Roof Replacement — Maryland license requirements
01 The project
The starting point is the work itself — Roof Replacement in Maryland. The job determines which trades are involved, and the trades determine which license classifications may be required.
| Component | Trade |
|---|---|
| Roof cover system | Roofing |
02 Jurisdiction
This project is evaluated for Maryland — the home-improvement licence state. There is no project-value general-contractor licence: the MHIC home improvement contractor licence (Business Regulation Art. Title 8) covers residential alteration/remodel/repair on 1–3 unit buildings, the trades are licensed individually (electrician BOP Title 6, plumber/gas fitter Title 12, HVACR BR Title 9A), and new-home construction is a Home Builder Registration. Maryland jurisdiction page.
Local building and permit fees, and the electrician/plumbing/HVACR/Home-Builder licence fees, were not read — LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED / NOT_VERIFIED. Maryland imposes no unconditional statewide surety bond on these credentials (an MHIC applicant who fails the solvency guidelines may buy a bond or obtain an indemnitor). State requirements are not the complete story for any locality.
03 Trade → license
Relations below are recorded per state — only this jurisdiction's classifications are shown.
Trades involved: Roofing.
- May require HOME-IMPROVEMENT-CONTRACTOR — Home Improvement Contractor (MHIC) confirmed S-MD-BR-8-101 rule MD-MHIC-LICENSERoof replacement on a residence is home improvement (§8-101(g): alteration/repair/replacement of a building used as a residence), so the MHIC contractor licence is required. Maryland issues NO roofing-specific state credential (verified absence). A licensed master electrician is required if the roof work touches electrical equipment or the solar connection.
04 Scope
What the official sources say about the work involved — typed assertions, never a boolean "covers". Interpretations are marked as such.
- Officially excluded HOME-IMPROVEMENT-CONTRACTOR Construction Of A New Home (may_not_perform) Business Regulation §8-101(g)(3)(i) S-MD-BR-8-101
- Officially excluded HOME-IMPROVEMENT-CONTRACTOR No Mhic License For A Licensed Electrician Plumber Hvacr Contractor Or Architect Acting Within Scope (requires) Business Regulation §8-301(c)(4) S-MD-BR-8-301
- Officially excluded HOME-IMPROVEMENT-CONTRACTOR Subcontracting Home Improvement Work For An Mhic Licensed Contractor Without A License (may_perform) MHIC home page (subcontractor category eliminated) S-MD-MHIC-MAIN
- Officially excluded HOME-IMPROVEMENT-CONTRACTOR Work On Apartment Buildings With Four Or More Single Family Units Or Common Area Condominiums (may_not_perform) Business Regulation §8-101(g)(3)(v)-(vi) S-MD-BR-8-101
- Officially included HOME-IMPROVEMENT-CONTRACTOR Act As A Contractor Performing Or Agreeing To Perform A Home Improvement For An Owner (may_perform) Business Regulation §8-301(a); §8-101(c),(g) S-MD-BR-8-301 The MHIC licence is a scope licence, not a project-value GC licence: it is the credential a homeowner's remodeler must hold.
