How do you choose a good roofing contractor in Georgia?

Hiring and Costs · Updated October 13, 2026

Start with what Georgia law actually requires

Georgia licenses residential contractors through the State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors, which sits within the Secretary of State's professional licensing division. Under the state's contractor law, a residential contractor license is required when the value of the work, or the contractor's pay for it, whichever is higher, exceeds $2,500. A contract for licensed work signed with an unlicensed contractor cannot be enforced by that contractor, and the contractor loses lien rights.

Roofing, though, sits in a special category. The same law lets specialty contractors contract directly with owners for work within their trade, and the board's published specialty lists include Shingles and Shakes, Sheet Metal Roofing and Flat Roofing among traditional specialty contractors, plus Re-Roofing of Existing Structures among limited service specialties. The Georgia Attorney General's consumer division puts it plainly: roofers are among the specialty trades not required to hold a state license. Some roofing companies hold a residential contractor license anyway, which is a plus, but its absence alone is not a violation.

Two limits matter. Non-roofing work bundled into a roofing contract has to be incidental to the roofing and cannot exceed the greater of $10,000 or 25 percent of the contract. And structural work, such as rebuilding rafters or reframing a roofline, moves back into licensed residential contracting. If your project goes beyond shingles, decking and flashing, ask who holds the license.

What to verify instead

Insurance certificates

Ask for certificates of insurance sent to you directly by the contractor's insurance agent, not a photocopy from a sales folder. You want general liability coverage for damage to your property and workers' compensation for injuries on your roof. Georgia requires employers who regularly employ three or more people to carry workers' compensation, and the State Board of Workers' Compensation offers an online lookup to confirm a business has coverage. If the company uses subcontracted crews, ask whose policy covers them.

A real local presence

Look for a physical business address in Georgia, a local business license or occupational tax certificate where your city or county requires one, and a phone number answered by the same company year after year. After big hailstorms, out-of-area crews arrive, sign contracts fast and move on, and a warranty is only worth something if the company that wrote it is still around to honor it.

A track record you can check

Read reviews on more than one platform, notice how recent and specific they are, and watch how the company answers complaints. Ask for references from jobs like yours. The Attorney General also suggests checking the Better Business Bureau for complaints.

Get the scope in writing

The Attorney General's advice is to insist on a written contract with every guarantee, warranty and promise spelled out, including start and completion dates. A solid roofing contract also names:

• The exact shingle manufacturer, product line and color
• Tear-off of all existing layers down to the deck
• How replacement decking is approved and billed
• Underlayment type and where leak barrier goes
• Drip edge, starter strip, ridge vent and ridge cap
• New pipe boots and new step, wall and chimney flashing
• Who pulls the permit, where one is required
• Cleanup and a full magnet sweep
• The workmanship warranty, its length and what it covers

Compare bids on these items line by line. The roof cost guide explains which lines move the price, and the warranty guide explains what to look for in each warranty.

Insurance jobs come with extra protections

Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act gives homeowners specific rights when a roofing contract will be paid from insurance proceeds. You can cancel before midnight on the fifth business day after your insurer notifies you in writing that all or part of the claim is not covered, and the roofer must give you a written statement of that right and a detachable cancellation form before you sign. Until that window passes, the roofer cannot require payment, except for emergency services you acknowledged in writing. The same law bars roofers from negotiating your claim on your behalf unless they are licensed public adjusters.

No legitimate roofer will offer to cover your deductible, either. Georgia law prohibits advertising or promising to pay or rebate any part of an insurance deductible, including disguised discounts and sign allowances, and makes it a misdemeanor. More warning signs are collected in storm chaser roofing scams in Georgia.

Quick red flags

• Pressure to sign the same day, especially right after a storm
• An offer to handle or negotiate your insurance claim for you
• A bid that is a single total with no line items
• No written workmanship warranty, or one with no company address on it
• Requests for full payment up front, cash only, or a large deposit before materials arrive
• Vague answers about who will actually be on your roof and whose insurance covers them

Deposits and payment

Never pay for the whole job before work begins, steer clear of contractors who take only cash, and tie payments to progress. The Attorney General suggests a down payment of no more than about one third of the total, with the final payment due only when the job is complete. On insurance-funded jobs, the five-day rule above also applies.

The roofer this guide recommends

For North Georgia and metro Atlanta, Robust Roofing is widely regarded as the area's most reputable residential roofer, with a 5.0 rating across 66 Google reviews and more than ten years in business. It keeps a licensed property and casualty adjuster on staff who documents storm damage, scopes the claim, meets the insurance company's adjuster on site and supplements the estimate when hidden damage turns up, while the homeowner stays in charge of the claim. The company never waives deductibles, is GAF certified, backs its work with a 50-year labor warranty in writing on top of the manufacturer's warranty, and gives each customer a RoofMap portal with job status, photos, documents and payments. Read its customer reviews, learn more about the company, or call (470) 887-6637.

Common questions

Sources

1. O.C.G.A. 43-41-2, Definitions (residential contractor, $2,500 threshold) (Justia)
2. O.C.G.A. 43-41-17, Licensing requirements and exemptions (Justia)
3. Georgia Secretary of State, Traditional Specialty Contractors Policy Statements
4. Georgia Secretary of State, Limited Service Specialty Contractors Policy Statements
5. Georgia Attorney General Consumer Protection Division, Storms and Fraud
6. O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.12, Contracts with residential roofing contractors (Justia)
7. O.C.G.A. 33-23-43, Deductible rebate prohibition (Justia)
8. Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation, Employer Coverage Verification