Neither Idaho nor Washington licenses roofing as a trade, but both require contractors to register with the state. An Idaho registration does not authorize work in Washington, and a Washington registration does not authorize work in Idaho. Moscow sits on one side of the line and Pullman on the other, so the paperwork changes with the address.
Key takeaways
- Idaho's Contractor Registration Act requires registration, not licensure, and roofing is not one of the separate Idaho trade licenses.
- Washington requires construction contractors to register with the Department of Labor & Industries, and roofing is one of the specialties on its list.
- A Washington registration comes with a bond and a liability insurance requirement, with the state named as certificate holder.
- Idaho asks for proof of workers' compensation and general liability insurance of not less than $300,000 single limit.
- A specialty registration in Washington limits a contractor to that specialty and does not allow hiring subcontractors for other trades.
- Pullman's permit application must list the general contractor and a current state registration number unless the owner signs a waiver.
Is roofing a licensed trade in Idaho?
No. Idaho's contractor law requires registration, and roofing is not among the separate trade licenses the state issues. Registration is a different thing from a license, and the difference matters when a job goes wrong.
The governing law is the Idaho Contractor Registration Act, Title 54, Chapter 52 of the Idaho Code, with Contractors Board rules under IDAPA 24.21.01. The Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses says the Act requires registration, not licensure. Contractors have been required to register since January 1, 2006, and the Division is moving registrations to a biennial cycle. The Division publishes its own FAQ, which is the place to read the threshold and the exemptions in the agency wording.
Idaho's separate trade licenses cover electrical work, HVAC, manufactured housing, plumbing and public works. Roofing is not among them. A public-works classification for roofing exists, but it governs public bidding, not a homeowner's roof. When someone describes roofing as licensed in Idaho, the thing they usually mean is registration, so ask for the registration itself and check it with the Division.
What does Washington require for roofing?
Washington has no single roofing license, but roofing is one of the specialties that require contractor registration with the Department of Labor & Industries. Registration, a bond and liability insurance all sit behind it.
Anyone doing construction work on someone else's property registers with the Department of Labor & Industries under chapter 18.27 of the Revised Code of Washington. The state's list of registered specialties includes roofing, painting, HVAC and tree removal. Pressure washing a roof on someone else's property also requires registration, which catches people who think of it as a cleaning job.
Washington's rules are the reason a Pullman roof and an Idaho roof can look identical and still be governed by different paperwork. The state sets the contractor registration, and the city or county sets the permit. Both layers apply on the Washington side, and neither one reaches back across the line into Idaho. The state's own description of the requirement is the reference to rely on when a question about a specific job comes up, and a contractor who has registered in Washington should be able to say so plainly and name the specialty they hold.
What do the bond and insurance requirements look like?
Washington requires a continuous surety bond and liability insurance, with the state named on the certificate. Idaho requires proof of workers' compensation and general liability insurance of at least $300,000 single limit.
The Washington bond for a general contractor is $30,000, and for a specialty contractor it is $15,000, the amounts the Department of Labor & Industries set in July 2024. The liability insurance is $250,000 combined single limit, or $200,000 public liability plus $50,000 property damage, with the Department listed as certificate holder. Older public pages can show earlier figures, so confirm the current amount with the agency before relying on it. The state records are the place to check the bond and insurance on file for a specific business.
The business name must match across the registration, the bond and the insurance certificate. A specialty contractor may only work in the specialty it is registered for and cannot hire subcontractors, which matters when a roofing job turns into carpentry. Idaho's registration carries a listed application fee of $120, and the Division began moving registrations to a biennial cycle in October 2025.
What does the state line change on a job?
Work is governed by the state where the house sits. Moscow and Pullman are two cities in two states, so a roof in each one follows a different registration, bond and building code.
Moscow is in Latah County, Idaho, and Pullman is in Whitman County, Washington, about 14 kilometers apart. Pullman is the larger of the two, with 32,901 residents in 2020 according to Wikipedia, and it is the largest city in Whitman County. Pullman–Moscow Regional Airport sits on the Washington side, which is one more reason the two places should not be treated as a single town. Compare the Moscow area page with the Pullman area page for the local detail.
Idaho's building code runs under the Idaho Building Code Act, and local governments adopt the edition by ordinance. Washington adopts the 2021 International Residential Code through chapter 51-51 of the Washington Administrative Code, with its own amendments. Those are separate legal systems, and a contractor working on both sides of the Palouse has to meet both of them.
Does one registration cover both sides?
