How to Start a Roofing Business in Georgia: No State Roofing License, the Specialty List and Local Rules

October 29, 2026

Georgia has no state roofing license. A roofer can generally work without a state general contractor license when the work stays within the State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors’ list of Traditional Specialty Contractors, which includes Flat Roofing, Shingles and Shakes, and Sheet Metal Roofing. Starting a roofing business here means forming the entity, registering for taxes where you need to, and clearing the local license, permit and insurance requirements that apply in your city or county. Below is the full sequence, with the fees and deadlines to confirm.

Do you need a license to roof in Georgia?

For most roofing work, no. Georgia licenses general contractors through the State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors, and that Board does not issue a roofing license. Instead, its specialty lists describe trades that can be performed without a general contractor license. Two lists matter for roofers:

• Traditional Specialty Contractors: includes Flat Roofing, Shingles and Shakes, and Sheet Metal Roofing.
• Limited Service: allows “repair and re-roof existing roofs,” on the condition that the contractor does no structural work or modifications to the structure.

Your exemption rests on these Board lists, not on a roofing license. The lists are Board policy statements rather than statute. The traditional list was last revised in March 2020 and is marked “subject to change,” so check the Board’s current lists before you bid your first job. A list can change without much notice, and the version you read last year may no longer be the current one.

Because no state roofing license exists, no state license number is required to bid a roofing job in Georgia. Customers and HOAs may still ask about insurance and local licensing, which are covered below.

Where the specialty exemption stops

The exemption has hard limits. Read the full list of exempt trades at our specialty contractor guide before you take on work outside roofing.

• Chapter 14 trades. The exemption never covers electrical, plumbing, conditioned air, low voltage or utility work. Those trades need a Chapter 14 license (O.C.G.A. 43-41-17(f)). If a roof job touches any of them, that portion must go to a licensed trade.
• Structural work. The Limited Service condition bars structural work or modifications to the structure. Framing changes and rafter or truss work fall outside the exemption. Replacing rotted decking is a gray area, so ask the Board before you take that job.
• Residential jobs beyond roofing. If you take residential jobs above $2,500 in categories beyond roofing itself, such as framing, additions or structural work, you can fall under the residential contractor definition in O.C.G.A. 43-41-2(9). At that point you need a license from the Board. The general contractor business route covers those requirements.

If your business mixes roofing with other trades, map every service you sell against the Board’s lists and drop anything outside them until you have the right license.

Optional credential: GARCA

The Georgia Association of Roofing Contractors (GARCA) offers a voluntary roofing license. It is optional, not a state requirement. Its application has asked for:

• An exam score of 80 percent or better
• Workers’ compensation coverage, or the state exemption form
• Three Georgia credit references
• Liability insurance of $1,000,000 commercial and $500,000 residential (per the 2023 form)

Check GARCA for current terms, since the 2023 form may have changed. A GARCA credential can help you market your business, but it does not replace any state requirement you would otherwise meet.

Materials and information to gather before you file

• Business name: your first choice, checked against Secretary of State name rules. The name must include an LLC designator (such as LLC) or the corporate equivalent, and it must be distinguishable on state records.
• Registered office and agent: a Georgia street address (no P.O. box or mail drop) and an agent who is an individual Georgia resident or a corporation authorized to do business in Georgia. The entity cannot be its own agent.
• Service list: a written list of every roofing service you will offer, matched against the Board’s lists.
• Federal EIN: issued by the IRS at irs.gov.
• Georgia Tax Center login: for sales tax registration at gtc.dor.ga.gov, if you sell taxable goods or have employees.
• Local contacts: the city hall or county office where your business is located, for the occupation tax certificate and the permit office.
• Insurance: quotes for general liability, and for workers’ compensation once you reach three workers.
• Budget for filing fees: $110 for formation, $35 if you reserve a name, and $60 for each annual registration.

