Best Roofers in Lawrence, KS: 3 Certified Contractors, Scored and Verified

Short answer: As of October 2026, the three highest-scoring roofing contractors in the Lawrence, KS metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score are Balmer Roofing & Solar (81.8), Roofing Force (63.0), Mesler Roofing Siding and Windows (55.4). Each holds a certification we verified on the manufacturer’s own register, every rating was corroborated elsewhere, and placement on this page is not for sale.

The Roofing Brief scored 3 certified roofing contractors serving the Lawrence metro on a published, reproducible formula, then researched each of the top three individually to confirm its record. Lawrence is a wind market: 133 damaging wind reports against 42 hail reports in a decade, and on 28 May 2019 a high-end EF3 passed just south and south-east of the city before strengthening to EF4. NOAA records no damage for any of it. Lawrence tests the roofer, not the roof: a city roofing licence earned by exam, with $1 million of insurance, but no permit or inspection for a reroof. Four certified firms appear in the directory; one publishes no Lawrence coverage and is excluded, and three are ranked.

Wind, terrain and the Lawrence housing stock

Kansas requires every roofing contractor to hold a registration certificate from the Attorney General, with $500,000 of liability insurance, workers’ compensation or an exemption and a Kansas tax clearance, but no exam; the only small-job exemption is for someone whose every job in a year is under $2,000, and it is lost by advertising. Unregistered roofing carries a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation, and the roofer cannot sue to collect. The Attorney General publishes an index of court actions against roofers.

Lawrence adds its own Class D roofing contractor licence, in force since July 2019: two years’ experience, a current state registration, a passed roofing exam or qualifying degree, $1 million of liability insurance naming the city, and eight hours of continuing education a year. Working without a required city licence is a municipal offence with a minimum $500 fine that the judge may not suspend. The city publishes no searchable list, so ask the roofer for its licence.

Lawrence requires no building permit to replace roof coverings, recover or even re-deck a roof; permits are needed for framing repairs, load changes or on request for insurance. The city enforces the 2018 residential code with a 115 mph design wind speed and a 20 psf snow load, and has amended it so that ice barrier underlayment is not required. Kansas has no deductible rule or cancellation right after a claim denial.

Across 2016 to 2025 Douglas County logged 133 thunderstorm wind reports, 62 of them at 58 knots or more, 42 hail reports, the largest 2.5 inches at Vinland, and three tornado segments, every one with no damage figure entered. In July 2024 winds of 70 to 80 mph lifted part of a grocery store roof in the city. The January 2025 blizzard dropped a foot of snow at Lecompton. With the University of Kansas, 56.4 percent of the city’s homes are rented.

The 3 best roofers in Lawrence, KS

Scored 2026-10-12. The metro mean rating used as the Bayesian prior for Lawrence is 4.825, across a pool of 3 certified contractors.

Rank	Company	TRB Score	Certification	Rating (reviews)	Adjusted	In business since	Based in
1	Balmer Roofing & Solar	81.8	Master Elite	5.0 (185)	4.963	not published	Tonganoxie, KS
2	Roofing Force	63.0	Certified	4.8 (439)	4.803	not published	Olathe, KS
3	Mesler Roofing Siding and Windows	55.4	Certified	4.5 (124)	4.593	1982	Lecompton, KS

1. Balmer Roofing & Solar: best overall (TRB Score 81.8)

Balmer Roofing & Solar is based in Tonganoxie, KS, led by Lisa Balmer, owner, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.

Score component	Points	Max
Certification tier	24	35
Adjusted rating	38.5	40
Review corpus depth	12.9	15
Metro proximity	6.4	10
Total	81.8	100

Independently corroborated:

• Balmer Roofing & Solar LLC, registration CT-21-028376, in good standing; contact Lisa Balmer, Tonganoxie.. Kansas Attorney General roofing register
• A dedicated Lawrence roofing page; Lawrence listed among its Kansas service areas with Topeka, Olathe and Kansas City; describes itself as woman-owned.. Company website

What they actually do. Residential and commercial roofing, solar installation, gutters and siding.

Services we could verify: commercial roofing, gutters, siding.

