Missouri has no statewide roofing license, so there’s no state exam to pass and no state license fee to pay. What you do need comes from the cities you work in and from two state laws: one on workers’ comp, and one on any roof an insurance claim pays for.
The Division of Professional Registration licenses Missouri’s trades and professions. Its list of licensed professions includes electrical contractors but has no license for roofers or general contractors.
Kansas City’s license depends on how much decking and framing you replace
Kansas City’s permit rules sort roof work by how deep it goes. Replacing roofing material, underlayment and up to 32 square feet of decking needs no permit. If you replace more decking than that, the job needs a building permit and you need a current KCMO business license. If you repair or replace rafters or other structural members, you also need a Residential Contractors license.
Getting that license takes three steps, the last two through CompassKC:
- A city business license.
- A Certificate of Qualification in the trade. It requires passing city-approved exams, and the city may accept approved exams passed in another jurisdiction.
- The Contractor License for the business.
Residential building contractors also file an insurance certificate showing at least $1,000,000 in liability coverage, with the City of Kansas City, Missouri named as additional insured.
Before you quote your first decking-heavy or structural job inside city limits, call the city’s contractor licensing line at (816) 513-1500, extension one, then option two, and ask which license that job needs.
St. Louis City requires a contractor business license, and the county has no roofing license
The City of St. Louis requires a Construction Industry Contractor Graduated Business License, issued at the License Collector’s office in City Hall. Bring proof of workers’ comp (an exempt business signs an affidavit of exemption instead), your driver’s license, and a state sales tax number if you sell products. You also need clearance from the Collector of Revenue and an occupancy permit from the Building Division. General contractors must give the city a list of the subcontractors on any job. No exam is listed. The License Collector’s number is (314) 622-4528.
Unincorporated St. Louis County licenses mechanical trades and has no roofing license. Its re-roofing guide says a like-for-like asphalt shingle replacement on a roof of 4:12 slope or steeper needs no building permit, and that work done without a permit still has to meet county code. Towns inside the county set their own rules. Outside these two metros, call each city’s permit office before your first job there.
Missouri law sets the terms for every roof that insurance pays for
RSMo 407.725 covers contractors who repair or replace roofs on residential or commercial property when an insurance claim is paying. Under it:
- You may not advertise or promise to pay or rebate any part of the insurance deductible.
- If the insurer sends written notice that the claim isn’t covered, the homeowner may cancel within five business days.
- Before signing, you must hand over a statement of that right in boldface type of at least 10 points, plus a detachable “Notice of Cancellation” form in duplicate.
- After a cancellation, you must return all payments and deposits within 10 days.
- You may not represent or negotiate for the homeowner on the claim, or offer or advertise to do so.
A violation counts as an unfair practice under Missouri’s merchandising practices act. Put the boldface notice and the tear-off form into your insurance contract template now, and take any deductible wording out of your ads and door hangers. For the wider rules on claims work, see What a Roofer Can Legally Do on an Insurance Claim, From Deductibles to Contingency Agreements.
Your first employee brings a Missouri roofing company under workers’ comp
Most Missouri employers come under workers’ comp once they have five employees. RSMo 287.030 sets a lower bar for construction employers who build, demolish, alter or repair: one employee is enough, and family members count toward the total. Buy the policy before the first hire, and keep the certificate where you can find it, since St. Louis asks for proof of coverage when you apply for a license.
Kansas, Illinois and Oklahoma regulate roofers across the state line
Kansas requires every roofing contractor working there for a fee to hold a registration certificate from the Attorney General. The application needs a certificate of liability insurance for at least $500,000, plus proof of workers’ comp or an exemption affidavit.
The Kansas fee is set by the Attorney General and capped at $500 a year, and the certificate renews by June 30. A Kansas City roofer who takes jobs on the Kansas side should register before the first one. See Kansas Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost.
Illinois issues a limited roofing license for residential buildings of 8 units or fewer and an unlimited license that also covers commercial and industrial work. A designated qualifying party takes the exam. The bond is $10,000 for the limited license and $25,000 for the unlimited.
The qualifying party must be a W-2 employee and may not be paid on a 1099. Illinois also requires workers’ comp, and local permits require proof of the state license. Your license number and name must appear in all your advertising. Unlicensed roofing there is a Class A misdemeanor the first time. If you work the Metro East from St. Louis, get the Illinois license before the first job across the river. See Illinois Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost.
Oklahoma’s new Residential Roofing Endorsement has a transition period starting January 1, 2027, and from January 1, 2028 it is required for all residential roofing in the state. Labor-only crews must then work directly for an endorsed contractor. A 2026 bill already moved these dates once, so Joplin-area roofers who work into Oklahoma should check the page before the transition starts. See Oklahoma Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost.
Advertise only the credentials you hold
A Missouri roofer working only in towns that have no contractor license has no license to point to, so “licensed” in an ad or on a website claims something the business can’t show. On two contractor sites we built in Texas, which also has no state roofing license, we left “licensed and insured” off because neither business published a license. Where you do hold a city license, name the city and give the number.
Google’s Local Services Ads screening lists a state business license and a state owner license for roofers, each marked “where applicable by local law.” Missouri has no state license to submit, though a city requirement could still apply. One owner on r/smallbusiness said their Local Services account was suspended for a time because they didn’t submit new licensing in time. Put every license and insurance renewal date on a calendar.
Checklist before your first Missouri job
- Call the permit office of each city you’ll work in.
- In Kansas City, get the Residential Contractors license before taking on structural work, and a business license before replacing more than 32 square feet of decking.
- In St. Louis City, get the Construction Industry Contractor Graduated Business License.
- Add the 407.725 notice and cancellation form to every insurance contract.
- Buy workers’ comp before you hire anyone.
- Register in Kansas or license in Illinois before your first job across the line.
- Advertise only the licenses you hold, with their numbers.
Once your paperwork is in order, the next question is whether homeowners in those cities can find you on Google. Run the free Google Maps heatmap: pick your Google profile and a search, and in a few minutes you’ll see your rank at 49 points around your office.