New Mexico licenses roofing contractors through the Construction Industries Division, part of the Regulation and Licensing Department. The homeowner checks the number the roofer gives against the division's own record, and keeps the dated result. This guide explains how, and what the division's classification question means.
Key takeaways
- The Construction Industries Division (CID), part of the Regulation and Licensing Department, issues New Mexico contractor licences.
- Ask for the licence number in writing on the quote, then check it on the division's record yourself.
- Match the trade on the licence to the work in the scope. A licence for a different trade does not cover the roof.
- The classification code for roofing is in conflict between sources, so this site does not quote one. Read it from the division.
- This site does not verify any roofer's licence. The check is yours, and it takes a few minutes.
Who licenses roofers in New Mexico?
The Construction Industries Division of the Regulation and Licensing Department. It is the authority for the record, and the roofer's card or website is not.
The Construction Industries Division (CID) is the New Mexico body that licenses construction contractors, including roofing. The FACTS sheet names the division, and the name was confirmed in a result from the department's website. The licence record the division keeps is the reference, and a homeowner should check the number against it rather than against anything the roofer has printed.
A licence is a legal permission to do the trade in the state, and it is issued by the division. It is a separate question from insurance and from permits, which are covered elsewhere in this guide and on the related pages.
- The division is part of the Regulation and Licensing Department
- The record is kept by the division
- A roofer's own card is not the record
What should a roofer put in writing?
The licence number and the name on the licence, written on the quote and signed or initialled. A roofer who will not do this is not a roofer you can check.
Ask for the number before the quote is signed, and ask for it on the quote itself. Write down the name on the licence as well, because a number held by someone else is a different risk. The point is not to catch a roofer out, but to make the check possible at all.
A roofer who gives a number over the phone and says it is on file is giving you a starting point. The check is not complete until you have looked the number up on the division's record and noted the date.
- The licence number on the quote
- The name on the licence
- The date you checked it on the division's record
What does the trade on the licence need to match?
The work in the scope. A licence that covers a different trade does not cover a roof, even if the roofer holds one.
Every roof job needs a roofer whose licence covers roofing work. A roofer may hold licences for more than one trade, and the record shows which. Check that the trade named on the licence is the trade that will do the roof, and not an unrelated one.
The division's classification of roofing is the point where the sources disagree. The FACTS sheet records conflicting codes from different sources, and this guide does not repeat either. The division's record names the classification it has issued, and that is the one to match to the work.
- The trade named on the licence
- The classification as the division records it
- Any subcontractor's licence for a part of the work
What can you check yourself and what can't you?
You can check the number, the name, the trade and the status on the record. You cannot check the roofer's workmanship from the record, and you cannot check insurance from it.
The licence record tells you whether a licence exists and what trade it covers. It does not tell you how well the roof will be done. For that, look at the written scope, ask for references where the roofer offers them, and keep the photographs of the work.
Insurance is a separate question. A roofer should be able to show proof of the insurance the job needs, and that should be asked for in writing as well. This site does not state that any roofer holds insurance, and the roofer must show it.
- The record shows status and trade, not workmanship
- Ask for proof of insurance in writing
- Keep the photographs and the written scope
Where do you take a complaint about a roofer?
To the division for a licensing concern. A dispute about a claim goes to the insurer first and then to the Office of Superintendent of Insurance.
A licensing concern, such as a roofer working without a licence, goes to the Construction Industries Division. Keep the quote, the date, the number given and any written record of the work, because the division will ask for them.
A claim dispute with an insurer is different. The New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance takes complaints on claim processing and on policy issuance or cancellation. It does not decide the roofer's licence, and the division does not decide the insurance claim.
- Licensing concerns to the Construction Industries Division
- Claim disputes to the insurer, then the Office of Superintendent of Insurance
- Keep the quote and the record of the number given
What happens if a roofer is not licensed?
The work may be unlicensed, the homeowner may have less recourse, and the insurer may ask questions after a loss. The licensing concern goes to the division.
A roofer who works without the required licence is taking a risk, and so is the homeowner who hires them. If the work fails, a homeowner who checked the licence and kept the record is in a far stronger position than one who did not. A missing or unverifiable licence is a reason not to sign, however good the quote looks.
A licensing concern is reported to the Construction Industries Division. Keep the quote, the date, the number that was given and any message that shows the roofer's claim about the licence. Those records make the concern easier to act on, and they do not need to be complete for the division to take a report.
- Report a licensing concern to the division
- Keep the quote, the date and the number given
- Do not sign until the number can be checked
How does a licence check fit with permits and insurance?
A licence is one of three checks. The permit is a City question for the job, and insurance is a question the roofer must answer in writing. Each is separate.
A roof job in Albuquerque usually involves three checks. The licence says who may do the trade, the permit says whether the job is allowed to proceed under City rules, and the insurance says what is covered if something goes wrong on site. Each is handled by a different party, and a check on one does not replace the others.
The permit question belongs to the City of Albuquerque's Planning and Building Safety Division, and the insurance question belongs to the roofer and the insurer. This guide covers the licence, and the related pages cover the other two. Ask the roofer for each one in writing before work starts.
- The licence: who may do the trade
- The permit: whether the job may proceed under City rules
- The insurance: what is covered on site, in writing
What should be written on a quote for the licence?
The licence number, the name on the licence, the trade it covers and a line stating that the roofer will hold it for the whole job.
A quote that names the licence in writing is easy to check. It should show the number, the name on it and the trade it covers, and it should say the roofer will hold the licence for the whole job and will show it on request. A quote that leaves the licence out is incomplete, and a homeowner can ask for it to be added before signing.
A subcontractor on the job should be named with its own licence where it does work that needs one. A roofer who uses other trades for flashing, drains or electrical work should say so in the quote.
- The number and the name on the licence
- The trade it covers for the whole job
- Subcontractors named with their own licences
How should the check be recorded?
With the number, the name on it, the trade it covers, the date you checked it and the division's own reference, kept with the contract and the quote.
A check is only useful if it is recorded. Write down the licence number, the name on it, the trade it covers, the date you checked it and the reference shown on the division's record. Keep the note with the contract and the quote, and put the same details on the file for the insurer if one is needed.
A record that shows the check was made before the deposit was paid is the simplest protection a homeowner can have. It answers the question of whether the roofer was checked, and it is quick to make.
- The number, the name and the trade
- The date of the check and the division's reference
- The note kept with the contract
Frequently asked questions
Does this site verify its roofers' licences?
No. The line connects you with a local roofer. Checking the licence number on the division's record is your responsibility, and this site does not claim to have done it.
What is the roofing classification code?
This site does not state one, because the sources available give conflicting codes. Read it from the division's record.
Do I need a licence for a small repair?
A licence question depends on the work and the rules. Ask the roofer to confirm the licence covers the work, and check the record, whatever the size of the job.
What if the number cannot be found on the record?
Do not sign. Ask the roofer for another number in writing, and if none can be found, do not start the work.
Sources
This guide is general information for Bernalillo County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.