In the aftermath of a severe storm like the one that swept through the Golden Belt last week, there are plenty of roofs in need of repair. But, officials warn home and business owners to use caution to avoid scams by transient contractors.

“After storm damage, our main priority is to clean up and make repairs as quickly as possible,” Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said. “When considering roofing work on a home or business, it is important that consumers make sure their roofing contractor is properly registered before signing any contract or having any work done.”

Locally, according to Great Bend building inspection technician Maggie Glynn, all licensed contractors, including roofers, are required to hold a license with the city. In order to hold a license they are required to provide proof of insurance coverage and they are required to provide proof of test scores over the International Code Council codes prior to her office issuing a roofing license. 

Glynn said the City has two different types of roofing licenses it may issue. 

The first type is a roofing unlimited contractor license. this license will allow the business holding the license to work on both commercial and residential properties. The second type is the roofing limited contractor license. This license will allow the business holding the license to work on residential properties only. 

In addition to the City of Great Bend requirements, the State of Kansas enacted the Kansas Roofing Registration Act on April 22, 2013, Glynn said. This act requires every roofing contractor working in the State of Kansas to obtain a roofing contractor certificate in order to legally provide commercial or residential roofing services for a fee in Kansas.

When a roofing contractor comes to Glynn’s office requesting a license they have provide their State of Kansas Roofing Registration Certificate. 

The link to the Attorney General’s website for Roofing Registration is  ag.ks.gov/in-your-corner-kansas/resources/roofing-registration. On this page there is a link where any consumer can check the Roofer Registry to see if a contractor is registered with the State of Kansas.

In addition to d a license with the city, contractors must also pull a permit for all jobs prior to beginning work, Glynn said. All issued permits should be posted in the window of the job site. 

Schmidt also suggests consumers should request a copy of their roofer’s registration certificate and then should check the KAG consumer protection website to confirm that the registration remains active.

Staff from the attorney general’s Roofing Registration Unit are working to assist local officials in responding to contractors and consumers.

The requirement to register with the attorney general’s office is in addition to any other local requirements that may be imposed by cities or counties. The online directory of registrations is available at www.InYourCornerKansas.org.

With few exceptions, the Kansas Roofing Registration Act requires roofing contractors to obtain a registration certificate from the Kansas Attorney General in order to legally provide commercial or residential roofing services for a fee in Kansas. It is designed to ensure that legitimate roofing contractors are complying with state requirements, such as carrying appropriate insurance, and to help prevent fly-by-night operators from taking advantage of Kansas consumers.

For more information, any individual inquiring about a licensed contractor or wanting to know if a permit has been pulled for their roofing job can contact the city Inspection Office at 620-793-4106.

Any Kansans who have problems with roofing contractors or other companies that follow storms may file a request for the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Division to investigate at 800-432-2310 or www.InYourCornerKansas.org. 

The attorney general requests that Kansans promptly report any unregistered person or company attempting to sell roofing services.