Saint Paul roofing in numbers
| What we measured | Saint Paul | Minneapolis, for comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Roofing permits | 8,566 | 18,620 |
| Firms | 1,301 | 1,483 |
| Usual filed value | $12,429 | $13,000 |
| Usual days to final | 106 | 85 |
| Reached a final | 68.7% | 93.0% |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 37.8% / 84.6% | 75.6% / 98.8% |
| Firms under 70% finished | 103 of 196 | 19 of 351 |
Part of the gap is how Saint Paul records finals, which is why a roofer should be compared only with other Saint Paul roofers. But inside Saint Paul the spread is real: the 90th-percentile firm finished 84.6% and the 10th 37.8%. That difference is the most useful thing the record can tell you about a roofer here. Prices by job size are on the Saint Paul roofing cost page.
Which license a Saint Paul roofer needs
A state one. The City's Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) says roofing requires a State of Minnesota Residential Roofer License, and DLI says anyone who contracts with a homeowner for roofing must hold a residential roofer, building contractor or remodeler license (DSI and DLI, read 22 October 2026). Saint Paul's own Building Contractor License covers one-skill trades such as siding and carpentry; it does not cover roofing, so a roofer that shows you only a City license is showing you the wrong one.
Check it in five minutes: on DLI's lookup choose "Continue as guest", enter the number from the quote (builder numbers start BC, remodeler numbers CR) and read status, type and enforcement actions. The Saint Paul contractor license lookup has the City license classes and the warm-air license if the job also touches ventilation.
The permit rule for a Saint Paul re-roof
DSI's "When is a permit required?" sheet does not name roofing, but it requires a building permit to repair a house and for minor alterations over $500 in labour and materials unless they are normal maintenance (DSI, read 22 October 2026). Saint Paul filed 8,566 roofing permits in three years, so treat a re-roof as permit work and ask DSI before you accept "it doesn't need one". The roofer should pull it; the FTC lists a contractor asking you to get the permits as a scam sign.
Saint Paul's permits now live in PAULIE, which launched on 17 September 2025. Search your address there once the job is booked; the permit should name the roofer on your contract.
Red flags in the Saint Paul record
- A finished share below 37.8%. One in ten busy Saint Paul roofers sits below that line. Ask about the open permits by address and why they never got a final.
- A DLI license that lapsed. 129 roofing firms on Saint Paul permits (9.9%) matched a license that is no longer current. They pulled permits in the window; check the status today.
- A firm that stopped filing. 75 roofers with 5 or more permits filed none in the last 12 months on file. A firm that is gone cannot honour a workmanship warranty.
- A one-permit history. 42.9% of Saint Paul roofing firms filed exactly one permit in three years. That is not a bad sign, but there is little to read: ask for addresses in Minneapolis or the suburbs and look those up.
- A quote far outside $9,050 to $16,000, the middle half of Saint Paul roofers' usual filed values. Ask what makes yours different.
The busiest Saint Paul roofers in the last 12 months
Ranked by roofing permits in the last 12 months on file. Volume, not quality.
| Firm | Permits, last 12 months | Permits, three years |
|---|---|---|
| Sela Roofing and Remodeling | 60 | 230 |
| Kaufman Roofing | 52 | 59 |
| Summit Construction Group Inc | 51 | 119 |
| Pates Inc | 45 | 128 |
| Legacy Restoration LLC | 44 | 199 |
Each firm's finished share and license match are on the compare list; read them for the busy firms too.
See every Saint Paul roofer by finished share and DLI status →
What the Saint Paul record does not tell you
Our Saint Paul file joins the City's old feed, which ended 30 June 2025, with PAULIE from 17 September 2025; permits issued in between are missing, so a roofer busy that summer looks quieter than it was. A final means DSI signed off; it says nothing about the manufacturer's spec, the warranty or the crew. 15.4% of roofing firms had no DLI match by name, which is not the same as no license. For the national checklist see hiring a roofer; for Minneapolis, hiring a roofer in Minneapolis.
How we know this
Permits are City of Saint Paul (DSI) roofing permits on homes, 2023-10 to 2026-09, with the July to mid-September 2025 gap described above. "Reached a final" uses permits a year or more old; days to final is the median from issue to final. Percentile and under-70% figures use roofing firms with 10 or more permits; the filed-value range uses firms with 3 or more. The busiest-firm table ranks by permits in the last 12 months on file. License status is our business-name match to DLI's license exports. Rules are quoted from DLI and DSI pages, read 22 October 2026.
Numbers come from City of Saint Paul building and trade permits (the City's old approved-permits file up to June 2025, and the City's PAULIE permit system since September 2025), with the contractor named on each permit; City of Minneapolis construction permits (CCS), data through October 22, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I choose a roofer in Saint Paul?
Check the state roofer license on DLI's lookup, make sure the roofer pulls the permit in its own name, and read its Saint Paul finished share against the city's: 68.7% of Saint Paul roofing permits a year or more old reached a final, and the 10th-percentile firm with 10 or more permits finished 37.8%.
- Does a Saint Paul roofer need a license?
Yes. DSI's contractor license page says roofing requires a State of Minnesota Residential Roofer License, and DLI says anyone contracting with a homeowner for roofing needs a residential roofer, building contractor or remodeler license. A City Building Contractor License does not cover roofing.
- What are the red flags for a roofer in Saint Paul?
A finished share under 70% (103 of 196 busy Saint Paul roofers), a DLI license that has lapsed (129 roofing firms on Saint Paul permits), a firm that stopped filing (75), and any roofer who asks you to pull the permit.
- How long does a roof permit take to close in Saint Paul?
The usual Saint Paul roofing permit reached its final in 106 days, against 85 across the river in Minneapolis. Most of that is waiting for the final inspection to be booked, so ask the roofer who books it.
- Who are the busiest roofers in Saint Paul?
By permits in the last 12 months on file, Sela Roofing and Remodeling led with 60. Volume is not quality: the five busiest firms hold only 9.4% of Saint Paul roofing permits, so most roofers you meet will be smaller.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Hiring a roofer: 5 red flags and 10 questions, checked against roofing permits in 28 cities
- Hiring a roofer in Minneapolis: the DLI license, the permit, and what 18,000 roofing permits show
- How to check contractor references: ask for addresses, check the permits, and the 8 questions to ask
- Contractor red flags, including the three you can see in the public record
For one city
- License and registration lookup — Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (2026-10-22)
- Residential contractor licensing — Minnesota DLI (2026-10-22)
- When is a City Contractor License required? — City of Saint Paul DSI (2026-10-22)
- When is a permit required? — City of Saint Paul DSI (accessed 2026-10-22)
- PAULIE: New Permitting and Licensing System — City of Saint Paul (2026-10-22)
- How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam — FTC Consumer Advice (accessed 2026-10-20)