Minnesota roofing license: roofer, building contractor or registration, what each covers (gutters and siding too), and your first 30 days

Published November 3, 2026 · Rules checked November 3, 2026

• Free. The printable checklist comes by email.
• Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors (scheduling, quotes, invoicing, card payments). One section, the one before the FAQ, says where it fits.
• Not legal advice. I read every rule here in the statute, the rule, or the Department of Labor and Industry's, the city's or the agency's own page or form on November 3, 2026, and each one is linked in the sources. DLI and your city have the last word.

Minnesota licenses the roofing company, not the roofer. A company that contracts with the owner of a one-to-four-family home to do roofing needs one of three licenses from the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI): residential roofer, residential remodeler or residential building contractor. The roofer license covers roofing and nothing else. In DLI's words, a licensed roofer "cannot contract to provide the installation of gutters, downspouts, soffit, or fascia," and siding sits in the same skill as those, so a company selling roofs with gutters or siding needs the remodeler or building contractor license.^{1, 3, 5} A contractor registration is a different thing again. It lets you roof as a sub for a licensed contractor, or on commercial and bigger buildings, but not sign a homeowner's reroof.^{3, 13} In the first 30 days you need liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence, $300,000 aggregate and $25,000 property damage, a $15,000 bond if you hold the roofer license, workers' comp or a reason you're outside it, a registration and comp certificate from every sub crew, and a building permit on every reroof.^{7, 8, 13, 16, 23}

The whole 30-day list is further down this page. It also comes as a printable sheet with blanks for your license, Q and registration numbers, bond number, policy numbers, comp policy or exclusion, permit numbers and renewal dates. Get it three ways: make your own copy in Google Docs (lands in your Drive), download the Word version (.docx), or download the PDF. Pick a format, enter your email and I'll send the links.

Most Minnesota roofing companies have already voted with their paperwork. On November 3, 2026, DLI's own license file listed 329 active building contractor licenses held by companies with "roof" in their name, against 84 roofer licenses, and another 343 roofing-named companies held a contractor registration.¹⁴ The reason is the bundle. One owner put it plainly on Reddit: "The window/siding type exterior trades keep us going through the slow roofing seasons, but margins are slim and the projects take more involvement with a lot more little detail issues popping up."³⁷ The guides you'll find cover passing the exam. This page is about what each credential lets you sell, what the company needs around it, and what to sort out before the next job.

Minnesota roofing license requirements: which credential you hold

Look yourself up on DLI's lookup first. The prefix on your number tells you which row you're in.^{5, 38}

Sources for the table: the definitions in Minn. Stat. 326B.802, the exemptions in 326B.805, DLI's licensing, roofer, exam and registration pages, and the exemption packet.^{1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 13}

What the Minnesota roofer license covers, and where gutters and siding sit

The statute defines a residential roofer as a company contracting with an owner "to complete work on residential real estate in roof coverings, roof sheathing, roof weatherproofing and insulation, and repair of roof systems, but not construction of new roof systems." The roofing skill lists five areas: roof coverings, roof sheathing, roof weatherproofing and insulation, "repair of roof support system, but not construction of new roof support system," and roof penetrations to attach solar panels.¹ Residential means a building for one to four families, detached garages included.¹

Gutters and siding sit in a different skill. "Exterior finishing" is siding; "soffit, fascia, and trim"; exterior plaster and stucco; painting; and "rain carrying systems, including gutters and down spouts."¹ DLI draws the line three times, on three pages:

• "A residential roofer license does not allow the licensee to perform any work besides roofing." "A licensed roofer cannot contract to provide the installation of gutters, downspouts, soffit, or fascia – this work requires a residential building contractor or residential remodeler license."⁵
• "Roofing contractors who wish to install gutters, downspouts, or soffit and fascia must get a residential building contractor or remodeler license instead."³
• "A roofer license only allows you to perform roofing work – you cannot contract to install gutters, downspouts, soffits, fascia or any other type of residential work."⁶

Siding isn't named on those pages, but it's the first item in exterior finishing, and "any other type of residential work" covers it. Here's how the edges fall for a roofer license, item by item:

• Decking. Roof sheathing is inside, with no cap on how much you replace. A full re-deck is roofing.¹
• Rafters and trusses. Repair is inside. A new roof system, a dormer or a pitch change is construction of a new roof support system, which is framing, a carpentry skill.¹ Minneapolis wants an additional permit and a framing inspection for any repair to rafters or trusses.²⁴
• Metal, flat and low-slope roofs. The license doesn't split by material. A membrane on a porch or a detached garage is roof covering on residential real estate.¹
• Flashing, chimneys and vents. Flashing, crickets and passive roof vents are roof weatherproofing. Rebuilding or tuckpointing the chimney itself is masonry, a separate skill.¹
• Skylights. The statute files "doors, windows, and skylights" under carpentry.¹ My reading: re-flashing an existing skylight during a reroof is roofing; selling a new skylight unit adds a second skill, which is remodeler work. I found no DLI statement on it, so ask DLI before you quote skylight swaps on a roofer license.
• Insulation. "Roof weatherproofing and insulation" is in your skill, while "insulation and vapor barriers" also appears under interior finishing.¹ My reading: insulation in the roof assembly, like the board on a low-slope roof, is yours; blowing the attic floor is the other skill. Again, ask DLI if it's a regular line for you.
• Solar. Penetrating the roof for panels is roofing, but assembling the racking is "general installation," and since July 1, 2023 a company contracting with a homeowner to install solar must hold the remodeler or building contractor license, with the wiring done by a licensed electrical contractor.^{1, 5} On a roofer license, sub the panel removal and reinstall to a solar or electrical company.

Which license should a roofing company hold?

If you only ever sell roofs, the roofer license is enough: $180, a $15,000 bond, and the QR exam.^{4, 8} If you sell gutters, siding, soffit, fascia, skylight units or anything else with the roof, get the remodeler license (or building contractor, if you'll touch new homes or new garages). It costs the same $180 plus a $320 contractor recovery fund fee while your receipts are under $1 million, and needs no bond.^{5, 8, 9} One more difference for your customers: the recovery fund, which pays homeowners up to $100,000 after a court judgment against a licensee, doesn't cover roofers. "Residential roofers are subject to all of the requirements of sections 326B.802 to 326B.885, except the recovery fund."⁹ Our Minnesota residential contractor license guide covers the remodeler and building contractor licenses in full.