Why it ranks here. A woman-owned Tonganoxie firm about 14 miles north-east in Leavenworth County, at Master Elite with a perfect 5.0 across 185 GAF reviews and a Kansas registration in good standing since 2021. Its site publishes a dedicated Lawrence page. We found no BBB profile, and its site’s claim of two decades in business does not match GAF’s 2022 date.

Best fit for: Lawrence homeowners who want a top-rated Master Elite firm, especially with solar.

What we would want clarified. It has no BBB profile, so there is no independent complaint record, and it is based outside Douglas County; ask for its Lawrence city licence. We publish this because a ranking that only prints the flattering findings is an advertisement, not an assessment.

Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (913) 845-7209, which is the registry’s contact line and is often a directory tracking number rather than the contractor’s own: take the number from the company’s own website and compare the two.

2. Roofing Force: best for stone-coated steel roofs (TRB Score 63.0)

Roofing Force is based in Olathe, KS, led by Rick Davis, president and owner, BBB accredited since 21 January 1999, A+ rating, two complaints in three years, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.

Score component	Points	Max
Certification tier	12	35
Adjusted rating	32.1	40
Review corpus depth	15.0	15
Metro proximity	3.9	10
Total	63.0	100

Independently corroborated:

• Roofing Force LLC, trading as Midwest Lifetime Roof Systems, registration CT-19-000382, in good standing; the company prints the same number.. Kansas Attorney General roofing register
• Accredited since 1999 with an A+ rating; under new ownership since June 2018; two complaints in three years, one resolved and one answered, from November 2025, about ventilation after a reroof.. BBB business profile
• Its current owners bought the assets of Midwest Lifetime Roof Systems in 2018; crews cover the Kansas City metro and out to Lawrence and Topeka.. Company website

What they actually do. Stone-coated steel, asphalt and synthetic roofing, storm restoration and commercial roofing.

Services we could verify: metal roofing, storm damage work, commercial roofing.

Why it ranks here. A multi-state Olathe company with 439 GAF reviews averaging 4.8, the deepest base here, whose Kansas City page names Lawrence as a standing service area. It bought a stone-coated steel installer’s assets in 2018, and the BBB’s 1984 start date belongs to that predecessor.

Best fit for: Homeowners considering a stone-coated steel roof for wind and hail resistance.

What we would want clarified. It is a multi-state firm based 25 miles away, holds GAF’s entry Certified tier, and has one unresolved 2025 complaint about attic ventilation. We publish this because a ranking that only prints the flattering findings is an advertisement, not an assessment.

Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (913) 453-4451, which is the registry’s contact line and is often a directory tracking number rather than the contractor’s own: take the number from the company’s own website and compare the two.

3. Mesler Roofing Siding and Windows: best Lawrence-based firm (TRB Score 55.4)

Mesler Roofing Siding and Windows is based in Lecompton, KS, in business since 1982, led by Michael Epps, owner, BBB accredited since 17 November 2009, A+ rating, three complaints in three years, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.

Score component	Points	Max
Certification tier	12	35
Adjusted rating	23.7	40
Review corpus depth	11.9	15
Metro proximity	7.8	10
Total	55.4	100

Independently corroborated:

• AWA Inc, trading as Mesler Roofing, Siding and Windows, registration CT-22-003195, in good standing, in Lawrence.. Kansas Attorney General roofing register
• Accredited since 2009 with an A+ rating; business started 1982; under new ownership since January 2022; service area includes Douglas County; three complaints in three years, two answered and one resolved, the latest a disputed window leak in 2025.. BBB business profile
• Founded in 1982; serves Douglas and six neighbouring counties; roofing, siding, windows, doors and gutters.. Company website

What they actually do. Residential and commercial roofing, siding, windows, doors, gutters and storm repair.

Services we could verify: commercial roofing, siding, windows, gutters, storm damage work, roof repair.

Why it ranks here. The only ranked firm based in Lawrence, with a Highway 40 showroom, 124 GAF reviews averaging 4.5 and BBB accreditation since 2009. The business dates to 1982, but it changed hands in January 2022, and roofing shares top billing with siding and windows.

