Choose a Denver roofer by checking eight things in order: the license for the city your house is in, proof of workers’ compensation and liability insurance, a written contract with the terms Colorado law requires, a permit pulled in the contractor’s name, a refusal to touch your deductible, who will run your job from tear-off to final inspection, the manufacturer warranty they can actually register, and a local track record you can see. Price matters, but on an insurance claim the insurer sets most of it, so these checks decide whether you get the roof you are paying for.
1. A license for your city, not just “Denver”
The City and County of Denver licenses roofing contractors by class. Its Roofing Guide and Checklist (updated April 11, 2024) says membrane roofs must be installed by a D-Roof Covering/Waterproofing licensed contractor, while a D-Roof Shingles licensed contractor can install small membrane areas on shingle jobs. Aurora, Lakewood, Centennial, Littleton and the other metro cities have their own building departments and contractor rules. Ask for the license or registration number the roofer will use in your city and look it up with that city. A roofer who works across the metro area may need to activate a license for your city before pulling the permit; that is normal, as long as it happens before work starts.
2. Insurance you have verified yourself
Ask for certificates for general liability and workers’ compensation, then call the insurer listed to confirm the policy is active. Colorado law (C.R.S. 8-44-101) requires employers to secure workers’ compensation through Pinnacol Assurance, another insurer authorized in Colorado, or an approved self-insurance permit, so a certificate from a company other than Pinnacol can be legitimate. What you want to confirm is that the policy is real and current. If someone falls from your roof and the contractor is uninsured, the claim may land on you.
3. A contract that meets Colorado law
Colorado’s roofing contractor law (C.R.S. 6-22-103) requires a written contract before work starts. It must list the scope and materials, approximate dates and costs, the contractor’s address, email and phone, the liability insurer, and a cancellation policy that lets you cancel within 72 hours of signing for a full deposit refund. It must also say, in bold type, that your payment is held in trust until materials are delivered or most of the work is done. If insurance is paying, the contract must state that the contractor cannot pay, waive or rebate any part of your deductible.
4. The permit in the contractor’s name
Every Denver roof replacement needs a permit, and a repair needs one when it covers more than 10 percent of the roof or two roofing squares, whichever is smaller (Denver Roofing Guide). One- and two-family asphalt roofs need a final inspection; tile and metal roofs need a mid-roof inspection too. A roofer who asks you to pull the permit yourself is asking you to take on their liability.
5. A firm no on your deductible
C.R.S. 6-22-105 bars roofers from advertising or promising to pay, waive or rebate any part of an insurance deductible. A roofer willing to send the insurer a false invoice to cover your deductible has shown you how they treat paperwork. We explain the honest-roofer red lines in roofing ethics: what an honest roofer will not do.
6. One accountable person running the job
Ask who you will talk to after you sign, and who checks the crew’s work. The weak point in many companies is the hand-off: a salesperson writes the job, then someone who has never met you shows up on install day. Look for one point of contact who knows your scope and stays with the job through the final inspection. Ask how long the installers have worked with the company and what training they get.
7. A warranty the manufacturer will register
Manufacturer credentials vary. Some programs mostly require a fee, others require training and business reviews. If a credential matters to you, call the manufacturer and ask what it takes to earn it and which warranty that contractor can register. Integrity is an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor.
8. A record you can check
Reviews, Better Business Bureau history, permit history and referrals from neighbors all count, and our guide on where to check a roofer’s reputation shows where to look. Look for a physical office and a long local history.
Sales lines to weigh carefully
Some advice you will hear is half true:
- “Never trust a roofer who knocks on your door.” Plenty of good companies knock doors after a storm, and plenty of bad ones advertise. Judge the company with the checks above, not by how it found you.
- “Only hire a member of the BBB or a roofing association.” Memberships show a company chose extra accountability, and the BBB tracks complaints on members and non-members alike. Neither is a license or a guarantee. The BBB is a private organization, not a government agency.
- “Our manufacturer badge makes us the best.” See check 7.
- “Get as many bids as you can.” On an insurance claim, the insurer prices the work with industry estimating software, so more bids rarely change the money. Spend the time on the checks above. For hiring through your insurer, read should I hire my insurance company’s roofer?
The same checks apply in Colorado Springs, where the license comes from the regional building department; see do Colorado Springs roofers need a license and insurance?. And if you want to know what good service should feel like after you sign, read what customer care to expect from a roofer. Before a storm job, our Denver signs you need a roofer and HAAG inspection guides help you judge the inspection itself.
Put us through the same checks
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, with 650+ Google reviews and a Denver-area office at 13275 E Fremont Pl in Centennial. Ask us for our license, insurance certificates and a sample contract. Call (303) 209-0152, book a free Denver roof inspection, or see Denver roof replacement.
Sources: City and County of Denver, Roofing Guide and Checklist, updated 4/11/2024; C.R.S. 6-22-103 and 6-22-105 (roofing contracts, deductibles); C.R.S. 8-44-101 (workers' compensation insurance).