Who has to hold what: the company and its qualifying person

"Only companies are required to obtain a license," DLI says, but every company designates one "qualifying person," who passes the exam and does the continuing education for it.⁴ The rules on that person:

• Who can be one. The proprietor, a general partner, an LLC's chief manager, a corporation's owner or officer, or a managing employee "regularly employed by the licensee" and "actively engaged" in its residential work. There's no ownership share required, but DLI says the qualifying person "may not be an independent contractor of the company."^{2, 6}
• The exam. QR for roofer, QC for remodeler, QB for building contractor; $50 to apply; 110 multiple-choice questions, 70% to pass, five and a half hours, with the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code and DLI's reference manual in the room. No experience or education prerequisites. Fail it and you wait 30 days.^{6, 10}
• One person, more than one company. Only with "common ownership of at least 25 percent" among the companies.²
• When the qualifying person leaves. The company must tell DLI in writing within 15 days of a change of qualifying person, and the person signs a promise to give DLI 15 days' notice before resigning.^{2, 7} I found no grace period that lets a company keep contracting without one. Line up the replacement before the exit, and ask DLI what applies if someone walks out.

Being someone else's qualifier. You can only qualify a company you own, run or work for as a managing employee, and DLI's sanctions reach the qualifying person as well as the company.^{2, 31} If a friend's roofing company asks to "use your Q number," you'd be the name DLI holds to its work, and a licensee who knowingly lets an unlicensed person use the license number to get a permit is on DLI's list of grounds for sanctions.³¹

Crews, subs and workers' comp

Your own employees work under your license, and the license application has you certify that their pay "will be reported on an Internal Revenue Service W-2 form."^{2, 7} Sub crews are where Minnesota gets strict.

• Registration. "Roofing subcontractors do not need a license but must register."³ You may not hire a crew that has to register and hasn't (for the crew, each unregistered day is a separate violation), and DLI says an unregistered sub "is presumed to be an employee of any contractor that hires them" (the penalty is forgiven the first time).¹³ Look every crew up before it starts.
• Independent or employee. Under Minn. Stat. 181.723, last amended in 2024, a person roofing for you is your employee unless they operate as a business that meets all 14 conditions, among them: its own tools and vehicle, other customers, a written contract signed by both sides no later than 30 days after work starts, payment "on a commission or per-job or competitive bid basis," invoices and payments in the business's name ("Payments made in cash do not meet this requirement"), its own workers' comp where required, and its DLI registration. Keep the paperwork three years. The penalty is up to $10,000 for each worker you misclassified.¹⁵
• Workers' comp for subs. "Where a subcontractor fails to comply with this chapter, the general contractor ... is liable for payment of all compensation due an employee of a subsequent subcontractor."¹⁶ Your insurer's auditor will charge for it. Under the Minnesota rating rules, a sub with no comp certificate and no payroll records is counted on your policy at the full subcontract price, with minimums of 90% for labor-only work and 50% for labor and material, rated as roofing (class 5551).¹⁷

Here's what that costs. Minnesota's Assigned Risk Plan, which insures employers a licensed insurer has turned down, publishes a 2026 rate for class 5551 of $44.006 per $100 of payroll, rising to $44.976 on January 1, 2027, with a $655 minimum premium.¹⁷ Take a 30-square tear-off and reroof subbed at $98 a square for labor (the median crew price owners stated in our roofing research), so $2,940. With no comp certificate, at least $2,646 of it counts as your payroll, which at the plan's rate is about $1,164 of extra premium, close to $39 a square (my arithmetic; voluntary carriers file their own rates). That's why an owner wrote, "100/sq for an insured sub and 75-80 if I'm having to cover WC for them."³⁷

Comp for the owner. The law doesn't cover a sole proprietor, partners, or (in companies under 22,880 hours of payroll last year) a corporate officer or LLC manager owning at least 25%.¹⁶ No employees and no subs? Tick that box on DLI's certificate of compliance, which every applicant files. The first employee needs a policy on day one: without it, DLI can order up to $1,000 per employee per week, and a willful failure is a gross misdemeanor.¹⁶

Liability insurance. The license needs commercial general liability "which includes premises and operations insurance and products and completed operations insurance," at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate for bodily injury plus $25,000 property damage, or a $300,000 single limit, with DLI on file as certificate holder and told by the insurer if it's canceled.^{7, 8} DLI's roofer page still says "$300,000 per occurrence, which must include at least $10,000 property damage coverage," and Google's summary repeats it; the statute and DLI's own roofer certificate form say the figures above, so buy to those.^{4, 7} Then read the policy. An owner on Reddit: "Alot of roofers get a binder for a GL policy to show they have GL insurance but the policy EXCLUDES roofing."³⁷

Safety rules: falls, lead and asbestos

Fall protection. Minnesota OSHA enforces the federal construction standards, plus its own rules on top.¹⁹ On a house: "Each employee engaged in residential construction activities 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels shall be protected by guardrail systems, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system." On a low-slope roof, warning lines with a safety monitor are allowed, and a safety monitor alone on roofs 50 feet wide or less.¹⁸ A written fall protection plan is the exception: only where you can show conventional protection "is infeasible or creates a greater hazard," prepared by a qualified person for that site and kept there, and OSHA starts from "a presumption that it is feasible." Train every worker exposed to falls and keep a written certification record with their name, the date and the trainer's signature.¹⁸

What Minnesota adds. The employer pays for protective equipment.¹⁹ And roofing contractors (NAICS 238160) and siding contractors (238170) are on the AWAIR list: an employer in those codes needs a written workplace accident and injury reduction program, reviewed and documented every year, and a safety committee even with 25 or fewer employees.¹⁹ DLI's AWAIR page has a booklet on writing one.

Lead (EPA's RRP rule). EPA: "The RRP Rule applies to work that disturbs painted surfaces. Where there is no paint to disturb, the RRP Rule does not apply." Shingles usually aren't painted. Painted fascia, soffit and trim are, and EPA adds that if hammering painted components "even on the unpainted side, disturbs paint, creating dust or chips, the RRP Rule applies."²⁰ On a pre-1978 home that means a certified firm and renovator once you disturb more than 20 square feet of painted exterior, and in Minnesota a licensed roofer, remodeler or builder must hold that certification as a license duty. EPA penalties run up to $49,772 per violation.²⁰

Asbestos. The federal NESHAP rule excludes "residential buildings having four or fewer dwelling units," and it lists asphalt roofing products among its nonfriable materials.²¹ Minnesota is stricter. "Effective July 1, 2021, roofing, siding, flooring, and ceilings are no longer exempted in residences with four or fewer dwelling units," says the Department of Health. Work on 6 square feet or more of friable asbestos outside a house, or material your tear-off will make friable, needs an MDH-licensed asbestos contractor, certified workers, notification and a permit.²¹ Old asbestos-cement shingles and siding are the ones to test before a tear-off.

