Hiring

Roofing Contractors in Schaumburg: Questions to Ask First

By Schaumburg Roof Repair · September 8, 2026 · 5 min read

Illinois makes hiring a roofer easier than most states, if you know the one rule that matters. Every roofing contractor in the state has to hold a state license, and the license number has to be printed on the contract, the bid and any advertising. That single fact removes most of the bad actors before you have asked a question. Here are the rest of the questions, in the order we would ask them.

The questions

1. What is your Illinois roofing license number?

Not "are you licensed" — that gets a yes from everyone. The number. Illinois roofing licenses are issued by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act and take the form 104.xxxxxx. Take the number and look it up on the IDFPR license lookup before you sign. It shows whether the license is active, whether it is "limited" (residential) or "unlimited" (residential and commercial), and any discipline.

A roofer who hesitates, gives a number that does not come up, or says the license belongs to "a partner" is not someone to hand $15,000. Roofing contractors Schaumburg homeowners can trust have the number on their trucks, their estimates and their website because the law says it goes there.

2. Can I see your insurance certificates?

General liability and workers' compensation, on a certificate issued by the insurer, naming you as the certificate holder, sent before the crew arrives. Without workers' comp, a roofer who falls off your house has a claim against you. Call the agent on the certificate if anything looks off.

The paperwork

3. Will the contract be in writing, and does it include the consumer rights pamphlet?

The Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act requires a written contract for any home repair over $1,000 and requires the contractor to give you the state's "Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights" pamphlet. The contract should show the total price, the scope, the materials by brand and product line, and the start and end dates. The Illinois Attorney General publishes the pamphlet and handles complaints.

4. What exactly is in the scope?

Read for these lines. If any is missing, ask:

• Number of layers to be removed
• Underlayment type (synthetic, not felt)
• Ice-and-water shield: how many feet up from the eave, and whether it is in the valleys and around penetrations
• Decking: how many sheets are expected and the price per additional sheet
• Flashing: new, or reused
• Ventilation: what is being added and whether the soffits will be opened
• The flat section, on a split-level, and what membrane goes on it
• Permit: who pulls it
• Cleanup: haul-away and a magnetic nail sweep

Two quotes with the same total can be very different roofs. The cost page explains what each line costs.

5. Will you pull the permit?

The Village of Schaumburg requires a permit for a re-roof, as do Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Arlington Heights and the rest; unincorporated Cook County goes through the county. The contractor pulls it. A roofer who suggests skipping it to save a fee is skipping the inspection, which is the only third-party check on their work.

The work and who does it

6. What is the workmanship warranty, in writing?

The shingle manufacturer covers the shingle. It does not cover the installation. Ask for the contractor's own workmanship warranty — length, what it covers, in writing. Two years is common; five or ten from a company that has been around a while. A "lifetime" workmanship warranty from a company with no fixed address is worth the paper.

7. Who is actually on the roof?

Employees or a subcontracted crew? Subs are common and not a problem in themselves, but the license and the insurance have to cover whoever is on your roof, and the person who sold the job should be reachable during it.

8. How do you handle the insurance claim?

The right answer: we inspect, document, meet the adjuster if you want, and do the work to the approved scope. The wrong answers: we will waive your deductible (illegal in Illinois), sign this assignment of benefits so we can deal with your insurer directly, or sign this contingency agreement before the adjuster comes. Any agreement that depends on a claim has to let you cancel if the claim is denied. See the storm damage page.

Storm-chaser tells

After a hailstorm the northwest suburbs fill with out-of-state trucks. The tells:

• Knocked on your door unprompted.
• Cannot produce an Illinois license number, or gives a number that is not theirs.
• Offers to cover the deductible.
• Wants a contract signed today, before the adjuster.
• A magnetic sign on the truck, a phone number from a different area code, no local address.
• Says the whole roof is totaled without going in the attic.

A note on the free inspection

A free inspection from a company that only sells replacements tends to find a replacement. A paid inspection with a written report from a company that also does repairs is $150–$350 and often pays for itself the same afternoon. The repair-or-replace guide explains how a fair roofer decides. And searching "roofer near me Schaumburg" on a phone will show you a map of companies; the license lookup is the second search, and it takes a minute.