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Nine Questions That Separate Roofing Contractors In Arizona
A long warranty from a company that has existed for two years is a long warranty from a company that has existed for two years. The questions that actually tell you something.
August 28, 2026 5 min readPepla Roofing · Phoenix, AZ
The short version
- Verify any ROC license number free at roc.az.gov before you sign anything.
- An unlicensed contractor in Arizona cannot sue to collect payment — and also cannot be pursued through the ROC's recovery fund.
- Ask what voids the warranty and whether it transfers. Those two answers tell you more than the number of years.
Most roofing bids look alike on paper. These questions are the ones where the answers actually differ.
The paperwork
- Is the ROC license number printed on the bid? Verify it free at roc.az.gov. Check the name on the license matches the name on the bid.
- Is a current certificate of insurance offered without being asked? General liability and workers' compensation for everyone who will be on the roof. An uninsured crew on your roof can become your problem.
- Who is actually doing the work? In-house crews or subcontractors is not a trick question — it is a scheduling and accountability question.
The scope
- Is the underlayment named by manufacturer, product line and weight? "Architectural shingle" and a price is not a specification.
- Is decking replacement priced per sheet, and at what rate? This is the single most common source of a bid that starts low and climbs.
- Is ventilation calculated against code, with the number shown? Most are not.
The warranty
- What voids it? Every warranty has exclusions. A contractor who cannot list them quickly has not read their own document.
- Does it transfer if you sell? A transferable workmanship warranty with years left on it is a documented asset at resale and removes the roof as a negotiating point.
- How long has the company traded under this name? A warranty is worth exactly what the company behind it is worth. Ask, then ask everyone else.
The one question worth more than the rest
Can I see a roof you finished two years ago, and talk to that homeowner? Anybody can produce a photograph of a roof on the day it was finished. Two years of Valley sun and one monsoon season is the test.
Questions people ask
- How do I check if an Arizona roofing contractor is licensed?
- Search the license number free at roc.az.gov, the Arizona Registrar of Contractors website. Confirm the business name on the license matches the name on your bid and that the license is active and in the right classification for roofing.
- What happens if I hire an unlicensed roofer in Arizona?
- Under A.R.S. § 32-1153 an unlicensed contractor cannot sue to collect payment, but hiring one also puts you outside the Registrar of Contractors' complaint process and its recovery fund. You lose the main avenue of recourse if the work goes wrong.
- What should a roofing estimate include?
- Each product named by manufacturer, product line and color; a per-sheet rate for decking replacement; ventilation calculated against code with the number shown; permit fees; detach and reset of any rooftop equipment; and tear-off of all existing layers rather than an overlay.
- Is a 25-year workmanship warranty worth anything?
- Only as much as the company behind it. The useful questions are what voids it, whether it is prorated, whether it transfers when you sell, and how long the company has traded under its current name.