Best fit for: Lawrence homeowners who want a local firm with a showroom and siding or windows alongside the roof.

What we would want clarified. It changed owners in 2022, has the lowest rating of the three, and BBB records three complaints in three years, two not resolved. We publish this because a ranking that only prints the flattering findings is an advertisement, not an assessment.

Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (785) 424-6257, which is the registry’s contact line and is often a directory tracking number rather than the contractor’s own: take the number from the company’s own website and compare the two.

Other registered roofers based in Lawrence

Three certified firms are ranked here. These six are based in Lawrence and hold Kansas roofing registrations in good standing; we could not check their city licences, which are not published. They are not scored and we are not recommending them.

Company	Verified credential
McLaughlin Roofing LLC	Kansas registration CT-13-116890; BBB accredited since 2010 at A+, trading since 1993, on Clinton Pkwy; one answered complaint in three years.
KSR Roofing, LLC	Kansas registration CT-13-117997; BBB accredited since 2014 at A+, trading since 2013, no complaints.
Andy’s Roofing & Exteriors, LLC	Kansas registration CT-20-010911; Owens Corning Preferred on Stone Meadows Dr; BBB A+, trading since 1999.
FreeState Roofing LLC	Kansas registration CT-19-004089; Owens Corning Preferred on W 6th St. No BBB profile found.
Alpha Roofing, LLC	Kansas registration CT-13-116214; based on Clinton Pkwy with branches elsewhere; BBB A+, trading since 2005, no complaints.
Summit Roofing & Exteriors, LLC	Kansas registration CT-17-013690; BBB A+, trading since 2017, no complaints.

Roof replacement and repair in Lawrence, KS

Short answer: In Lawrence, start with Balmer Roofing & Solar, a top-rated Master Elite firm that also installs solar; Roofing Force for stone-coated steel roofs; and Mesler Roofing Siding and Windows, the only ranked firm based in Lawrence, for roof, siding and window work together. The rule that matters most: Lawrence needs no permit for a reroof, but every roofer needs a Class D city roofing licence on top of its Kansas registration.

Lawrence is a wind market more than a hail market. Across 2016 to 2025 Douglas County logged 133 thunderstorm wind reports, 62 of them at 58 knots or more, against 42 hail reports, the largest 2.5 inches at Vinland. On 28 May 2019 a high-end EF3 tornado passed just south and south-east of the city before strengthening to EF4 in Leavenworth County, and in July 2024 winds of 70 to 80 mph lifted part of a grocery store roof in the city. The January 2025 blizzard dropped a foot of snow at Lecompton. NOAA records no damage figure for any of these rows.

Lawrence requires no building permit to replace roof coverings, recover a roof or even re-deck it; permits are needed only for framing repairs, load changes or on request for insurance. The city enforces the 2018 residential code with a 115 mph design wind speed and a 20 psf snow load, and has amended it so that ice barrier underlayment is not required. Because no inspector will look at a reroof, write the fastening and underlayment into the contract. Kansas has no statewide residential code, so any reroof limits come from the city’s adopted code.

The check falls on the roofer instead. Kansas requires every roofing contractor to hold an Attorney General registration with $500,000 of liability insurance, workers’ compensation or an exemption and a Kansas tax clearance, but no exam. Lawrence adds its Class D roofing contractor licence: two years’ experience, a passed roofing exam or qualifying degree, $1 million of liability insurance naming the city and eight hours of continuing education a year. The city publishes no searchable list, so ask the roofer for its licence. Kansas has no deductible rule and no cancellation right after a claim denial, and the Attorney General publishes an index of court actions against roofers.

Among the ranked firms, Roofing Force lists stone-coated steel, storm restoration and commercial roofing and names Lawrence as a standing service area, though it holds GAF’s entry Certified tier and has one unresolved 2025 complaint about attic ventilation after a reroof. Mesler Roofing Siding and Windows, with a Highway 40 showroom, covers roofing, siding, windows, gutters and storm repair, but changed owners in 2022. Balmer Roofing & Solar in Tonganoxie has a perfect 5.0 across 185 GAF reviews and handles residential and commercial roofing, solar, gutters and siding, but has no BBB profile and is based outside Douglas County.

