Guide
Pennsylvania roofing contracts, in plain language
Pennsylvania has no state roofing license. Instead, the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (HICPA) requires contractors to register with the Attorney General and sets rules for every home improvement contract. A summary, with links to the Act and the Attorney General brochure.
Registration and how to check it
Under section 3 of the Act, no one may hold themselves out as a contractor or perform home improvements without registering with the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection. The Act's definition of a contractor leaves out only very small operators, below a low yearly volume of home improvement work. Section 6 requires the registration number on every advertisement, contract, estimate and proposal.
To check a number, use the Attorney General verification page or call 1-888-520-6680. The Attorney General points out that registration is not an endorsement of a contractor's honesty or skill, and suggests checking references and getting more than one bid as well.
Section 7
What a home improvement contract must contain
A contract that leaves these out is not enforceable against the homeowner (HICPA section 7).
In writing, signed
Legible, signed by you and the contractor, and carrying the contractor's registration number.
Who and when
The contractor's name, street address and phone, the date of the deal and approximate start and completion dates.
The work
A description of the work and materials, with specifications that change only by a written change order you both sign.
The money
The total price (or a time-and-materials provision with its limits), and the down payment and special-order materials listed separately.
Subcontractors
Names, addresses and phone numbers of the subcontractors known when you sign.
Insurance and notices
The contractor's current liability insurance, the Attorney General's hotline number and a notice of your right to cancel.
Cancelling, deposits and refunds
You may cancel a home improvement contract without penalty within three business days of signing, wherever it was signed, apart from narrow exceptions set out in the state's consumer protection law. The contractor must give you a complete copy of the contract when you sign (section 7(b)–(c)).
Section 9 bars a contractor from demanding or taking any payment before the contract is signed, and on larger contracts from taking a deposit above one-third of the price plus listed special-order materials. If no substantial work has been done and more than 45 days have passed since the contract's start date, you can ask for your money back by certified mail, and the contractor must refund it within ten days of receiving your letter (section 9).
Contracts may not contain clauses waiving building code requirements, your right to a jury trial or your rights under the Act; if they do, you can void the contract (section 7(e)). Any arbitration clause has to meet strict formatting rules (section 7(d)).
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