05 Requirements
| Requirement | Kind | Statement | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| A contractor licence is required to act as a contractor or sell a home improvement in Maryland Business Regulation §8-301(a)-(b) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) | license | Business Regulation §8-301(a) verbatim: 'Except as otherwise provided in this title, a person must have a contractor license whenever the person acts as a contractor in the State.' §8-301(b): a person must have a salesperson license or contractor license whenever the person sells a home improvement in the State. The MHIC home-improvement contractor licence is the business-scope credential for residential alteration, remodeling, repair or replacement on buildings used as a residence. | S-MD-BR-8-301Source S-MD-BR-8-301 — Maryland General Assembly — Annotated Code of Maryland (mgaleg.maryland.gov)Business Regulation §8-301 — License required; exclusions (incl. the (c)(4) trade exemption) — Business Regulation §8-301(a)-(b) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbr§ion=8-301&enactments=false Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 §8-301(a): a contractor licence is required to act as a contractor in the State; (b): a salesperson or contractor licence to sell a home improvement. §8-301(c)(4) exempts a licensed electrician / plumber / HVACR contractor (or other licensed occupation) acting within scope, or installing a central heating/air-conditioning system. |
| What counts as 'home improvement' — the statutory scope and its exclusions Business Regulation §8-101(g) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) | license | Business Regulation §8-101(g): 'home improvement' means the addition to or alteration, conversion, improvement, modernization, remodeling, repair or replacement of a building (or part) used or designed as a residence, a structure adjacent to it, or an improvement to land adjacent to it. It includes driveways, fences, garages, landscaping, decks, piers, porches, swimming pools, shore erosion control, certain appliance connections, awnings, fire alarms, storm windows and work on individual condominium units. It does NOT include new-home construction; completion-guarantee work on a new building; appliance connection that requires altering plumbing lines; material sales; apartment buildings with four or more single-family units; or the commonly owned areas of condominiums. | S-MD-BR-8-101Source S-MD-BR-8-101 — Maryland General Assembly — Annotated Code of Maryland (mgaleg.maryland.gov)Business Regulation §8-101 — Definitions (contractor, home improvement, salesperson) — Business Regulation §8-101(g) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbr§ion=8-101&enactments=false Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 'Home improvement' verbatim (incl. adjacent land, driveways/fences/garages/decks/porches/pools/piers, shore erosion control, awnings/fire alarms/storm windows, individual condo units) and its exclusions (new-home construction, completion guarantees, appliance connection requiring plumbing alteration, material sales, apartment buildings with 4+ single-family units, common-area condos). |
| 4+ unit apartment buildings and common-area condos are not 'home improvement' Business Regulation §8-101(g)(3)(v)-(vi) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) | exemption | Business Regulation §8-101(g)(3)(v)-(vi) exclude from 'home improvement' work done on apartment buildings that contain four or more single-family units and work done on the commonly owned areas of condominiums. Individual condominium units ARE home improvement (§8-101(g)(2)(v)). | S-MD-BR-8-101Source S-MD-BR-8-101 — Maryland General Assembly — Annotated Code of Maryland (mgaleg.maryland.gov)Business Regulation §8-101 — Definitions (contractor, home improvement, salesperson) — Business Regulation §8-101(g)(3)(v)-(vi) verbatim (read 2026-10-05) https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbr§ion=8-101&enactments=false Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 'Home improvement' verbatim (incl. adjacent land, driveways/fences/garages/decks/porches/pools/piers, shore erosion control, awnings/fire alarms/storm windows, individual condo units) and its exclusions (new-home construction, completion guarantees, appliance connection requiring plumbing alteration, material sales, apartment buildings with 4+ single-family units, common-area condos). |
| MHIC contractor licence requires general liability insurance of at least $500,000 Business Regulation §8-302.1 verbatim (read 2026-10-05) | insurance | Business Regulation §8-302.1 verbatim: '(a) An applicant for a contractor license shall maintain general liability insurance in the amount of at least $500,000. (b) A licensed contractor shall maintain general liability insurance in the amount of at least $500,000.' Effective 2024-06-01. (The MHIC 'License Categories and Requirements' page still prints $50,000 — CONFLICT-MD-001.) | S-MD-BR-8-302.1Source S-MD-BR-8-302.1 — Maryland General Assembly — Annotated Code of Maryland (mgaleg.maryland.gov)Business Regulation §8-302.1 — General liability insurance ($500,000) — Business Regulation §8-302.1 verbatim (read 2026-10-05) https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbr§ion=8-302.1&enactments=false Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 · effective 2024-06-01 Verbatim: an applicant for a contractor licence, and a licensed contractor, shall maintain general liability insurance of at least $500,000. Statutory basis of the MHIC ↔ stale-$50,000 conflict (CONFLICT-MD-001). |