Replacing a roof in Lawrence: the rules that apply

Rule	What applies	Source
State registration	Every roofing contractor needs an Attorney General registration certificate with $500,000 of liability insurance, workers’ compensation or an exemption and a Kansas tax clearance; no exam.	K.S.A. 50-6,123 and 50-6,125
City roofing licence	Class D licence: two years’ experience, current state registration, a passed roofing exam or qualifying degree, $1 million of liability insurance naming the city, and eight hours of continuing education a year.	Lawrence City Code chapter 5 article 15
Unlicensed work	A municipal offence with a $500 minimum to $2,500 fine per act; the minimum may not be suspended.	Lawrence City Code 5-1521
Reroof permit	Not required to replace roof coverings, recover or re-deck; required for framing repairs, load changes or on request for insurance.	Lawrence City Code 5-142(a)(14)
Design loads and underlayment	2018 residential code with a 115 mph design wind speed and a 20 psf snow load; ice barrier underlayment not required.	City of Lawrence; Lawrence Ordinance 9627
25 percent rule	Kansas has no statewide 25 percent roofing rule because it does not enforce a statewide residential building code; reroofing limits come from the city or county’s adopted code.	ICC Kansas adoption page
Claims and cancellation	No deductible rule and no cancellation right after a claim denial.	Kansas roofing registration act

Related guides: the 25% roofing rule in Kansas and every other state; how to decide between roof repair and replacement; how to read and compare a roof replacement quote; how to compare roof repair quotes; what homeowners insurance covers on a roof.

The 133 wind reports that shape a Lawrence roof

Aggregate hail counts tell you very little about a specific roof. These are the individual events: every severe-weather report logged by the National Weather Service across the 1 county of the Lawrence, KS statistical area over ten years, with the dates, the stone sizes and the towns they landed on. Over that decade the metro logged 42 hail reports, 133 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports and 3 tornadoes. The database’s property-damage fields are left blank for most of these reports, so it carries no usable loss total for this metro and we do not quote one.

The biggest hail to fall on Lawrence in a decade

Date	Stone size	Reported near	County
6 March 2017	2.5 in	Vinland	Douglas
24 August 2016	1.75 in	Lawrence	Douglas
11 June 2018	1.5 in	Pleasant Grove	Douglas
24 August 2016	1.5 in	Lake View	Douglas
24 August 2016	1.5 in	Lake View	Douglas
11 June 2018	1.25 in	Baldwin	Douglas

The largest stone on record for this metro fell on 6 March 2017 near Vinland, measured at 2.5 inches. That is hen-egg sized. Two inches is the threshold at which insurers expect functional damage and full replacement claims.

Wind. The strongest thunderstorm gust logged in the metro was 77 knots, about 89 mph, near Big Spgs on 19 July 2018. Asphalt shingles begin lifting at roughly 67 mph when they are correctly nailed, and considerably below that when they are not.

Tornadoes. 3 tornadoes touched down in these counties over the decade, the strongest rated EF3 near Lone Star on 28 May 2019.

What the National Weather Service wrote about it

The NWS logs a written account of each severe-weather episode. This is its description of the 14 October 2017 event near Lawrence, reproduced verbatim:

Tree limb snapped 12 inches in diameter at 6th and Lawrence Ave. Also reports of pea size hail. Other minor tree damage in the area.

That is what the specification has to anticipate here, written up by the agency that recorded it rather than by a contractor selling the repair.

When it happens. Severe weather reports cluster in July (46), May (40), June (36). The worst years on record were 2018 (31), 2016 (26), 2023 (26). If you are scheduling non-urgent work in Lawrence, the months outside that window are when crews are least stretched and least likely to be triaging emergency callouts ahead of your job.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, county-level detail files 2016 to 2025, filtered to the counties of this statistical area by The Roofing Brief. Damage figures are as reported to the NWS and undercount insured losses.

What to do with this. Hail is not the governing risk in Lawrence. Weight your decision toward wind rating, ventilation and flashing detail rather than paying extra for impact-rated shingles.

