through the contract: cancellation window, deposit escrow, start and completion dates."
- "Which standing seam systems are you certified to install, and where can I see one of yours that is five winters old?"
Every contractor matched through this service gets held to this same standard by you, on purpose: the checklist is the credential in a no-license state. It applies identically in Plattsburgh, Malone, and every town between, and it pairs with the permit knowledge on the permits page and the full framework in The North Country Standing Seam Metal Roofing Guide.
Verification Questions
Is there a New York State license lookup for roofers?
No, because there is no New York State roofing license to look up. HIC licensing exists only in New York City, Buffalo, and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland counties, none of which is in the North Country. Verification here runs on insurance documents, the written contract, and manufacturer credentials instead of a registry search.
What about the statewide contractor registration with the $20,000 bond I read about?
That claim circulates widely and is false at the state level. The $20,000 bond requirement belongs to New York City's HIC licensing program, not to New York State and not to GBL Article 36-A, which is a contract-terms law rather than a licensing law. A pitch citing a statewide registration or bond is repeating a myth, which is itself useful information about the pitch.
What should a Certificate of Insurance actually show?
Two coverages, current and issued to the business you are hiring: general liability (commonly $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate) and New York workers' compensation, which is mandatory for any business with employees, roofers included. Ask the contractor's insurer to send the COI directly to you, which is routine and free.
What does manufacturer certification prove?
That the installer trained on the specific standing seam system being quoted and can typically offer that manufacturer's system warranty. It is the closest thing to a credential this trade has in New York, and a metal specialist will name their systems without being prodded.
Start With a Contractor Worth Verifying
Request a free match, then run this page's checklist on the introduction. It should pass; that is the point.