Buyer's Guide · Oregon
How to choose a metal roofing contractor in Oregon
Start with the state: an Oregon contractor needs a current Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license, which you can look up in a minute. Then run seven more checks that work on any company, including us.
1. Check the CCB license
Oregon requires contractors to hold a current Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license (ORS 701.021). A CCB license means the contractor carries a surety bond and liability insurance; the residential general contractor bond has been $25,000 since January 1, 2024. Look the license up on the CCB's license search. If the contractor is not licensed, the CCB's bond and dispute resolution services are not available to you. It takes a minute: search the legal name on the quote, not the website name, and check that the license is active. If your home is in southwest Washington, the contractor must be registered with Washington's Department of Labor & Industries instead; L&I's "Verify a Contractor" lookup shows it. Idaho requires contractors to register with the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) for construction jobs over $2,000. If your home was built before 1978 and the job will disturb painted surfaces such as fascia and trim, ask for the lead-safe credential too: in Oregon, a CCB Lead-Based Paint Renovation license; in Washington, a Department of Commerce lead-based paint renovation (RRP) firm certification.
2. Get the insurance certificates from the insurer
Ask for proof of commercial general liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage, sent directly from the broker or insurer, with the policy dates on it. A photo of a certificate from last year proves nothing about the week your roof comes off. Know what each one covers, too: the CCB's own consumer notice says liability insurance covers property damage and bodily injury caused by the contractor, not contract disputes or poor workmanship, and the CCB bond gives only a limited amount of financial security in a contract dispute.
3. Get the contract in writing, with the notices the state requires
Oregon requires a written contract for residential work over $2,000 (ORS 701.305). On those jobs, the contractor who contracts with you must give you three CCB notices on or before the day you sign: the Consumer Protection Notice, the Notice of Procedure (about the steps the law sets before an arbitration or lawsuit over construction defects) and the Information Notice to Owner about Construction Liens. The CCB's notice tells homeowners to get everything in writing, to follow a payment schedule and never pay in full before the work is done, and to file any complaint with the CCB within one year of substantial completion of the work. If a contractor hasn't handed you those notices, ask why.
4. Read the warranty as if the exclusions are the document
Ask four things: does the coverage reduce over time? Is there a wind figure written down, tied to installation to the manufacturer's specification? Does it transfer to the next owner, and on what terms? What is excluded? Then ask who issues it. On our roofs the material warranty comes from the manufacturer, Interlock Roofing, and we'll hand you the warranty document before you sign. Ice damming, for example, is a stated exclusion of the material warranty; a roofer who promises a roof will stop ice dams is promising something the warranty doesn't.
5. Ask what the fasteners look like
Exposed gasketed screws through the weather surface are a leak point once the gaskets age, and a roof in Oregon spends months of every year in wind-driven rain, with wind and ice storms in the Columbia River Gorge and salt air on the coast. Concealed-fastener, mechanically interlocked panels keep the fasteners out of the weather and leave no edge for wind to get under. If the answer involves visible screws, ask what the maintenance looks like in year twelve.
6. Ask about moss, trees and what the roof sheds
West of the Cascades, moss is part of owning a roof. Oregon State University Extension says moss doesn't damage roofing directly; it holds moisture and debris, and on asphalt it can lift shingles so water gets underneath. It grows on any roof in shade, metal included, so ask any contractor what the roof needs to stay clean, and whether trimming the trees that shade it is part of the plan. Ask where snow will slide on a foothill or Gorge property, too, and where snow guards go.
7. In a condo or a historic district, get approval before the contract
Oregon condominiums are governed by the Oregon Condominium Act (ORS chapter 100) and their own declaration and bylaws. The roof is usually a common element that the association of unit owners maintains, and the Act requires the association to keep a reserve account and a reserve study for major maintenance, repair and replacement, so the board decides on it, often on the reserve schedule. If your house is in a historic district, check with your local historic landmarks commission before you choose a profile and color. Either way, ask the contractor for what the board or commission needs (profile, color, specification sheets and warranty) and get the decision in writing before anyone signs.
8. Ask who manufactures the panels, and check it
Many metal roofs are re-branded panels from commodity mills. Ask for the manufacturer by name and for its published test reports and code evaluation. The system we install is made in North America by Interlock Roofing at its plant in Delta, BC: heavy-gauge aluminum, roughly 0.4 to 0.7 lb per square foot depending on profile, four-way interlocking with concealed fasteners, evaluated under ICC-ES ESR-1790 for its shingle, slate, shake and tile profiles, Class A Fire Rated Available as a complete assembly, minimum 3/12 slope on every profile. If your house is in wildfire country, ask exactly which assembly a fire rating applies to: under ASTM E108 / UL 790 it belongs to the assembly, not the panel.
Contractor-vetting questions, answered
Do roofers need a license in Oregon?
Yes. Oregon requires contractors, roofers included, to hold a current license from the Construction Contractors Board (ORS 701.021), which means carrying a surety bond and liability insurance. Check it on the CCB's license search before you sign. In southwest Washington the contractor must be registered with Washington L&I instead. Idaho requires contractors to register with the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) for construction jobs over $2,000.
What notices must an Oregon contractor give me?
On residential work over $2,000, the contractor who contracts with you must give you the Consumer Protection Notice, the Notice of Procedure and the Information Notice to Owner about Construction Liens on or before the day the contract is signed, and the contract must be in writing (ORS 701.305). The CCB publishes all three notices.
What does a CCB bond actually cover?
According to the CCB's Consumer Protection Notice, the bond provides a limited amount of financial security if the contractor is ordered to pay damages in a contract dispute; it is not meant as a safety net. The residential general contractor bond has been $25,000 since January 1, 2024. If the contractor is unlicensed, the CCB's bond and dispute resolution services are not available to you.
What questions should I ask a metal roofing company in Oregon?
Five with the highest signal: Can I look up your license or registration and see your insurance certificates? Who issues the warranty, does it transfer, and what does it exclude? Are the fasteners exposed or concealed? What will the roof need to stay clear of moss and debris? Who manufactures the panels? Confident answers to all five are rare, and telling.
Does my condo association need to approve a new roof?
Usually. In most Oregon condominiums the roof is a common element maintained by the association of unit owners under the Oregon Condominium Act (ORS chapter 100) and the declaration, so the board decides. Talk to your property manager first; your contractor should give you the specifications the board asks for.
What is the difference between an installer and a certified installer?
Certification means the manufacturer trained the crews and stands behind the installation. Interlock Metal Roofing (PNW) Inc. is the certified and exclusive Interlock® roofing contractor in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
Should I get multiple metal roofing quotes?
Yes, and compare them like for like. A cheaper quote with exposed fasteners and a prorated warranty is not the same roof at a lower price. Compare the system, warranty terms, license or registration and insurance, then compare price.
Which areas do you cover?
Oregon and southwest Washington, from our Portland office. The towns with the most Interlock roofs in our Oregon job book are Portland, Salem, Eugene, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Oregon City, Astoria, Corvallis, Albany, Milwaukie.
Sources, read October 2026: Oregon Construction Contractors Board (Licensing page, Consumer Protection Notice, notices chart); ORS 701.021, 701.305 and the Oregon Condominium Act, ORS chapter 100; Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses; Oregon State University Extension Service, "How to control roof moss and prevent long-term damage".
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