Long Island · Buyer's guide
How to choose a metal roofing contractor on Long Island
Start with the county license: Nassau and Suffolk each license home-improvement contractors, and both counties let you look a license up. Then check the insurance certificates, the written contract New York's General Business Law requires and your three-day right to cancel. The same checks apply to the certified installer assigned through Metal Roofing New York.
Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, Director of Marketing, The Interlock Group · Updated October 7, 2026
License
Nassau or Suffolk County
Home-improvement license, issued by the county.
Contract
In writing, GBL § 771
License number, dates, work and price on it.
Cancel
Three business days
Until midnight of the third business day after signing.
Why vet an installer assigned to your project?
Because the contract is between you and the installer. Metal Roofing New York supplies the Interlock® roof, certifies independent contractors on it and assigns one to your project; it does not install, hold a contractor license or sign your contract. The installer does, under their own business name. So check them the way you would check any roofer, and expect them to welcome it.
Certified, here, means certified by the manufacturer on the Interlock® system. It is not a state or county license. The toll-free line can tell you which certified installer has been assigned to your project.
Check the county home-improvement license
Nassau and Suffolk license home-improvement contractors at the county level, and roofing is home-improvement work. Nassau County's Office of Consumer Affairs issues the home-improvement license and offers an online license lookup, or call (516) 571-2600. Suffolk County's Department of Labor, Licensing & Consumer Affairs lists contractors with valid licenses online, or call (631) 853-4600 for verification.
In Suffolk it is unlawful to work as a home-improvement contractor without the license, and all home-improvement advertising must carry the license number (Suffolk County Code § 563-17). Check that the name on the license matches the name on the contract.
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.
Make sure the insured business on the certificate is the same business that holds the county license and signs your contract.
Get the contract New York requires, and know your right to cancel
New York's General Business Law § 771 sets out what a home-improvement contract must contain. Check for each of these before you sign:
- In writing, in plain English, signed by everyone, with a signed copy to you before any work begins.
- The contractor's name, address, telephone number and license number.
- Approximate start and substantial completion dates, and any contingencies that could change them.
- A description of the work and materials, including make and model, and the agreed price; if there are progress payments, each one in dollars and cents, tied to a stage of work.
- A notice that payments received before completion go into an escrow account, or that the contractor has posted a bond, contract of indemnity or irrevocable letter of credit instead.
- Your right to cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing, by written notice.
- A notice about mechanic's liens, and any insurance covering the work.
If insurance is involved, keep the claim between you and your insurer
A roofer's job is the roof. Coverage, deductibles and any claim are between you and your insurance company, and Metal Roofing New York plays no part in them. Be wary of anyone who offers to manage a claim for you as a reason to sign.
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 an Interlock® roof the material warranty is issued by Interlock Roofing: the Guardian Lifetime Limited Material Warranty, which excludes workmanship and ice damming among other things. Workmanship terms come from the installer, in writing; there is no separate Interlock workmanship warranty, so read the installer's terms before you sign.
Ask what the fasteners look like, and who made the panels
Exposed gasketed screws through the weather surface are a leak point once the gaskets age. Concealed-fastener, mechanically interlocked panels keep the fasteners out of the weather and leave no edge for wind to get under.
Ask any roofer for the manufacturer by name and its published code evaluation. On Long Island the building department reviews the manufacturer's code evaluation. ICC-ES ESR-1790 evaluates the Interlock® shingle, slate, shake and tile panels under the International Building and Residential Codes, on which New York State's residential code is based.
Get references, and approvals before the contract
Ask for two or three recent roofs the installer has done nearby and call the homeowners. If you live under an HOA or in a historic district, get the board's or commission's decision in writing before anyone signs; the installer should give you the profile, color, specification sheets and warranty the board asks for.
On Long Island, historic districts and some homeowners' associations review roof changes; ask your town or village and your association before the contract.
Questions, answered
Do roofers need a license on Long Island?
Yes. Nassau County and Suffolk County each require a home-improvement license, and roofing is home-improvement work. Nassau County Consumer Affairs and Suffolk County Consumer Affairs both offer a license lookup.
How do I check a Nassau or Suffolk home-improvement license?
In Nassau, use the Office of Consumer Affairs license lookup or call (516) 571-2600. In Suffolk, search contractors with valid licenses on the county's site or call Consumer Affairs at (631) 853-4600. Metal Roofing New York holds no contractor license; the license is the assigned installer's.
Can I cancel a home-improvement contract in New York?
Yes, until midnight of the third business day after you sign, by written notice to the contractor (General Business Law § 771). There is a narrow exception for an emergency you started yourself, which requires your handwritten waiver.
Where does my deposit go?
The contract must tell you that the contractor must deposit payments received before completion in an escrow account, or post a bond, contract of indemnity or irrevocable letter of credit instead (GBL § 771). Ask which one, in writing.
What is the difference between an installer and a certified installer?
A certified Interlock installer has been certified by the manufacturer on the Interlock® system. Metal Roofing New York assigns one to each project. Certification is the manufacturer's, not the state's, and it does not replace the license, insurance and contract checks on this page.
Should I get more than one quote?
You can, 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, the warranty terms, the license or registration and the insurance, then the price.
Sources
- Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs: licensing, including home improvement and the license lookup
- Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing & Consumer Affairs: home improvement contractors and license verification
- Suffolk County Code, Chapter 563, Article II: home improvement contractors
- New York General Business Law § 771: requirements as to home improvement contracts
- ICC-ES Evaluation Report ESR-1790, Interlock Roofing, reissued September 2025 (PDF)
- Guardian Lifetime Limited Material Warranty (full document, PDF)
Product specifications are the manufacturer's (Interlock Roofing). Laws, codes and statistics are as published by the source cited. Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, October 7, 2026.
Request a quote, then vet the installer.
Metal Roofing New York supplies the roof and assigns a certified Interlock installer for your part of Long Island, who visits, measures and gives you a written contract under their own Nassau or Suffolk County license. Nassau and Suffolk counties only.
