Kentucky Roofing Rules: What Homeowners Should Know
Hiring a roofer in Lexington, KY means dealing with state consumer law and local permit offices. This page sums up what matters most: who pulls a permit, what Kentucky bars on insurance-paid jobs, and how long you have to back out after a claim is denied.
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Kentucky doesn't issue a statewide roofer license. In Lexington, the check that counts is local: contractors must register with LFUCG (the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government) Building Inspection, and unregistered contractors can't get building permits. A separate set of state laws covers roofing contracts paid with insurance money.
Those insurance rules got stricter in 2026, and they matter here because strong wind does reach Lexington roofs. On March 3, 2023, the National Weather Service measured 69 mph gusts at Blue Grass Airport and 72 mph three miles south of town, and part of the airport terminal roof blew off.
- Get it in writing. Ask for a written, itemized contract before any work starts.
- Ask for proof yourself. Request the roofer's LFUCG registration and certificates of insurance; don't take a verbal yes.
- Watch the deductible. On an insurance-paid job, a contractor can't offer to pay, waive or rebate it.
- Know your window. After an insurance denial, you get five business days to cancel an insurance-paid contract.
This is a summary of public law, not legal advice.
Verifying a Roofer
Because the state doesn't license roofers, the paper trail you collect does most of the work. LFUCG registration requires general liability insurance and workers' compensation on file. Call LFUCG Building Inspection at (859) 258-3770 to confirm a roofer is registered.
- Registration. LFUCG contractor registration inside Fayette County, or the equivalent with the local office in a nearby county.
- Insurance. Current proof of general liability and workers' compensation coverage, issued to the company named on the contract.
- A local address. A real business address, not just a cell number.
- References. Recent customers you can call, ideally with similar roofs.
- Warranty paperwork. The manufacturer's warranty terms for the product being installed, plus the roofer's workmanship terms.
- Permit duty. A written note of who pulls any permit. It should be the roofer.
After a declared emergency, Kentucky adds a layer. Under KRS 367.379 (new in 2026), the Attorney General can order roofers working in the disaster area to register with the state, and contractors may not solicit in person there for 90 days unless the owner asked first. Ads, phone calls and online contact are still allowed.
If something goes wrong, the Kentucky Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection takes complaints at 888-432-9257 and offers mediation.
The Deductible Ban, Explained
Kentucky's rules for insurance-paid real estate work sit in KRS 367.620 to 367.628, last amended in 2026. They apply only when the job is expected to be paid from a property or casualty insurance claim, not to a cash re-roof. The law also reaches anyone who solicits these jobs, so this site follows it too.
- Deductible offers. It is against Kentucky law for a contractor to offer to pay or rebate any part of your deductible or claim money to win the job.
- Gifts and perks. A contractor or its representative can't give the insured anything worth more than $100, including a bonus, coupon, credit, gift, prize or referral fee. This site gives homeowners nothing at all.
- Adjuster talk. A contractor may not act or advertise as a public adjuster, market itself as an expert on insurance claims, or claim ties to your insurer.
- Hidden ties. A contractor may not be financially connected to a public adjuster or appraiser on the job.
- Made-up damage. Causing damage to grow the scope of a claim is banned, and it also counts as insurance fraud.
- Liens for the gap. A contractor can't file a mechanic's lien because you refused to pay charges above what insurance paid.
What can a contractor do? Give you an estimate, and talk with your insurer's representative about the damage after you file. Roofers record and price the damage, while settling the claim is up to you and your insurance company.
Cancelling After a Claim Denial
On an insurance-paid roofing contract, Kentucky gives you a way out if the claim goes badly. You can cancel until midnight of the fifth business day after your insurer tells you in writing that all or part of the claim isn't a covered loss (KRS 367.622). The notice can be delivered in person, mailed, faxed or emailed, and it doesn't need any special form.
- Bold notice in the contract. The contract must spell out this cancel right in boldface type, with a detachable "Notice of Cancellation" form attached.
- No money up front. The contractor can't require an advance payment until the five-business-day window has passed.
- Refunds within 10 days. If you cancel, anything you paid comes back within 10 days, with no cancellation fee. Emergency work already done can be billed at a reasonable rate.
- Your benefits stay yours. Since 2026 the contract must also state that it doesn't transfer your insurance rights or benefits to the contractor.
A different rule covers sales made at your door. Kentucky's home solicitation law generally gives you three business days to cancel a sale that started with a seller at your home, whether or not insurance is involved.