Where your license stops: what you sub out

• Gutters, downspouts, soffit, fascia, siding, skylight units (roofer license only): a remodeler or building contractor does them, or you get that license.^{3, 5}
• New roof framing: dormers, additions, a new roof structure. Carpentry, so a remodeler or builder, with its own permit.¹
• Electrical: solar disconnects, attic fan wiring, and the meter socket or AC disconnect you unbolt during a re-side. DLI's re-siding sheet says electrical permits are needed for "the replacement or reinstallation of electric meter sockets, air-conditioning disconnects, light fixtures and receptacles removed during the re-siding process," reinstalled by the homeowner or a licensed electrical contractor.^{27, 39} Our Minnesota electrical license guide covers who does what.
• Plumbing vents: flashing a vent pipe is roofing; extending or replacing the pipe is plumbing, which takes a licensed plumbing contractor.³⁹ See our Minnesota plumbing license guide.
• Bath fans and ductwork: my reading is that a new roof cap on an existing duct is part of the roof, while new fans or ductwork are ventilation work, which in Minnesota takes the $25,000 mechanical contractor bond to contract.³⁹ Our Minnesota HVAC license guide explains the bond.
• Commercial roofs and buildings of more than four units: no residential license applies. A company with no license registers with DLI; a licensed company doesn't need to.^{5, 13} Permits are stricter: St. Paul takes commercial flat-roof permit applications by fax, mail or email for review, with the drains, overflows and insulation to the 2024 commercial energy code on the form.²⁶

Permits and inspections for a reroof in Minnesota

Minnesota's permit rule covers anyone who intends to "construct, enlarge, alter, repair" a building, and its exempt list (sheds, fences, low decks, painting and finish work, and a few others) doesn't include roofing.²² DLI's fact sheet says it straight: "Building permits are required for re-roofing existing dwellings."²³ Ordinary repairs need no permit.²²

• Who pulls it. You do, with your license number on the application. A city may not issue a permit to an unlicensed person who must be licensed, and it may add up to $5 to verify your license.^{10, 28}
• The code. The 2020 Minnesota Residential Code, built on the 2018 IRC. Minnesota's climate table marks ice barrier underlayment as required everywhere, and it runs from the eave to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line. Tear everything off where the roof already has "two or more applications of any type of roof covering," is water-soaked, or is wood shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile.^{23, 24} DLI asked for comments on moving to the 2024 IRC on February 2, 2026; no date is set.²³
• Minneapolis. "A building permit is required for all re-roofing work, except repairs involving less than one bundle of shingles (33 1/3 square feet of roof area)." Framing repairs need an additional permit and a framing inspection. There's no underlayment inspection, but there is a final.²⁴ Gutters, soffits, fascia and trim are on the city's permit-exempt list; siding isn't.^{25, 27} Start with the city's roofing handout.
• St. Paul. "Call the building inspector before starting the reroof project so flashing and underlayment may be checked by the building inspector (required)." Overlays only "with PRIOR approval," soffit and roof vents brought up to current venting requirements, and a cricket on any chimney wider than 30 inches.²⁶ Start with the city's reroofing guideline.
• Small towns and townships. Cities that had adopted the State Building Code by 2008 must keep enforcing it, but small municipalities outside the metro aren't required to.³⁰ Where there's no building permit, your license number goes on the zoning or site plan permit instead.²⁸ Call before the first job in a new town.
• The homeowner exemption. An owner who lives in the house can roof it without a license.² That covers the owner's own hands. If your crew does the work, pull the permit yourself with your license number on it, which is what your license application promised.^{7, 28}

City licenses on top. None for a state-licensed roofer. "Roofers do not need a Minneapolis license. You must have a State of Minnesota license," says Minneapolis, and state law bars cities from requiring a license from a state licensee.^{28, 29} St. Paul says it "honors" the state building contractor license and that "Roofing requires a State of Minnesota Residential Roofer License." The city licenses land on everyone else: St. Paul requires its own contractor license, with a $2,500 bond and $500,000 of insurance, from certificate-of-exemption holders and one-skill contractors, and Minneapolis requires a residential specialty contractor license with a $10,000 bond from one-skill contractors, siding and gutter companies included.²⁹ Duluth's, Rochester's and Bloomington's licensing pages list no roofing license.²⁹

Can I take this job? A table for Minnesota roofing companies

Insurance-paid roofs carry contract rules of their own. The homeowner can cancel "within 72 hours after the insured has been notified by the insurer that the claim has been denied," and the contract needs a bold statement and two notice forms; the Minnesota residential construction contract template has the wording.³⁴ Under 325E.66 you may not offer to pay any part of a deductible, and you give a written notice of the rule with your first estimate.³⁴

Your first 30 days: the checklist

The same list as the printable sheet. Week 1 is the company and the license; the rest runs alongside your first jobs.

A. Company and the license

• Secretary of State filing active, in the exact name you'll use on the license, insurance, trucks and ads. An LLC is $155 online; an assumed name is $50 online.³⁶
• Pick the license: roofer for roofing only, remodeler or building contractor if you sell anything else.⁵
• Qualifying person passes the exam ($50) and gets a Q number.^{6, 10}
• Apply through iMS: $180, owner and background disclosures, insurance certificate, workers' comp certificate of compliance. Roofer license: the $15,000 bond on DLI's form, notarized, with the surety's power of attorney. Remodeler or builder: the $320 recovery fund fee.^{4, 5, 7}
• Under $15,000 a year instead: the certificate of exemption, $10, notarized. Pass $15,000 in a calendar year and you "must immediately surrender the certificate of exemption and apply for the appropriate license."^{2, 12}
• Subbing only, or commercial only, with no license: contractor registration before the first job.¹³
• Within 15 days, tell DLI in writing about any change of owner, officer, address, name or qualifying person.²

B. Insurance, comp and crews

• General liability to the statute's figures, completed operations included, DLI as certificate holder. Get the roofing exclusion question answered in writing.^{7, 8}
• Workers' comp before the first employee, or the right box on DLI's certificate of compliance.¹⁶
• A file for every sub crew: registration number, comp certificate, signed contract within 30 days of the start, per-job pay, invoices in the crew's business name, no cash.^{13, 15, 17}

C. Cities

• State license holders: no city license in Minneapolis or St. Paul.²⁹
• Exemption holders and siding or gutter-only firms: St. Paul's city contractor license, Minneapolis's residential specialty contractor license.²⁹