A city roofing licence without a reroof permit

In 2008 Lawrence planning staff told the city manager that the city neither licensed roofing contractors nor required permits or inspections for reroofs, and noted that most nearby jurisdictions did both. Eleven years later the city created a Class D roofing contractor licence. The reroof permit never followed.

The licence is demanding by Kansas standards. On top of the state registration, a Lawrence roofer must show two years’ experience, pass a roofing exam or hold a relevant degree, carry $1 million of liability insurance with the city as certificate holder, twice the state minimum, and complete eight hours of continuing education every year. If the insurance lapses, the licence is void.

Yet the roof itself goes unchecked. The city code exempts replacement roof coverings from permits, and its roof guidelines say the contractor is simply to follow the codes and the manufacturer’s instructions. The city also amended its residential code so that ice barrier underlayment is not required. The licensing ordinance ties its definition of a contractor to permit-required work, while the city’s own pages say all roofing needs a licensed contractor, so the two texts do not quite line up.

The weather here is wind. On 28 May 2019 a tornado formed east of Lone Star Lake and crossed Douglas County just south and south-east of Lawrence, past Eudora, with high-end EF3 damage and winds of 150 to 160 mph along a path up to a mile wide, before reaching EF4 in Leavenworth County. On 31 July 2024 winds of 70 to 80 mph swept the city, lifting part of a grocery store roof, with a 78 mph gust at Eudora. NOAA records no damage figure for either.

For a Lawrence homeowner, the licence is the check: ask for the roofer’s Class D city licence and its state registration, confirm the $1 million insurance, and write the fastening and underlayment into the contract, because no inspector will look at them.

Lawrence’s wind record and the rules on a reroof

Item	Figure or rule	Source
Douglas County EF3, 28 May 2019	150 to 160 mph south of Lawrence; EF4 in Leavenworth County	NWS Topeka survey via NOAA NCEI
Windstorm, 31 July 2024	70 to 80 mph; grocery store roof lifted; 78 mph at Eudora	NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Wind and hail reports, 2016 to 2025	133 wind against 42 hail	NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Recorded damage, 2016 to 2025	None entered for any hail, wind or tornado row	NOAA NCEI Storm Events
City roofing licence	Class D: exam, $1 million insurance, 8 hours CE a year	Lawrence City Code chapter 5 article 15
Unlicensed work	$500 minimum to $2,500 fine per act	Lawrence City Code 5-1521
Reroof permit	Not required	Lawrence City Code 5-142(a)(14)
Ice barrier underlayment	Not required	Lawrence Ordinance 9627
State registration	Required; $500,000 liability; no exam	K.S.A. 50-6,123 and 50-6,125
Renter-occupied homes, Lawrence	56.4%	ACS 2020 to 2024, B25003

Source: NWS Topeka storm surveys and NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (Douglas County and zone rows); NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals; K.S.A. 50-6,121 to 50-6,139 and K.A.R. 16-8; Kansas Attorney General roofing register and enforcement index; Lawrence City Code chapter 5, Ordinances 9625, 9627 and 9634, roof guidelines and 2008 staff memo; Owens Corning contractor locator; BBB business profiles; US Census Bureau ACS 2020 to 2024.

What a Lawrence homeowner should ask for in writing

Licensing is required in KS. Kansas requires every roofing contractor to hold a roofing contractor registration certificate issued by the Kansas Attorney General before providing residential or commercial roofing services for a fee. The requirement has applied since 1 July 2013 under the Kansas roofing registration act.

Registration requires liability insurance of at least $500,000, workers’ compensation or an exemption affidavit, and a Kansas tax clearance; there is no examination and no bond. The Attorney General’s regulation sets the fee at $250. The only small-job exemption is for someone whose every roofing project in a year is priced under $2,000, and it is lost by anyone who advertises as a roofer. Working unregistered carries a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation and counts as a deceptive act under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. The Act has no rule on insurance deductibles and no cancellation right after a claim denial; a 2011 bill that would have added both died in committee.

Check here: Kansas Attorney General roofing registration directory. Kansas is unusual and useful here: the Attorney General publishes a separate Roofer Enforcement Actions index of court cases brought against roofers. Check the registration directory first and the enforcement index second; both are free.