Local Rules Around Lexington
Kentucky's Residential Code leaves permits for one- and two-family homes to local ordinance (815 KAR 7:125; KRS 198B.060), so the answer depends on where you live.
Whether a re-roof needs a permit is set by LFUCG Building Inspection; your roofer confirms and pulls any permit. The office is at 101 E. Vine St., (859) 258-3770.
Inside LFUCG's H-1 historic overlay districts, such as Gratz Park, South Hill, Bell Court, Ashland Park and Elsmere Park, exterior changes need a Certificate of Appropriateness. Staff can approve minor work, and the Board of Architectural Review hears major changes. Switching roof material or color needs approval, so call Historic Preservation at (859) 258-3265 first.
None of the nearby offices publishes a re-roof rule, so your roofer checks with the office before tear-off:
- Georgetown, KY. Georgetown-Scott County Building Inspection, 125 W. Clinton St., 502-863-9802, for the city and Scott County.
- Nicholasville, KY. City Planning & Zoning, with its own building inspectors, 517 N. Main St., 859-885-9385. Outside city limits, Jessamine County Planning & Zoning, 121 S. Main St., 859-885-6415.
- Versailles, KY. Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Commission, 103 S. Main St., Room 204, 859-873-8611.
- Winchester, KY. Building Inspections, 32 Wall St., 859-744-7019, for the city and all of Clark County. Downtown, the Historic Preservation Commission's guidelines treat roofing materials as features to preserve.
- Paris, KY. Bourbon County Joint Planning and the building inspector, 525 High St., (859) 987-2150. Downtown, between Second and Fourth streets and Main and High streets, the Board of Architectural Review handles design review.
Town pages: Georgetown, Nicholasville, Versailles, Winchester and Paris.
Questions About the Law
Does Kentucky have a grant that pays for a new roof?
No state roof grant applies to Lexington homeowners right now, and no program promises an insurance discount for a new roof. If someone says a government program will cover your re-roof, ask for its name and check with the office that runs it before you sign.
Do the insurance contract rules apply if I'm paying cash?
No. The deductible ban, the five-business-day cancel right and the advance-payment limit apply to contracts expected to be paid from property or casualty insurance. For a cash job, your protection comes from a clear written contract, proof of insurance and registration, and, for sales started at your door, the general three-day home solicitation rule.
Is a free roof inspection allowed under the 2026 law?
Yes. Kentucky's law expressly lets a contractor give you an estimate. What it bars is paying you, giving you something worth more than $100, or acting as your claims representative. An inspection that ends in a written estimate is normal; an offer to handle your claim is not.
Where do I report a roofer who broke these rules?
Call the Kentucky Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection at 888-432-9257, or file a complaint online. Keep your contract, receipts, photos and messages. If the roofer worked inside Fayette County, LFUCG Building Inspection at (859) 258-3770 can tell you whether the company was registered.
References
Each source was read on 2026-10-04. Laws change, so check the live page.
- KRS 367.620, definitions (amended 2026): https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57390
- KRS 367.622, cancel after a claim denial: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/LAW/STATUTES/statute.aspx?id=56105
- KRS 367.624, required notice and cancellation form (amended 2026): https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/Statutes/statute.aspx?id=57391
- KRS 367.626, advance payments and refunds (2026 Ky. Acts ch. 54): https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/26RS/documents/0054.pdf
- KRS 367.628, acts prohibited for contractors (amended 2026): https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57393
- KRS 367.379, contractors after a declared emergency (2026): https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/Statutes/statute.aspx?id=57398
- 815 KAR 7:125, Kentucky Residential Code: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/815/007/125/
- KRS 198B.060, local enforcement for single-family homes: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=52659
- LFUCG Building Inspection and contractor registration: https://www.lexingtonky.gov/government/departments-programs/environmental-quality-public-works/building-inspection
- LFUCG local historic district permits: https://www.lexingtonky.gov/local-historic-district-permits
- Kentucky Attorney General, Office of Consumer Protection: https://www.ag.ky.gov/about/Office-Divisions/OCP/Pages/default.aspx
- NWS Louisville, March 3, 2023 high winds: https://www.weather.gov/lmk/2023-03-04-KentuckyandSouthernIndiana-HighWinds
Ask About Your Situation
We connect Lexington homeowners with independent local roofers for a free inspection and a written estimate. Roofers pay us for each referral; you never pay us, and we never touch your claim. Call (859) 555-0191, or see what a re-roof costs before you call.