| All electrical work in Maryland must be performed by a licensed master, journeyperson or apprentice electrician Board notice + BOP §6-605 verbatim (read 2026-10-05) | license | Maryland State Board of Electricians, verbatim: 'All electrical work in Maryland must be performed by a licensed Master, Journeyperson, or Apprentice Electrician. Apprentices must be supervised at all times by a licensed Master or Journeyperson and may not perform work independently. Unlicensed electrical work is illegal. Violations may result in fines of up to $5,000, imprisonment, or both.' §6-605 restates the employment restriction and the job-site presence rule. | S-MD-ELEC-MAINSource S-MD-ELEC-MAIN — Maryland State Board of Electricians — Division of Occupational and Professional LicensingMaryland State Board of Electricians — overview, insurance requirements, unlicensed-work penalty — Board notice + BOP §6-605 verbatim (read 2026-10-05) https://labor.maryland.gov/license/elec/ Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 All electrical work must be done by a licensed master, journeyperson or apprentice (apprentices supervised at all times); unlicensed work is illegal and may bring fines up to $5,000, imprisonment, or both. Insurance to hold a licence: GL ≥ $300,000 and property damage ≥ $100,000; insurer must notify the Board 10 days before cancellation. |
| The mold remediation licensing subtitle was terminated (2019-07-01) — no longer an MHIC requirement MHIC licensing FAQ ('Mold Remediation') verbatim (read 2026-10-05) | exemption | MHIC licensing FAQ, verbatim: 'In 2008, the Maryland Mold Remediation Services Act passed, requiring all contractors and companies that perform mold remediation work in residential properties to be licensed by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission. No additional license is required. On July 1, 2019 this subtitle was terminated.' | S-MD-MHIC-LICFAQSource S-MD-MHIC-LICFAQ — Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) — Maryland Department of LaborMHIC — Licensing FAQs for Applicants (business licence, solvency, reciprocity, new-home note) — MHIC licensing FAQ ('Mold Remediation') verbatim (read 2026-10-05) https://labor.maryland.gov/license/mhic/mhicfaqlic.shtml Retrieved 2026-10-05 · last verified 2026-10-05 Confirms an MHIC licensee needs no separate 'business construction licence' under Title 17; states the Fund compensates up to $20,000 (the figure conflicting with the home page's $30,000 — CONFLICT-MD-002); confirms no reciprocity; confirms new-home construction is the Home Builder Registration Unit, not MHIC. |
06 Rule: MD-MHIC-LICENSE
Business Regulation §8-301(a): 'a person must have a contractor license whenever the person acts as a contractor in the State'; (b): a salesperson or contractor licence to sell a home improvement. Applies to home improvement as defined by §8-101(g). Test MD-MHIC-TRADE-EXEMPTION first when a licensed trade professional acts within scope.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| mhic-required | mhic_license_required |
|
| not-home-improvement | mhic_not_required |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MD-BR-8-301S-MD-BR-8-101
07 Rule: MD-HOME-IMPROVEMENT-SCOPE
Business Regulation §8-101(g): whether a job is 'home improvement' (residential alteration/remodel/repair, adjacent structures/land, individual condo units) or is excluded (new-home construction, 4+ unit apartment buildings, common-area condominiums, material sales).
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| is-home-improvement | work_is_home_improvement | — |
| condo-unit | work_is_home_improvement | — |
| excluded-sites | work_not_home_improvement | — |
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MD-BR-8-101
08 Rule: MD-ELECTRICAL-LICENSE
All electrical work in Maryland must be performed by a licensed master, journeyperson or apprentice electrician (apprentices supervised at all times). Unlicensed electrical work is illegal; fines up to $5,000, imprisonment, or both.
| Outcome | Conclusion | Caveats |
|---|---|---|
| license-required | electrical_license_required |
|
Rule confidence: confirmed. Missing inputs produce NOT_DETERMINED — never a forced answer. Sources: S-MD-ELEC-MAINS-MD-BOP-6-101
09 What decides a Maryland re-roof
| Question | Maryland answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide roofing credential | none exists — a re-roof on a residence is home improvement, so the MHIC contractor licence applies (rule MD-MHIC-LICENSE) | S-MD-BR-8-301 |
| Is a re-roof home improvement? | yes — alteration/repair/replacement of a building used as a residence (rule MD-HOME-IMPROVEMENT-SCOPE) | S-MD-BR-8-101 |
| If the roof reaches electrical work | a licensed master/journeyperson electrician is required, present at the job site (rule MD-ELECTRICAL-JOBSITE) | S-MD-ELEC-MAIN |
| Insurance | MHIC general liability ≥ $500,000 (§8-302.1) | S-MD-BR-8-302.1 |
Note: the Baltimore-County/WSSC plumbing carve-out and the §6-605(b) electrical job-site rule (licensed master or journeyperson present at each electrical job site) are stated in full on the Maryland jurisdiction page.