D. Safety

• Fall protection gear bought and paid for by you, training records signed, a written plan only where conventional protection really can't work.^{18, 19}
• A written AWAIR program once you have employees, reviewed every year.¹⁹
• EPA lead-safe firm certification if you'll touch painted trim on pre-1978 homes. A rule for testing old asbestos-cement material before tear-off.^{20, 21}

E. Permits, name, contracts and tax

• Shop rule: a permit for every reroof and re-side, pulled in your name, before work starts. Put it on the quote as its own line; our construction estimate template has a slot for it.^{23, 28}
• License number "on all business cards and all contracts," and in "any advertising ... including but not limited to signs, vehicles, business cards, published display ads, flyers, brochures, websites, and Internet ads." Contracts must also "state that the person is licensed."²⁸
• A written contract for every job: scope, materials, price, both signatures, a signed copy to the customer, the mechanic's lien notice if you buy materials or hire subs, and the statutory warranty, which for roofing as a home improvement is one year. The contract template has all of it.³⁴
• Sales tax: pay it on shingles and materials when you buy them, don't charge it on the job, and don't list it on the invoice. Selling materials you don't install is a retail sale, taxed.³⁵
• Subs lined up for what you can't do: gutters and siding on a roofer license, electrical, plumbing vents, new framing.^{5, 39}

F. Renewals

• Company license: two years, ending March 31. DLI's file shows the roofer licenses first issued in 2026 expiring March 31, 2028. Roofer renewal is $185, plus $90 if it's late, with a fresh bond form.^{10, 14}
• Qualifying person: the Q registration runs two years from the exam, renewed with 14 hours of DLI-approved continuing education, at least one hour on energy code and one on business management.^{5, 11}
• Certificate of exemption: March 31 every year. Registration: December 31, 2027, renewable from October 1.^{12, 13}
• Insurance, comp and bond dates in the calendar, with new certificates sent to DLI. Comp rates change every January 1.^{8, 17}

What happens if you cross the line

• Roofing without the license, or outside it. Gutters sold on a roofer license are unlicensed work. DLI can fine up to $10,000 per violation, order you to stop work with $5,000 a day for working through the order, and it's a misdemeanor; breaking a DLI order is a gross misdemeanor.³¹ DLI uses it. In 2026 so far it ordered a Minneapolis man trading as a handyman and as a roofing business to stop acting as a contractor, remodeler or roofer, with a $5,000 penalty (February 12), and penalized builders in Buhl ($5,000, $4,000 stayed) and Elk River ($3,000, stayed) with orders to get permits and call for inspections on their "construction/remodeling/roofing work."³²
• No registration, or hiring an unregistered crew. Each unregistered day is a separate violation.¹³ A crew that fails the 181.723 test is your employee, at up to $10,000 per worker plus their unpaid wages and benefits.¹⁵
• No permit. "Performing any construction without obtaining applicable local building permits and inspections" is a ground for license sanctions.³³ The two permit cases above are what it looks like.
• No workers' comp. Up to $1,000 per employee per week; willful failure is a gross misdemeanor.¹⁶
• Getting paid. "An unlicensed person who knowingly violates sections 326B.802 to 326B.885 has no right to claim a lien ... and the lien is void."³¹ The statute doesn't say the contract itself is void, and I didn't research case law, so don't count on collecting for unlicensed work. Ask a lawyer.
• Insurance. I found no Minnesota rule on whether a liability policy pays for work outside your license class. Ask your agent in writing what the policy excludes.

More for new roofing companies

• Roofing price per square: what to charge, crew pay and your real margin, with a free rate sheet.
• Roofing estimate template and checklist: every line from tear-off to dump fee, with a free spreadsheet and roof sheet.
• Roofing contract template: the decking and extra-layer clauses that stop you eating the cost.
• Roofing insurance and workers comp: what it costs in your state, the official comp rates and what can sink you, with a free checklist.
• Insurance claims, what a roofer may and may not say, and the notice your contract needs: Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel won't pull your permit, check a crew's registration, measure a roof or handle an insurance claim, and it doesn't track license, bond or policy dates. Here's what it does do. You write one shop-wide terms text that's copied onto every quote the customer sees and signs on screen, and one invoice footer that goes on every invoice: put your license number, the "licensed by" line and your warranty there once. Quotes can carry options (a 30-year shingle and a metal option, say), and a card deposit taken at approval is credited on the final invoice. The price book's unit field is free text, so "square" or "sheet" works, and quantities take decimals, so 31.5 squares does too. Each job has internal notes and internal file attachments that customers never see, which is a place for the permit number and the inspection card, and each visit holds photos. The Free plan covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team; Pro is $29 a month for unlimited estimates and invoices. Details are on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a license to do roofing in Minnesota?

Yes, if you contract directly with the owner of a one-to-four-family home (detached garages included). The company needs a residential roofer, residential remodeler or residential building contractor license from the Department of Labor and Industry. Roofing is the one trade that needs a license even when it's the only thing you do: other one-skill contractors are exempt. Three cases need no license: a sub crew working for a licensed contractor (it registers with DLI instead), commercial roofing and buildings of more than four units (registration), and a company whose residential receipts stay at or under $15,000 a year and that holds a $10 certificate of exemption.

Does a Minnesota roofer license cover gutters and siding?

No. DLI says a licensed roofer "cannot contract to provide the installation of gutters, downspouts, soffit, or fascia" and that the roofer license "does not allow the licensee to perform any work besides roofing." Siding, soffit, fascia, trim and gutters are all "exterior finishing," a separate special skill in the statute. A roofing company that sells them on the same job needs a residential remodeler or building contractor license, which covers all eight skills, or has to send that part of the job to another contractor.

How much does a Minnesota roofing license cost?

For the roofer license: a $50 exam fee for the qualifying person, the $180 license fee, and whatever your surety charges for the required $15,000 bond. Renewal is $185 every two years ($90 more if late). A remodeler or building contractor license is the same $180 plus a contractor recovery fund fee of $320 if your receipts are under $1 million, and no bond. A certificate of exemption, for companies under $15,000 a year, is $10. Insurance and workers' comp are on top.

How do I get a roofing license in Minnesota?

Register the business with the Secretary of State. Pick a qualifying person (an owner, officer or managing employee) and have them pass DLI's exam: the QR exam for the roofer license, QC for remodeler, QB for building contractor. There are no experience or education prerequisites. Then apply through DLI's iMS with the $180 fee, the owner and background disclosures, a certificate of liability insurance naming DLI as holder, the workers' comp certificate of compliance, and for the roofer license a notarized $15,000 roofer bond on DLI's form.

