How Much Does a New Roof Cost in Illinois in 2026
Paid roofing work in Illinois needs a state license from IDFPR, with a short list of exceptions, and Illinois roofers out-earn the country: a $37.33 mean hourly wage in May 2025 against $27.95 nationally (BLS). For the job itself, the sourced benchmark is national: the Remodeling 2025 Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com) gives a U.S. average of $31,871 for an asphalt-shingle replacement.
Two numbers to anchor a bid, neither of them an Illinois price
The report covers 28 projects in 119 U.S. markets. Its 2025 national averages list “Roofing Replacement | Asphalt Shingles” at $31,871 and “Roofing Replacement | Metal” at $51,865. We hold no regional page of the report for Illinois, so national averages stand in. Roof size and shingle grade are not stated in the pages we hold. Treat $31,871 as the report’s defined asphalt-shingle roof replacement project, nothing narrower.
© 2025 Zonda Media, a Delaware Corporation. Complete data from the Remodeling 2025 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at www.costvsvalue.com.
The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025, code 47-2181) counted 5,300 roofers employed in Illinois. Their mean pay was $37.33 an hour ($77,650 a year) and the median $37.45, compared with $27.95 and $26.65 for the U.S. Self-employed roofers are not counted, and pay is one input to a bid, not a price.
Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act: two license types
Under 225 ILCS 335/9, no roofing work “may be done except by a roofing contractor or a qualifying party licensed or credentialed under this Act.” The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation issues two licenses:
| License | Work allowed | Bond (335/3(2)(d)) |
|---|---|---|
| Limited | Residential properties of 8 units or less | $10,000 |
| Unlimited | Residential, commercial and industrial | $25,000 |
Applicants also need liability insurance, workers’ compensation, an unemployment-insurance account and a qualifying party who passed the state exam. Where a city or county requires a building permit, it “may not issue a building permit to a roofing contractor” without proof of a current state license (335/5(a-3)). The license number must appear on contracts, bids, advertisements and work vehicles (335/5, 5.1). Check a number on IDFPR’s license lookup page.
The Act, last amended by Public Act 104-427 (effective August 15, 2025), does not require a license from:
- a person roofing their own property, or working for no consideration (335/11(3));
- an employee working on the employer’s residential property, or doing roof repair on the employer’s commercial or industrial property (11(3.5), 11(4));
- glass, plastic or fiberglass work on greenhouses, and repair or construction of farm buildings (11(4));
- a seller of roofing services or materials whose roofing is done by someone else (11(2)). A seller of roofing services may subcontract only to licensed roofers (9(3));
- employees of a licensed contractor, and its qualifying party (9(4));
- whoever finishes an incomplete contract after a qualifying party dies or the licensee dissolves, who must notify IDFPR within 30 days (11(9));
- professional and structural engineers practicing under their own acts (11(13)).
Cities, counties and school districts keep their own permits, fees and inspections, and may pass stricter ordinances (11(1), 11(12)). Every section still in force carries a scheduled repeal date of January 1, 2031.
Contract terms added by the 2025 amendment
Section 5.5 requires a contract signed by both sides before work starts, listing scope, approximate dates, a street address, email and phone, and the surety and liability insurer, plus approximate costs for a repair. Two clauses protect your money:
- a rescission clause letting you “rescind the contract and obtain a full refund of any deposit within 72 hours after entering the contract” (5.5(b)(6)); that window runs in hours, not business days;
- a statement, in bold type on the face of the contract, that the roofer “shall hold in trust any payment” until materials are delivered to the site or a majority of the work is done (5.5(c)).
Hail claims under Section 18 of the Home Repair and Remodeling Act
815 ILCS 513/18 (Public Act 97-235, effective January 1, 2012) says a home-repair contractor “shall not advertise or promise” to cover any part of your insurance deductible. A discount or allowance off its fees counts as the same thing. Since 2025, section 5.5(b)(7) of the roofing act also puts that rule in writing on every roofing contract.
If insurance proceeds are paying for the job, you may cancel before midnight on the earlier of two dates. One is the fifth business day after the insurer tells you in writing that all or part of the claim is not covered. The other is the thirtieth business day after the insurer receives your proof of loss (18(e)). The cancellation must be a written notice sent or delivered to the contractor’s address in the contract, with a copy of the insurer’s written notice attached. One exception: for catastrophe-related goods or services you agreed in writing were needed to prevent damage, the contractor keeps their reasonable value (18(h)).
Section 18(i) bars the contractor from representing you on the claim, filing or calling it in for you, or climbing on your roof or inspecting for exterior damage without your express permission. It may still hand you an estimate for the insurer, confer with the insurer’s representative about the damage, and discuss repair options.
The Act covers homes of up to 6 units and excludes repairs under $500. Jobs over $1,000 need a written contract and a signed acknowledgment of the “Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights” pamphlet (513/15, 513/20). Owners aged 65 or older have 15 full business days to cancel when an uninvited solicitor sold the work at their home (513/22).
Overlays and energy code in the Act’s definitions
The licensing act’s definition of “roof recover” (335/2(v)) excludes a roof that is water soaked or so deteriorated that it is not adequate as a base for more roofing, a slate or tile roof, and a roof with 2 or more existing applications. The third case has one exception: IDFPR has “received and accepted a structural condition report” from an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer. A “roof replacement” (2(w)) must follow the Illinois Energy Conservation Code.
Common Illinois questions
Can a handyman replace my shingles without a roofing license?
Not for pay. Roofing work in Illinois needs a license under 335/9 unless one of the exceptions above fits.
A crew said my out-of-pocket would be zero. Legal?
Not if zero means absorbing your deductible. 815 ILCS 513/18(b) prohibits that promise, a disguised discount included.
My insurer denied half the claim. Am I stuck with the contract?
No. You have until midnight of the fifth business day after the written denial, unless the thirtieth business day after your proof of loss comes first.
Related reading: what roof replacement costs nationally, choosing an Illinois home inspector, and the Indiana and Wisconsin roof pages.