No. An Idaho registration does not authorize work in Washington, and a Washington registration does not authorize work in Idaho. A contractor who works on both sides of the line holds both.
The rule is simple to state and easy to miss. Colfax, Garfield and Uniontown are in Washington, while Troy and Potlatch are in Idaho, and all of them are commonly described as part of the Palouse. Ask which state's registration the contractor holds for the address on the job, and make sure the number you are given belongs to that state.
Idaho's disclosure rule applies to residential contracts over $2,000, under Idaho Code 45-525. The registration threshold is set around $2,000 in Idaho Code 54-5205, and the Division confirms how that threshold applies to a given job. The exemption for a small job does not cover part of a larger project, and it does not cover work split into smaller contracts to stay under the threshold.
What if a contractor is not registered?
In Idaho, working unregistered is a misdemeanor, and an unregistered contractor loses the right to sue to collect for work under a contract that required registration. That makes registration the first thing to check before signing.
The Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses states that working unregistered is a misdemeanor in Idaho. It also states that an unregistered contractor loses the right to sue to collect for work under a contract that required registration. In practice, a homeowner who hires an unregistered roofer is left without the contractor's legal route to collect payment under that contract.
In Washington, the registration number is part of the permit process. Pullman's permit application must list the general contractor and that contractor's current state registration number, and the only exception is an owner doing the work personally, who signs a waiver. Ask for the number before the contract is signed, and confirm it with the state agency. If the name on the contractor paperwork does not match the registration, treat that as the question to resolve before anything else.
Where do I check a registration?
Check the registration with the state agency for your side of the line, using the contractor's registration number and business name. Keep the name identical across the contract, the bond and the insurance.
For Idaho, the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses administers the Contractor Registration Act. For Washington, the Department of Labor & Industries keeps the registration record along with the bond and insurance filings. Both agencies publish their own search and contact pages, and those are the sources to rely on, rather than a directory, a quote site or a contractor's own summary.
A roofing job that crosses the line may need both registrations on one project, and the permit can sit with a different office on each side. Ask who pulls the permit before the work starts. A call to the line can help you sort out which registration and which permit apply to your address, and a technician can explain the permit that goes with the job. The roof repair service page covers what a repair visit involves.
What should a homeowner keep on file?
Keep the registration number, the contract, the permit and the insurance certificate together, along with the name of the state agency that holds each one. A file like that makes a later question easy to answer.
Start with the contract. It should name the contractor business exactly as it appears on the state registration, and it should state the work, the address and the price. Add the registration number from the state agency you checked, the date you checked it and a printout or screenshot of the record. Those three items together show that the contractor was registered when the work was done, and they give you something specific to point to if a question comes up later.
The second set of items is the permit. Where a city or county requires a permit, keep the application, the permit number and the inspection record. In Washington, the application carries the contractor registration number, so the permit and the registration should match. If the work crosses the state line, keep a set for each side, because a registration from one state is not evidence for work in the other.
Frequently asked questions
Does Idaho license roofers?
Idaho registers roofing contractors but does not license roofing as a trade. The Idaho Contractor Registration Act requires registration, and roofing is not among the separate trade licenses the state issues. Ask for the registration to be written into the contract and confirm it with the state division.
Does Washington license roofers?
There is no single roofing license in Washington, but roofing is one of the specialties that require contractor registration with the Department of Labor & Industries. The registration comes with a bond and liability insurance. A specialty registration limits the work to that specialty.
Can a Washington contractor work in Idaho on a Washington registration?
No. Idaho work needs an Idaho registration, and Washington work needs a Washington registration. A contractor who works on both sides of the Palouse holds both, and each registration covers only its own state. The same rule runs the other way for an Idaho contractor on the Washington side.
Is a small job exempt from registration?
Idaho sets a threshold of around $2,000 in Idaho Code 54-5205, and the Division confirms how it applies to a particular job. The exemption covers a single undertaking that is minor or inconsequential. It does not cover part of a larger project or work split into smaller contracts.
What is the bond amount in Washington?
The Department of Labor & Industries set the bond at $30,000 for a general contractor and $15,000 for a specialty contractor, in amounts effective from July 2024. Older documents may show earlier figures, so check the current amount with the agency before you rely on it.
Who do I contact if a registration looks wrong?
Contact the state agency that holds the registration, not the contractor alone. For Idaho that is the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, and for Washington it is the Department of Labor & Industries. Ask the agency to confirm the business name, the status of the registration and any bond or insurance on file. Do not sign the contract until the answer is clear.
Sources
This guide is general information for Latah County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.