Roofing isn't a licensed trade in BC, so anyone can call themselves a roofer. What you can check is whether a company holds a municipal business licence, carries liability insurance, is registered with WorkSafeBC and in good standing, has a track record you can verify, and puts its scope and warranties in writing. Here's the checklist, the paperwork to ask for, the red flags, and what the certifications you'll see on trucks and websites actually mean.
Is roofing a licensed trade in BC?
No. BC's compulsory certification trades (electricians, gasfitters, sheet metal workers, refrigeration mechanics and a handful of others) don't include roofers. Roofer is a Red Seal trade, and a certified journeyperson has done roughly three years of apprenticeship and 3,600 hours of training, but certification is voluntary. The Homeowner Protection Act's licensing and 2-5-10 warranty cover builders of new homes, not re-roofing of existing houses. BC's home builders' association described the renovation sector in 2026 as largely unregulated and called for licensing. Until that changes, the checking is on you.
Five things to verify before you sign
- Business licence. Issued by the municipality where the company is based. Ask for the number and check it with the city or in the municipality's online licence search.
- Liability insurance. Ask for a certificate of insurance showing commercial general liability (several million dollars is normal) with the company named. Call the broker on the certificate if anything looks off.
- WorkSafeBC registration and a clearance letter. WorkSafeBC urges homeowners to confirm that any contractor is registered and up to date on premiums; if not, you can be held liable for premiums connected to the work, and for an injured worker's claim. A clearance letter is free and takes minutes; the roofer can send one or you can request it from WorkSafeBC with the company's name. Roofing is high-risk work, and fall protection is required by regulation from 3 m, so you want a company that takes it seriously.
- References and reviews you can verify. Recent local jobs, ideally one you can drive past, and reviews across more than one platform. A long-established company with a fixed address and a landline is harder to make disappear than a phone number on a lawn sign.
- A written scope, price and warranty. Products by name, the work by line, the price all in, and both the manufacturer's material warranty and the company's workmanship warranty with their terms. The quote comparison guide lists the twelve lines every quote should have.
What the certifications mean
- RCABC member. The Roofing Contractors Association of BC is the province's professional roofing body. Only RCABC members can offer the RoofStar Guarantee: 5-, 10- or 15-year coverage of workmanship and accepted materials, backed by the association's guarantee corporation (so it survives the contractor going out of business), with independent reviews at year two and later. Shingle systems qualify for 5 and 10 years; SBS, EPDM, TPO, PVC and architectural sheet metal for 15. RoofStar is used mostly on commercial and strata work; ask a member whether your house roof can carry it.
- Manufacturer certifications (GAF Master Elite, Owens Corning Preferred or Platinum, CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster, IKO ROOFPRO and similar) mean the company has trained with that maker and can sell its extended warranties, which add workmanship coverage. Useful, not a guarantee of quality on its own.
- Red Seal roofers on staff. A sign of a company that invests in its trade.
- BBB accreditation, HomeStars badges, "best of" awards. Paid or review-based; read the actual reviews.
Red flags
- Knocking on the door after a storm, especially with a truck from out of province
- Pressure to sign today, or a discount that expires tonight
- A large deposit. For contracts signed at your home, BC consumer law caps the deposit a direct seller can take at $100 or 10% of the price, whichever is less, and gives you 10 days to cancel for any reason
- Cash prices, no GST, no written contract
- No fixed business address, or a licence or insurance they "can send later"
- A quote from the driveway, with nobody on the roof or in the attic
- A quote with no product names, no tear-off line, no plywood price and no mention of ventilation
- "Lifetime warranty" with no document behind it
- Asking you to sign over an insurance claim
- Reviews that are all five stars, all recent and all vague
Questions to ask on the site visit
- Who will be on my roof: your employees or someone else? Who supervises?
- How many roofs like mine did you do last year?
- What did you see in my attic, and what will you do about ventilation?
- What's the per-sheet price if you find rotten plywood, and how will you show me?
- Where does the eave membrane go, and will all the flashing be new?
- Who hauls the debris, and how do you protect the garden, the driveway and the gutters?
- How do you handle rain mid-job?
- Can I see your insurance certificate and WorkSafeBC clearance letter?
- What's in your workmanship warranty, for how long, and what voids it?
Good roofers like these questions; they separate them from the competition.
How our network fits in
The companies that join our network have shown us a current business licence, liability insurance and WorkSafeBC coverage, and we send each request to no more than three of them. That's a floor, not a substitute for your own checks, and you hire the roofer directly. We never tell you which to pick; the three quotes side by side usually do. Read why compare quotes for how it works, or start your request.
Common questions
Is roofing a licensed trade in BC?
No. Roofer is a Red Seal trade but certification is voluntary, and BC doesn't license renovation contractors. The checks that matter are a municipal business licence, a WorkSafeBC clearance letter, liability insurance, references and a written warranty.
How much deposit is normal?
Modest. For contracts signed at your home, BC's consumer protection law caps the deposit a direct seller can take and gives you 10 days to cancel. Large deposits before materials arrive are a red flag.