Start with one number: the HIC
In Pennsylvania, almost every roofer who does $5,000 or more of work per year is required to register with the state Attorney General. When they do, they get a Home Improvement Contractor number, usually written like `PA014604`. That number is the single fastest thing you can check before you let anyone on your roof.
Here is the part most homeowners get wrong: the HIC number is not a skill license. It does not mean the state inspected their work or vouched for quality. It means the contractor registered their business, disclosed their insurance status, and is on record with the Attorney General. That matters because an unregistered contractor working above $5,000 is operating illegally, and a registered one has a paper trail you can hold them to.
The 4-step check
1. Ask for the HIC number in writing. A legitimate Pennsylvania roofer puts it on their estimate, their contract, and usually their truck and website. If a contractor cannot give you a HIC number, stop there.
2. Search it at the source. Go to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's HIC registration search. Type in the number or the business name. It is free, and it is the authoritative record. A matching, active registration is what you want to see.
3. Confirm the name and status match. The business name on the registration should match the name on your contract. The status should be active, not expired. Working under an expired HIC registration is illegal in Pennsylvania.
4. Ask for a Certificate of Insurance. HIC registration does not by itself require liability insurance. Reputable roofers carry it anyway, usually $500,000 to $1,000,000 in general liability. Ask for a current certificate that names the same business entity.
What a verified registration protects you from
The contractors who skip registration are the same ones who tend to demand full payment up front, knock on your door after a storm promising the insurance company will cover everything, or quote a price far below everyone else because they have leftover materials. A registered, insured contractor with a written contract is not a guarantee of great work, but it removes the most common ways homeowners get burned.
Want the check done for you?
We verify Pennsylvania roofers against the Attorney General's HIC registry and show the proof on every listing. You can browse contractors whose registration we have already confirmed, with the HIC number and expiration on record.