What insurance does a roofer need in Minnesota?

General liability with premises and operations and products and completed operations, at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate for bodily injury plus $25,000 property damage, or a $300,000 single limit, from an insurer licensed in Minnesota, with DLI as certificate holder. DLI's roofer page still describes it as $300,000 per occurrence with at least $10,000 of property damage; the statute and DLI's own certificate form give the figures above. Workers' compensation is required once you have an employee.

Can I do roofing with a Minnesota contractor registration?

Only as a subcontractor to a licensed contractor, on commercial buildings, or on buildings of more than four units. A registration doesn't let you contract a roof directly with a homeowner. DLI: "Roofing subcontractors do not need a license but must register." A one-skill exterior company (siding, gutters, soffit and fascia only) can contract with homeowners on a registration, because roofing is the only single skill that needs a license, but Minneapolis and St. Paul want a city license from it.

Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Minnesota?

Yes, wherever the State Building Code is enforced. Reroofing isn't on the permit-exempt list in Minnesota Rules 1300.0120, and DLI's fact sheet says "Building permits are required for re-roofing existing dwellings." Minneapolis exempts only repairs of less than one bundle (33 1/3 square feet). St. Paul requires a call to the inspector before you start so flashing and underlayment can be checked. The licensed contractor pulls the permit, with the license number on the application.

Does a handyman need a license to do roofing in Minnesota?

Yes, unless the handyman's residential receipts stay at or under $15,000 a year and they hold a certificate of exemption. A handyman doing only one other special skill, painting or flooring for example, needs no state license; roofing is the exception. Our Minnesota handyman license guide covers the rest of the handyman rules.