Step-by-step: starting your Georgia roofing business

1. Confirm your scope. Before filing anything, check the Board’s current Traditional Specialty and Limited Service lists. Write down what you will and will not do. This list drives every later decision, including whether you need a general contractor license.
2. Form your entity. Most small roofing companies form an LLC. Articles of Organization cost $110 total, which is the $100 fee plus a $10 service charge. File online through the Secretary of State eCorp portal at ecorp.sos.ga.gov or on paper. Online filings take about 7 to 10 business days, and paper filings take about 15 business days. Expedited review costs $120 for 2 business days, $275 for same day if received by noon, or $1,200 for one hour on business days. Corporations file Articles of Incorporation for the same $110. For the full LLC walkthrough, see how to start an LLC in Georgia. If you need time to settle on a name, you can reserve it for 30 days for $35.
3. Get your EIN. Apply for a federal Employer Identification Number through the IRS. You will need it for the Georgia Tax Center, for a business bank account and for payroll if you hire.
4. Register with the Department of Revenue if required. Register through the Georgia Tax Center if you sell taxable goods or have employees. Sales tax registration is free. The state rate is 4 percent, and combined state and local rates run from 6 percent to 9 percent by county and city (Atlanta is 8.9 percent). Georgia issues no separate resale permit. Resale transactions use Form ST-5, the certificate of exemption. Whether sales tax applies to a roofing job that combines materials and labor is a question to confirm with the Department of Revenue or a CPA. Income tax is one flat rate: 5.19 percent for 2025 and 4.99 percent for 2026. Corporations pay the same rate, plus a net worth tax of $0 to $5,000 by net worth. Georgia levies no franchise tax on a typical single-member or partnership LLC. For the full tax picture, see Georgia business taxes.
5. Obtain the local occupation tax certificate. This is the document most people call a business license, but it is local, not state. Georgia issues no general statewide business license. The city issues the certificate if your business is inside city limits, and the county issues it if you are in unincorporated areas. Pay the city if you are inside one, not the county. More than half of Georgians live outside any city, so for many roofers the county is the issuer. Each of Georgia’s 159 counties and about 537 cities sets its own formula, deadlines and prerequisites, so call the issuer before you apply. Employers with more than 10 employees must file an E-Verify affidavit to get the certificate (O.C.G.A. 36-60-6). For details, see Georgia business license requirements.
6. Register a trade name if you need one. If you operate under a name other than your legal entity name, file a trade name registration with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the business is chiefly carried on. Trade names are not filed with the Secretary of State. Expect a clerk fee of about $165 plus a newspaper publication, which runs once a week for two weeks in the county legal organ. Confirm the exact amount with your county clerk. The Secretary of State’s business division FAQ at sos.ga.gov/page/business-division-faq covers the basics.
7. Pull building permits for re-roofs. Many re-roof projects require a local building permit, but requirements vary. Check with the city or county permit office for each job location. Do not assume a permit is unnecessary because a roof is “just a re-roof.”
8. Buy workers’ compensation at three or more workers. Georgia requires workers’ compensation at three or more workers, and that count includes part-time employees. Roofing is high-injury work, so treat this as a core cost even before you reach the threshold. See Georgia workers’ compensation requirements for the details. Georgia has no state paid sick leave or family leave mandate, but confirm any other employer obligations with the Georgia Department of Labor.
9. Carry general liability insurance. Customers, general contractors and many HOAs ask for a certificate of insurance before work begins. Ask your agent for a certificate that names the HOA or client where required. Get quotes from several agents, because pricing varies with your payroll, subcontractor use and service mix.
10. Calendar your annual registration. Annual registration is $60 ($50 plus a $10 service charge), filed each year between January 1 and April 1. An LLC files its first annual registration in the year after it forms. A new corporation files within 90 days of incorporating. A late LLC filing carries a $25 penalty. An entity that stays delinquent can be administratively dissolved, and reinstatement costs about $260.

Residential deductible advertising rule

Georgia law bars a residential roofer from advertising that it will rebate or waive an insurance deductible (O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.12). Deductible promises are common in roofing ads, so review your marketing before you publish it. Read the statute itself, and have a Georgia attorney check any offer that touches deductibles.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming the exemption covers the whole job. Electrical, plumbing and structural work fall outside it.
• Relying on an old copy of the Board’s list. The traditional list is marked “subject to change.”
• Applying to the wrong local office. If your business is inside a city, the city issues the certificate, not the county.
• Treating the local certificate as a state license. It is local, and it does not replace any Board license you need.
• Filing a trade name with the Secretary of State. Trade names go to the Clerk of Superior Court.
• Missing the April 1 annual registration. A missed filing can lead to penalties and, if it continues, administrative dissolution.
• Hiring the third worker without workers’ compensation. The requirement counts part-time workers.
• Skipping re-roof permits. Check each job location before work begins.

Expected results

A roofing business set up this way may be able to take residential and commercial roofing work without a state contractor license, as long as its scope stays within the Board’s lists. The filing timeline is predictable: an online LLC can be formed in about 7 to 10 business days, so the entity may be in place within a few weeks. Local certificate and permit timing varies by city and county, so build in extra time. Results depend on your market, pricing, crew and local competition, and no outcome is guaranteed.

Fee quick reference

Item	Cost or timing	Notes
LLC Articles of Organization or corporation Articles of Incorporation	$110 total	$100 fee plus $10 service charge; online or paper
Expedited review	$120, $275 or $1,200	2 business days; same day if received by noon; one hour on business days
Name reservation	$35	Lasts 30 days
Annual registration	$60	$50 plus $10; filed January 1 to April 1
Late LLC annual registration	$25 penalty	Plus the annual fee
Reinstatement after administrative dissolution	About $260	Avoid by filing on time
Trade name registration	About $165 plus newspaper charge	Confirm with your county clerk
Sales tax registration	Free	Georgia Tax Center at gtc.dor.ga.gov
Local occupation tax certificate	Set by your city or county	Confirm with the issuer

Official resources: Secretary of State Corporations Division at sos.ga.gov/corporations-division, eCorp at ecorp.sos.ga.gov, and the Department of Revenue at dor.georgia.gov. The Georgia Small Business Development Center at the University of Georgia (georgiasbdc.org) can help with planning.

Disclaimer and when to get professional help

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Licensing rules, tax treatment and fees can change, and the Board’s lists are policy statements that it may revise. Confirm each figure with the named agency before you rely on it. Talk with a Georgia attorney about your entity choice, contract terms and the scope exemption, and with a CPA about sales tax on mixed material and labor jobs and your income tax position. A professional review is especially worth it if your business plans to mix roofing with electrical, plumbing or structural work.