Choosing a roofer on either side of State Line Road

The Kansas side: a statewide registration

The Kansas Roofing Registration Act was signed on April 22, 2013, and since July 1, 2013 every roofing contractor has needed a registration certificate from the Kansas Attorney General to provide commercial or residential roofing services for a fee. The law's definition covers subcontractors and nonresident contractors, and anyone who offers or solicits roofing work.

To register, a contractor files a certificate of liability insurance of at least $500,000, proof of workers' compensation coverage or an exemption, and a tax clearance from the Kansas Department of Revenue. Certificates expire June 30 and must be renewed by July 1 every year, and violations can bring civil penalties of up to $10,000 each.

Some general contractors are exempt. Under K.S.A. 50-6,122, that covers a general contractor whose roofing is no more than half the project cost and who does not sell door to door, or one who hires a separately registered roofer for all of the roofing.

Johnson County's license on top

Many Kansas-side suburbs also rely on Johnson County Contractor Licensing, which issues 11 types of contractor licenses; the county's licensing application lists Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Shawnee and Leawood among its participating jurisdictions. Its Class DR license entitles the holder to perform only roofing services on structures of any occupancy or height. Overland Park, for one, requires an active Johnson County contractor's license before it will issue a building permit, and tells residents to search the county's database before hiring anyone.

The Missouri side: Kansas City's own rules

Kansas City, Missouri, draws its line by the scope of work. The city's code questions page says replacing the roofing material, underlayment and no more than 32 square feet of decking does not require a permit. Replace more decking than that and a building permit is required, along with a current KCMO business license. Repair or replace rafters or other structural parts, and the contractor also needs the city's Residential Contractors license.

State law adds rules for insurance-paid work. Missouri's RSMo 407.725 bars a contractor from promising to pay or rebate any part of your insurance deductible, lets you cancel within five business days after the insurer says the loss is not covered, and forbids a contractor to negotiate your roof claim on your behalf. Lawmakers have also proposed a statewide roofer registration: the House summary of HB 1348 from the 2025 session describes a bill that would create one.

The checks side by side

The Kansas door-to-door rule is summarized on the Attorney General's information page for roofers. For more on each state, see the directory's Kansas roofing licensing and Missouri roofing licensing pages.

The hail that makes this matter

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 156 hail events of 1 inch or larger in Johnson County, Kansas, from 2016 through 2025, the second-highest count of any Kansas county, and 114 in Jackson County, Missouri (NCEI). Clay County logged 86, Platte County 61 and Wyandotte County 40 over the same years, by the same NCEI count.

Johnson County's biggest stone of the decade fell on March 13, 2024, when hail larger than baseballs, 3.5 inches, was measured near West 55th Street and Kansas Highway 7. South of the city, Cass County, Missouri, logged a 5-inch hailstone just west of Garden City on July 17, 2023. FEMA's DR-4747 covered Johnson and Wyandotte counties for the storms that began July 14, 2023, and DR-4451 covered Clay, Jackson and Platte counties for the 2019 storms. County detail is on our Kansas City, Missouri, Johnson County and Northland pages.

Roofers on both sides of the line

Here are roofing companies listed on the National Roofing Directory in Kansas City and its Missouri and Kansas suburbs; you can also browse Kansas roofing contractors and Missouri roofing contractors.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Missouri roofer work on my house in Overland Park?

Yes, if it meets the Kansas rules. The Kansas registration requirement applies to nonresident contractors too, so the company needs an Attorney General certificate, and Overland Park requires an active Johnson County license before it issues a building permit.

Do I need a permit to reroof in Kansas City, Missouri?

Not for replacing shingles and underlayment with no more than 32 square feet of new decking, according to the city. More decking than that needs a building permit, and structural repairs need a scope-of-work review or plan submittal and a Residential Contractors license.

What does "In Good Standing" mean in the Kansas directory?

It means the contractor has completed registration and is currently registered with the Attorney General. The directory also shows statuses such as Not In Good Standing, Revoked and Enjoined, which mean the company may not lawfully provide roofing services in Kansas.