Sources

1. Minnesota Statutes 326B.802: subd. 5 ("Licensee" means a residential building contractor, residential remodeler, manufactured home installer, or residential roofer), subd. 11 and 12 (building contractor; remodeler), subd. 13 ("a new or existing building constructed for habitation by one to four families, and includes detached garages"), subd. 14 (residential roofer: "in the business of contracting, or offering to contract with an owner, to complete work on residential real estate in roof coverings, roof sheathing, roof weatherproofing and insulation, and repair of roof systems, but not construction of new roof systems"), subd. 15 (special skills: carpentry includes "rough framing" and "doors, windows, and skylights"; interior finishing includes "insulation and vapor barriers"; exterior finishing: "(1) siding; (2) soffit, fascia, and trim; (3) exterior plaster and stucco; (4) painting; and (5) rain carrying systems, including gutters and down spouts"; residential roofing: "(1) roof coverings; (2) roof sheathing; (3) roof weatherproofing and insulation; (4) repair of roof support system, but not construction of new roof support system; and (5) penetration of roof coverings for purposes of attaching a solar photovoltaic system"; general installation includes "(6) assembly of the support system for a solar photovoltaic system"), subd. 16 (specialty contractor, one special skill). revisor.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
2. Minnesota Statutes 326B.805: subd. 1 (a residential roofer "must be licensed by the commissioner as a residential roofer, residential building contractor, or residential remodeler"), subd. 4 (qualifying person: proprietor, general partner, chief manager, owner, officer or managing employee "regularly employed by the licensee and ... actively engaged"; more than one company only with "common ownership of at least 25 percent"), subd. 5(b) (notify the commissioner "upon any change in control, ownership, officers or directors, personal name, business name, license name, or qualifying person, within 15 days of the change"), subd. 6 (exemptions: (1) employees of a licensee; (3) owners building or improving their own residence; (5) gross annual receipts that "do not exceed $15,000," with a certificate of exemption; an exemption holder who exceeds $15,000 "must immediately surrender the certificate of exemption and apply for the appropriate license"; (8) one-skill specialty contractors). revisor.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
3. DLI, "Who needs a roofer license?" ("Residential contractors who perform roofing work must be licensed. They can be licensed as a residential roofer, residential building contractor or residential remodeler. Roofing subcontractors do not need a license but must register through the Contractor Registration Program"; "Roofing contractors who wish to install gutters, downspouts, or soffit and fascia must get a residential building contractor or remodeler license instead"; receipts "less than $15,000" exempt with a certificate of exemption obtained "each year"). dli.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
4. DLI, "Roofer license" ("Only companies are required to obtain a license"; "each company must designate one individual who will serve as a 'qualifying person'"; license fee $180; "A $15,000 surety bond and power of attorney"; "Liability insurance with limits of at least $300,000 per occurrence, which must include at least $10,000 property damage coverage"; workers' compensation certificate "or a written explanation of why the applicant is exempt"). dli.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026. The insurance figure differs from Minn. Stat. 326B.86 subd. 2 and from DLI's own roofer insurance certificate (source 7).
5. DLI, "Residential contractor licensing" ("A residential roofer license does not allow the licensee to perform any work besides roofing"; "A licensed roofer cannot contract to provide the installation of gutters, downspouts, soffit, or fascia – this work requires a residential building contractor or residential remodeler license"; remodelers "cannot build new homes or detached garages"; no license needed for subcontractors who don't contract with the homeowner (they register), commercial contractors (they register), employees, and buildings of more than four units; "Specialty contractors who provide only one special skill are not required to have a state license (except residential roofers)"; solar: "Effective July 1, 2023, companies that contract with residential homeowners to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on homes in Minnesota must be licensed as a residential building contractor or remodeler" and "The actual installation of the solar PV system must be performed by a Minnesota-licensed electrical contractor"; Q number "a registration and not a license," "good for two years from the date the individual passed the license exam," 14 hours of continuing education with at least one hour on the Energy Code and one on business management; insurance "$100,000 per occurrence, $300,000 aggregate, and $25,000 in property damage"; base fee $180 plus recovery fund fee $320, $420 or $520). dli.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
6. DLI, "Contractor, roofer and remodeler exams" (QR, QC and QB exams; "no prerequisite experience or educational requirements"; 110 multiple choice questions, 70% to pass, five and a half hours, with the Minnesota State Residential Code, 2020 edition, and DLI's reference manual; 30-day wait after a fail; "A roofer license only allows you to perform roofing work – you cannot contract to install gutters, downspouts, soffits, fascia or any other type of residential work"; "A company's qualifying person may not be an independent contractor of the company"). dli.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
7. DLI, New residential roofing contractor license packet (Residential Roofer Contractor License Packet 8.1.2024): license fee $180; owners over 10 percent disclosed; certifications that employee pay "will be reported on an Internal Revenue Service W-2 form," that building permit applications "include the issued license number," and that all business forms and advertising "(e.g., signs, vehicles, business cards, published display ads, flyers, brochures, websites, and internet ads) will be in the name shown on my contractor's license and include the issued license number"; Qualifying Person Designation Form (14 hours of continuing education "in order to renew the company's license every two years"; QP will "notify the department 15 days in advance of resigning"); Residential Roofer Surety Bond, $15,000, notarized, aggregate liability "for each two-year period the bond remains in force"; Certificate of Insurance, Residential Roofer ("commercial general liability insurance, which includes premises and operations insurance and products and completed operations insurance, with limits of at least $100,000 per occurrence, $300,000 aggregate limit for bodily injury, and property damage insurance with limits of at least $25,000 or a policy with a single limit for bodily injury and property damage of $300,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate limits"; DLI as certificate holder); Certificate of Compliance, Minnesota Workers' Compensation Law (every applicant; options including "I do not use independent contractors and have no employees"). dli.mn.gov (PDF), read November 3, 2026.
8. Minnesota Statutes 326B.86: subd. 1 ("A licensed residential roofer must post a bond with a penal sum of at least $15,000"), subd. 2 (insurance minimums as in source 7; insurer licensed in Minnesota; certificate on file; insurer notifies the commissioner of cancellation). revisor.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
9. Minnesota Statutes 326B.81 ("Residential roofers are subject to all of the requirements of sections 326B.802 to 326B.885, except the recovery fund in section 326B.89"), revisor.mn.gov; 326B.89 subd. 1(c) ("Licensee" means a residential contractor or residential remodeler), subd. 3 (fund fee $320 under $1,000,000; $420 to $5,000,000; $520 over), subd. 5 (up to $100,000 per owner), revisor.mn.gov; both read November 3, 2026.
10. Minnesota Statutes 326B.815 subd. 1(b) (licenses "shall be effective for two years and shall expire on March 31") and subd. 2 (local surcharge "no greater than $5" for license verification; no permit "unless the required license has been verified and is current"), revisor.mn.gov; 326B.092 subd. 1 ($50 application and examination fee), subd. 3 (late fee "equal to one-half of the license renewal fee"), subd. 7 (business license $180; continuing education fee $5), revisor.mn.gov; DLI, Residential Roofer License Renewal (8.1.2024: "License Fees = $185.00"; "A $90.00 late fee is due if the renewal is received by DLI after the expiration date"; a $15,000 bond "MUST BE SUBMITTED with the license renewal"), dli.mn.gov (PDF); DLI, "How to renew a roofer license" (still describes a yearly April 1 to March 31 license period and seven hours of continuing education per period, with a lead hour in the first period), dli.mn.gov; all read November 3, 2026.
11. Minnesota Statutes 326B.821 subd. 2 ("14 hours of continuing education per two-year licensure period") and subd. 21 (one hour on energy codes or energy conservation and one hour of business management strategies each reporting period). revisor.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
