Roofing Association or Registration? The Kansas and Nebraska Answer

The association that started at a Topeka roofing clinic

The Midwest Roofing Contractors Association (MRCA) traces its founding to a roofing clinic held in Topeka, Kansas on January 12, 1950, after planning began in the late 1940s. It started with nine firms, six from Kansas and three from Nebraska, and membership was at first limited to contractors in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri. Its history page also credits a 1965 technical publication on roof drainage that architects widely adopted.

Today MRCA describes itself as an association of roofing contractors building programs and services for member companies across the middle part of the United States. Its member directory requires a login, so ask any roofer who claims membership to show it, and confirm with MRCA through its site. The association also has an entry in the National Roofing Directory.

Kansas: roofers register with the Attorney General

The Kansas roofing registration act runs from K.S.A. 50-6,121 through 50-6,138. Its core rule, in K.S.A. 50-6,123, took effect July 1, 2013: no person may act as a roofing contractor in Kansas without a valid registration certificate, and an unregistered roofer cannot bring a court claim tied to its roofing business. The definitions sweep in subcontractors and out-of-state contractors.

What registration requires, and what it puts in front of you:

• a certificate of liability insurance of at least $500,000, proof of workers' compensation coverage or an exemption affidavit, and a Kansas tax clearance;
• annual renewal, with every certificate expiring June 30;
• the registration number displayed on the roofer's work vehicles, signs, cards, correspondence and contracts, and written on every roofing permit.

The act exempts owners doing their own roofing and anyone whose roofing jobs each total less than $2,000, unless that person advertises as a roofing contractor. Among the prohibited acts are abandoning a contract without legal grounds after taking a deposit, diverting funds, deceptive practices and working without a required permit, and any violation counts as a deceptive or unconscionable act under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act.

The Attorney General must verify registration numbers for the public, and the office's Roofing Registration Directory is where to start. The same statute says a listing there is not a determination of any roofer's qualifications or reputation, so treat it as a first check rather than the last.

Nebraska: contractors register with the Department of Labor

Nebraska's Contractor Registration Act requires a contractor to register with the Department of Labor (NDOL) before performing any construction work in the state, with a separate number for each business name. Someone working on their own property, or earning less than $5,000 a year from construction, is not a contractor under the act. NDOL's overview adds that contractors with employees must file a current workers' compensation certificate, and that the annual fee rises to $40 on August 1, 2026. It is also candid about the limits, saying registration does not ensure quality of work or protect against fraud.

Use NDOL's contractor search by business name, city, ZIP code, county or registration number. An unregistered contractor faces an administrative penalty of up to $500 for a first violation and up to $5,000 after that.

Nebraska's rules for insurance-paid roofs

The Insured Homeowners Protection Act lets you cancel a contract paid from property insurance until midnight on the third business day after you sign it or after your insurer tells you in writing that all or part of the claim is not covered, whichever is later. The contractor then has ten days to return your payments. The act also bars deductible rebates, requires an itemized description of the work before it starts, and makes a contract void if the contractor breaks any of its provisions.

Plains hail, county by county

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 220 hail events of 1 inch or larger in Sedgwick County from 2016 through 2025, the most of any Kansas county (NCEI Storm Events Database). Statewide, the database logs 6,054 such events in Kansas and 4,698 in Nebraska.

Kansas hail peaks in May, with 2,577 of the state's 7,353 hail events in the decade; Nebraska's busiest month is June, with 1,407 of 5,338. Check current warnings on NRD's Kansas storm center and Nebraska storm center.

Listed roofers in Kansas and Nebraska

Here are National Roofing Directory listings from Wichita, Salina, Hutchinson, Topeka, Derby, Newton, Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney and Hastings.

Roofing companies in these towns can claim a listing or get The Roofing Wire's Storm Watch alerts through the newsletter signup.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Kansas roofing registration the same as a license?

It is a registration with the Attorney General that requires insurance, workers' compensation proof and a tax clearance, renewed every year. K.S.A. 50-6,137 says the act is in addition to, not in place of, any other licensing that applies, so a city or county may have its own requirements.

Do I need to register to reroof my own house in Kansas?

No. K.S.A. 50-6,129 exempts an owner who physically does the roofing, or has employees do it, on their own dwelling or property without help from a registered roofing contractor.

How do I check a Nebraska contractor's registration?

Search NDOL's contractor registration database by business name, city, ZIP code or registration number. Under state law, that database also shows whether the contractor carries workers' compensation insurance.

Can I cancel an insurance-paid roofing contract in Nebraska?

Yes. Under Neb. Rev. Stat. 44-8603 you can cancel in writing until midnight on the later of the third business day after signing or the third business day after your insurer's written notice that the loss is not fully covered.