Four checks to run before you sign anything, in any state.

1. Verify certification at the source. Use the GAF verification tool rather than trusting a badge image on a company website.
2. Get the certificate of insurance from the insurer, not the contractor, and confirm general liability and workers compensation are both active on the day work starts.
3. Confirm who pulls the permit. If a contractor asks you to pull it as the homeowner, that moves liability onto you. Decline.
4. Get warranty terms in writing before any deposit, and check the manufacturer warranty being promised actually requires the certification tier the contractor holds.

The shape of the Lawrence contractor market

3 certified roofing contractors serve the principal cities of the Lawrence, KS statistical area, of which 0 hold the top President’s Club tier. The pool carries 748 customer reviews between them at a mean rating of 4.825. The statistical area had a 2024 population of 121,989, a change of 2.7% against the 2020 census base, per the U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.

How these Lawrence rankings were produced

Every contractor in the Lawrence, KS pool was scored out of 100 on four published components: certification tier, a Bayesian adjusted rating, review depth and distance from the metro centre. In this metro that meant scoring 3 certified contractors, of whom 0 hold President’s Club standing and 1 Master Elite, against a metro mean rating of 4.825. The top three were then researched individually against Better Business Bureau records, state licence registers and manufacturer directories. The findings are printed above whether they flatter the contractor or not, and nobody paid to appear.

Set aside in Lawrence. A contractor that would otherwise have scored into the top three was removed for the reason stated. The score is computed from public data, but where the research pass finds evidence undermining an input to that score, the score is set aside.

• M&M Roofing Co Inc, which scored 78.7: Excluded on service area. A long-established Olathe roofer, registered and BBB accredited since 2004 with no complaints, whose website names Johnson County cities and the Kansas City metro but never Lawrence, Douglas County or Eudora.

The full method, the weightings, what the GAF certification tiers actually mean, who is eligible to be ranked and what we do not claim are all set out on our roofer ranking methodology page. Last updated: October 2026. Scoring run: 2026-10-12. Corrections go to the editor and are actioned on verification.

Lawrence roofing questions, answered

Who is the best roofer in Lawrence, KS?

Balmer Roofing & Solar of Tonganoxie, KS scores highest in the Lawrence metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score, at 81.8 out of 100 as of October 2026. It holds Master Elite certification with a 5.0 rating across 185 reviews. Highest-scoring is not the same as best fit for your specific job, and the two companies behind it score within 26.4 points.

What is the 25% rule for roofing in Kansas?

Kansas has no statewide 25 percent roofing rule because it does not enforce a statewide residential building code; cities and counties adopt their own codes, usually an edition of the International Residential Code. Any reroof limits, such as tear-off rules or layer limits, come from your city or county’s adopted code, so ask your local building department which edition it enforces.

Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Lawrence?

No. Lawrence requires no building permit to replace roof coverings, recover or re-deck a roof. Permits are needed for framing repairs, load changes or on request for insurance.

Who does roof repair in Lawrence?

Mesler Roofing Siding and Windows, the only ranked firm based in Lawrence, lists storm repair alongside roofing, siding, windows, doors and gutters. Roofing Force lists storm restoration and stone-coated steel, and names Lawrence as a standing service area. Both must hold a Lawrence Class D roofing licence as well as a Kansas registration.

How do I know if a roofer in Lawrence is good?

Ask for its Class D city licence and confirm the $1 million of insurance, since the city publishes no searchable list. Check its state registration on the Attorney General’s roofing registration directory, then the Attorney General’s index of court actions against roofers. Because no inspector checks a reroof, write the fastening and underlayment into the contract.

How many certified roofing contractors serve Lawrence?

3 contractors on the GAF certification registry serve the principal cities of the Lawrence, KS statistical area as of October 2026, of which 0 hold President’s Club status.

How much damaging hail does Lawrence get?

The Lawrence, KS statistical area recorded 27 hail reports of 1 inch or larger and 1 of 2 inches or larger between 2016 and 2025 in the NOAA Storm Events Database. The largest hailstone reported measured 2.5 inches.