12. DLI, Certificate of Exemption application packet, Residential Building Contractor / Residential Remodeler / Residential Roofer ("New Certificate of Exemption- $10.00"; notarized affidavit; "this certificate expires March 31 of each year"; "I may be required by a municipality to obtain a local license prior to becoming eligible to obtain a building permit"; "a Certificate of Exemption is NOT a license and that I am prohibited from advertising as a licensed contractor unless I or my company holds a municipal license"). dli.mn.gov (PDF), read November 3, 2026.
13. Minnesota Statutes 326B.701 (subd. 2: registration for anyone performing building construction or improvement services, except holders of a 326B license and others; subd. 3(d): registrations "expire on the following December 31 of each odd-numbered year," renewal from October 1, and a renewal filed after December 1 may expire before it's processed; subd. 5: no engaging a person who must register and hasn't; "Each day ... shall be considered a separate violation"), revisor.mn.gov; DLI, "Construction contractor registration" ("If a license is required, do not register"), dli.mn.gov; DLI, "Frequently asked questions about contractor registrations" ("Commercial falls under contractor registration if you do not hold a residential license"; "By law, an unregistered subcontractor is presumed to be an employee of any contractor that hires them. Hiring an unregistered individual is a violation of law, though the monetary penalty is forgiven for the first violation"), dli.mn.gov (PDF); all read November 3, 2026.
14. DLI, license and registration data exports, Residential Contractors and Contractor Registrations (files dated November 3, 2026): active licenses held by companies with "roof" in the legal or assumed name: 329 residential building contractor, 84 residential roofer, 20 residential remodeler, 4 certificates of exemption; 138 active residential roofer licenses in all; all 13 roofer licenses first issued in 2026 show an expiry of March 31, 2028; 343 active contractor registrations held by companies with "roof" in the name (counts are mine). secure.doli.state.mn.us (CSV), read November 3, 2026.
15. Minnesota Statutes 181.723 (subd. 3: an individual providing building construction services is an employee except as provided in subd. 4; subd. 4(a): the 14 requirements, including a written contract "fully executed no later than 30 days after the date work commences," compensation "on a commission or per-job or competitive bid basis and not on any other basis," invoices and payments in the business entity's name, "Payments made in cash do not meet this requirement," required workers' compensation and 326B registrations; subd. 7(f): keep the documentation "for at least three years"; subd. 7(g)(2): "a penalty of up to $10,000 for each individual the person failed to classify, represent, or treat as an employee"; amended 2024 c 127 art 10 s 8). revisor.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
16. Minnesota Statutes 176.215 subd. 1 ("Where a subcontractor fails to comply with this chapter, the general contractor, or intermediate contractor, or subcontractor is liable for payment of all compensation due an employee of a subsequent subcontractor"), revisor.mn.gov; 176.041 subd. 1 (excluded: sole proprietors; partners; an executive officer of a closely held corporation "having less than 22,880 hours of payroll in the preceding calendar year" owning at least 25 percent; a manager of an LLC with ten or fewer members and less than 22,880 hours of payroll owning at least 25 percent), revisor.mn.gov; 176.181 subd. 3 ("a penalty of up to $1,000 per employee per week") and subd. 4 (willful failure is a gross misdemeanor), revisor.mn.gov; DLI, Certificate of Compliance, Minnesota Workers' Compensation Law (8.1.2024), in source 7; all read November 3, 2026.
17. Minnesota Workers' Compensation Insurers Association, Minnesota Basic Manual (original printing effective July 15, 2026), Rule H, Subcontractors (additional premium for each subcontractor without evidence of workers' compensation insurance; without payroll records, "Use the full subcontract price of the work performed during the policy period by the subcontractor as payroll," minimums "Labor and material Not less than 50% of the subcontract price," "Labor only Not less than 90% of the subcontract price"; payroll assigned to the classification that would apply to the contractor's own employees), and classification 5551, Roofing, all kinds and drivers, mwcia.org (PDF); MWCIA Circular 25-1867, October 2, 2025, Assigned Risk Plan rates effective January 1, 2026 (class 5551: $44.006 per $100 of payroll, minimum premium $655), mwcia.org (PDF); MWCIA Circular 26-1880, September 17, 2026, Assigned Risk Plan rates effective January 1, 2027 (class 5551: $44.976, minimum premium $655), mwcia.org (PDF); Minnesota Statutes 79.252 subd. 1 (the plan's purpose "is to provide workers' compensation coverage to employers rejected by a licensed insurance company"), revisor.mn.gov; all read November 3, 2026. The $98-a-square crew price is the median of 31 US authors' statements in Deepsel's roofing research (8.7), not a survey.
18. 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(10) (low-slope roofs: warning line combinations; "on roofs 50-feet (15.25 m) or less in width ... the use of a safety monitoring system alone ... is permitted"), (b)(11) (steep roofs) and (b)(13) (residential construction, 6 feet; fall protection plan where "infeasible or creates a greater hazard"; "There is a presumption that it is feasible"); 1926.502(k) (plan "prepared by a qualified person and developed specifically for the site," a copy "maintained at the job site"); 1926.503 (training; written certification record with the employee's name, the dates and the trainer's or employer's signature). ecfr.gov, read November 3, 2026.
19. DLI, "MNOSHA Compliance: Differences between Minnesota and federal OSHA" (employers "must comply with both the federal OSHA standards adopted by reference in Minnesota and Minnesota Statutes and Rules"; AWAIR; employer-paid PPE under Minn. Stat. 182.655 subd. 10a; employers with 25 or fewer employees "shall establish and administer a safety committee if it is subject to the requirements of Minn. Stat. 182.653, subd. 8"), dli.mn.gov; DLI, "MNOSHA Compliance: AWAIR program" (written program; annual documented review; small-construction booklet), dli.mn.gov; Minnesota Rules 5208.1500 (NAICS list includes "238160, roofing contractors" and "238170, siding contractors"), revisor.mn.gov; Minnesota Statutes 182.653 subd. 8 and 182.655 subd. 10a (protective equipment "made available by and at the cost of the employer"), revisor.mn.gov; all read November 3, 2026.
20. U.S. EPA, "Frequent Questions About Renovations Covered by the RRP Rule" (last updated October 20, 2026: "Does the RRP Rule apply to removing a roof that is not painted? The RRP Rule applies to work that disturbs painted surfaces. Where there is no paint to disturb, the RRP Rule does not apply"; "If hammering painted components, even on the unpainted side, disturbs paint, creating dust or chips, the RRP Rule applies"), epa.gov, read November 3, 2026; Minnesota Statutes 326B.106 subd. 14 (a licensed residential building contractor, remodeler or roofer renovating a pre-1978 residential structure "must be certified" under 40 CFR 745.89), revisor.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026; 40 CFR 745.83 (minor repair: 20 square feet exterior) and 40 CFR 19.4 Table 1 ($49,772 per violation), read November 3, 2026 for Deepsel's Minnesota license research.
21. 40 CFR 61.141 ("Facility" excludes "residential buildings having four or fewer dwelling units"; Category I nonfriable ACM includes "asphalt roofing products containing more than 1 percent asbestos"), ecfr.gov; Minnesota Department of Health, "Asbestos Work Outdoors" (last updated June 30, 2025: "Effective July 1, 2021, roofing, siding, flooring, and ceilings are no longer exempted in residences with four or fewer dwelling units"; outside a residence, friable ACM or ACM "that you will make friable" of 10 linear feet, 6 square feet or 1 cubic foot needs a licensed contractor, certified workers, notification and permit; $35 permit fee for small residential projects), health.state.mn.us; Minnesota Statutes 326.71 subd. 4 (asbestos-related work in residences over six square feet; amended 2021 c 30), revisor.mn.gov; all read November 3, 2026.
22. Minnesota Rules 1300.0120: subp. 1 (permit required to "construct, enlarge, alter, repair" a building), subp. 4 (work exempt from permit; roofing not listed), subp. 6 ("Application or notice to the building official is not required for ordinary repairs to structures"). revisor.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
23. DLI fact sheet, "Asphalt Shingle Roofing and the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code" ("Building permits are required for re-roofing existing dwellings"; remove all layers "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering," where water-soaked or deteriorated, or over "wood shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile"; exception for complete and separate systems such as standing-seam metal), copy hosted by the City of Andover, andovermn.gov (PDF); Minnesota Rules 1309.0301 Table R301.2(1) as amended (ice barrier underlayment required: "Yes") and 1309.0905 (R905.2.1 amended), revisor.mn.gov; DLI, "Rulemaking docket for Minnesota Rules 1309" (2024 IRC; Request for Comments published February 2, 2026; all later dates "To be determined"), dli.mn.gov; all read November 3, 2026.
24. City of Minneapolis, "Roofing" building requirements (last updated March 6, 2026) and handout "Roofing at single-family and two-family dwellings" ("A building permit is required for all re-roofing work, except repairs involving less than one bundle of shingles (33 1/3 square feet of roof area)"; "If repairs are needed to the roof framing system (rafters or trusses), an additional permit and a framing inspection are required"; "An underlayment and/or ice barrier inspection is not required"; final inspection required; ice barrier "at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line"). minneapolismn.gov (PDF), read November 3, 2026.
25. City of Minneapolis, "Construction work exempt from permit" (last updated September 3, 2026: exterior building work exempt includes "Gutter systems" and "Soffits, fascia, trim and other accessories"). minneapolismn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
26. City of Saint Paul, Department of Safety and Inspections, "Reroofing Guideline" (May 2023) with "Reroofing, Asphalt or Fiberglass Shingles" ("Call the building inspector before starting the reroof project so flashing and underlayment may be checked by the building inspector (required)"; overlays "with PRIOR approval"; "Soffit and roof vents, however, must be brought into compliance of the current code requirements for venting"; saddle or cricket for chimneys "wider than 30""), stpaul.gov (PDF); "Permit Applicant Checklist for Commercial Flat Roof Projects" (2025: no online express permits for commercial reroofs; drains, overflows and proposed insulation under the 2024 Minnesota Energy Code), stpaul.gov (PDF); both read November 3, 2026.
27. DLI fact sheet, "Re-siding and the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code" ("Building permits are required for the re-siding of existing dwellings and structures"; "Electrical permits are required for the replacement or reinstallation of electric meter sockets, air-conditioning disconnects, light fixtures and receptacles removed during the re-siding process"; reinstalled by "The homeowner or Minnesota-licensed electrical contractor"). dli.mn.gov (PDF), read November 3, 2026.
28. Minnesota Statutes 326B.87 (license number "on all building permits and building permit applications"; on the site plan review or zoning permit where the code isn't adopted; "on all business cards and all contracts"; in "any advertising by that licensee including but not limited to signs, vehicles, business cards, published display ads, flyers, brochures, websites, and Internet ads"; contracts "must state that the person is licensed and must state the license number"), revisor.mn.gov; 326B.85 subd. 1 (no building permit "to an unlicensed person who is required to be licensed"), revisor.mn.gov; 326B.835 subd. 1 (a political subdivision "may not require a person licensed under sections 326B.802 to 326B.885 to also be licensed"), revisor.mn.gov; all read November 3, 2026.
29. City of Minneapolis, "Residential specialty contractor license" (one special skill; "Roofers do not need a Minneapolis license. You must have a State of Minnesota license."; not needed with a state residential building license; $10,000 bond), minneapolismn.gov; City of Saint Paul, "Contractor License" (last edited November 3, 2026: required "If the contractor has a State Exemption from the State of Minnesota or performs only one special skill"; "The City honors the State of Minnesota Residential Building Contractor License"; "Roofing requires a State of Minnesota Residential Roofer License"; proof of exemption certificate or DLI contractor registration; "$2,500 License, Permit and Performance Bond"; "$500,000" combined single limit; Exterior Finishing type covers siding, soffit, fascia, trim and gutters), stpaul.gov; City of Duluth, "Contractor Licensing" (refers residential contractors, remodelers and roofers to DLI), duluthmn.gov; City of Rochester, "Trade & Contractor Licenses" and City of Bloomington, "Contractor licensing and testing" (no roofing license listed), rochestermn.gov, bloomingtonmn.gov; all read November 3, 2026.
30. Minnesota Statutes 326B.121 subd. 1 (the State Building Code "applies statewide") and subd. 2 (municipalities with a code ordinance as of January 1, 2008 must keep enforcing it; does not apply to municipalities under 2,500 people outside a metropolitan county). revisor.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026.
31. Minnesota Statutes 326B.082 subd. 7 ("a monetary penalty of up to $10,000 for each violation of applicable law"), subd. 10 (stop work orders; $5,000 per day for working in violation), subd. 16 (misdemeanor), revisor.mn.gov; 326B.84 (sanctions against an applicant, "qualifying person of, or holder of a license"; clause (12): a licensee who "has knowingly allowed an unlicensed person to use the licensee's license number for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining a building permit; or has applied for or obtained a building permit for an unlicensed person"), revisor.mn.gov; 326B.845 (subd. 1: violating a commissioner's order is a gross misdemeanor; subd. 2: "An unlicensed person who knowingly violates sections 326B.802 to 326B.885 has no right to claim a lien under section 514.01 and the lien is void"), revisor.mn.gov; all read November 3, 2026.
32. DLI, "Residential Building Contractor Enforcement Actions, 2026" (a Minneapolis individual doing business as a handyman and a roofing business, ordered to "cease and desist from acting or holding himself out as a residential building contractor, residential remodeler, or residential roofer," $5,000 monetary penalty, February 12, 2026; a Buhl contractor, censured and ordered to "obtain required building permits and promptly request subsequent inspections associated with his construction/remodeling/roofing work," $5,000, $4,000 stayed, October 26, 2026; an Elk River builder, ordered to "obtain all required local building permits before commencing construction/remodeling/roofing work," $3,000 stayed, July 1, 2026; names kept off this page). dli.mn.gov (PDF), read November 3, 2026.
33. Minnesota Rules 2891.0040 subp. 1 H ("performing any construction without obtaining applicable local building permits and inspections"). revisor.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026 for Deepsel's Minnesota contract research.
34. Minnesota Statutes 326B.809 (written agreements with three set items, signed and dated, signed copy to the customer), 326B.811 (insurance-paid roofing: right to cancel "within 72 hours after the insured has been notified by the insurer that the claim has been denied"; statement and duplicate notice of cancellation), 325E.66 (no promise to pay "all or part of any applicable insurance deductible"; written notification with the initial estimate), 514.011 (mechanic's lien notice), 327A.02 subd. 3(c) (one-year warranty for other home improvement work). revisor.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026 for Deepsel's Minnesota contract template.
35. Minnesota Department of Revenue, "General Contractors and Subcontractors (applies to all contractor types)" (last updated June 18, 2024: "You must pay sales and use tax on the cost of all materials, supplies, and equipment used to complete a construction contract"; "Do not itemize sales tax separately on the invoice"; "Do not charge sales tax on construction contracts"; materials "not incorporated into real property are taxable retail sales"). revenue.state.mn.us, read November 3, 2026.
36. Minnesota Secretary of State, "Business Filing and Certification Fee Schedule" (LLC articles of organization $155 online; certificate of assumed name $50 online). sos.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026 for Deepsel's Minnesota electrical license research.
37. Reddit, quoted as checked in Deepsel's roofing research (8.7), November 2, 2026: r/Roofing, August 6, 2026 ("The window/siding type exterior trades keep us going through the slow roofing seasons, but margins are slim and the projects take more involvement with a lot more little detail issues popping up."), reddit.com; r/Roofing comment, July 12, 2025 ("100/sq for an insured sub and 75-80 if I'm having to cover WC for them."), reddit.com; comment, May 4, 2025 ("Alot of roofers get a binder for a GL policy to show they have GL insurance but the policy EXCLUDES roofing."), reddit.com.
38. DLI, "Residential contractor FAQs" ("License numbers begin with BC, CR, RR, or MI"; "Q registration numbers begin with the letters QB, QC, QR, or QI"; "Like business licenses, Q registrations are good for two years"), dli.mn.gov; DLI, License and registration lookup, dli.mn.gov; both read November 3, 2026.
39. Minnesota Statutes 326B.33 subd. 14 (electrical work only by licensed contractors and their employees) and 326B.38 (wiring to an appliance or unit is electrical work), DLI "Plumbing contractor licensing basics" (plumbing systems include "all drainage and vent pipes"), and Minnesota Statutes 326B.197 ($25,000 bond for anyone "contracting to do gas, heating, ventilation, cooling, air conditioning, fuel burning, or refrigeration work"). revisor.mn.gov, dli.mn.gov, read November 3, 2026 for Deepsel's Minnesota electrical, plumbing and HVAC license research.