Did any contractor pay to appear on this list?

No. The Roofing Brief takes no placement fees, no lead fees and no affiliate commission from any roofing contractor. Ranking comes entirely from the published formula applied to public registry data, followed by an individual research pass on the top three.

What was the worst hailstorm in Lawrence in the last ten years?

The largest hailstone logged by the National Weather Service in the Lawrence, KS statistical area between 2016 and 2025 measured 2.5 inches, reported near Vinland on 6 March 2017. That is hen-egg sized. Two inches is the threshold at which insurers expect functional damage and full replacement claims. Across the decade the metro recorded 42 hail reports. The database’s property-damage fields are left blank for most of these reports, so it carries no usable loss total for this metro and we do not quote one.

When is the worst time of year for roof damage in Lawrence?

Severe-weather reports in the Lawrence, KS statistical area cluster in July, May, June, on the NOAA record for 2016 to 2025. If the work can wait, booking outside that window usually buys you shorter lead times and more of the contractor’s attention.

Do roofers need a licence in KS?

Kansas requires every roofing contractor to hold a roofing contractor registration certificate issued by the Kansas Attorney General before providing residential or commercial roofing services for a fee. The requirement has applied since 1 July 2013 under the Kansas roofing registration act. Registration requires liability insurance of at least $500,000, workers’ compensation or an exemption affidavit, and a Kansas tax clearance; there is no examination and no bond. The Attorney General’s regulation sets the fee at $250. The only small-job exemption is for someone whose every roofing project in a year is priced under $2,000, and it is lost by anyone who advertises as a roofer. Working unregistered carries a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation and counts as a deceptive act under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. The Act has no rule on insurance deductibles and no cancellation right after a claim denial; a 2011 bill that would have added both died in committee.

What should I check before hiring a roofer in Lawrence?

Kansas is unusual and useful here: the Attorney General publishes a separate Roofer Enforcement Actions index of court cases brought against roofers. Check the registration directory first and the enforcement index second; both are free.

A city roofing licence without a reroof permit?

In 2008 Lawrence planning staff told the city manager that the city neither licensed roofing contractors nor required permits or inspections for reroofs, and noted that most nearby jurisdictions did both. Eleven years later the city created a Class D roofing contractor licence. The reroof permit never followed.

Is Lawrence a hard market to find a good roofer in?

Lawrence is a wind market: 133 damaging wind reports against 42 hail reports in a decade, and on 28 May 2019 a high-end EF3 passed just south and south-east of the city before strengthening to EF4. NOAA records no damage for any of it. Lawrence tests the roofer, not the roof: a city roofing licence earned by exam, with $1 million of insurance, but no permit or inspection for a reroof. Four certified firms appear in the directory; one publishes no Lawrence coverage and is excluded, and three are ranked.

Is wind or hail the bigger risk to a roof in Lawrence?

Wind, by a wide margin. The Lawrence, KS statistical area logged 133 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports against 27 hail reports of an inch or more between 2016 and 2025. Wind damage shows up at the rake, ridge and edge rather than across the field of the roof, so the fastening schedule and edge detail matter more here than the impact rating of the shingle.

Why is M&M Roofing Co Inc not on this list?

Excluded on service area. A long-established Olathe roofer, registered and BBB accredited since 2004 with no complaints, whose website names Johnson County cities and the Kansas City metro but never Lawrence, Douglas County or Eudora..

Roofer rankings for other metros

The Roofing Brief scores certified roofing contractors in U.S. metropolitan and micropolitan areas on the same formula.

• Best roofers in Topeka, KS, about 24 miles from Lawrence
• Best roofers in Kansas City, MO, about 40 miles from Lawrence
• Best roofers in St. Joseph, MO, about 60 miles from Lawrence
• Best roofers in Manhattan, KS, about 74 miles from Lawrence
• Best roofers in Wichita, KS, another KS metro on the same formula
• Best roofers in San Angelo, TX, a metro of comparable size
• Best roofers in Twin Falls, ID, a metro of comparable size

See the full index of metro roofer rankings, or read how to find and vet a roofing contractor anywhere in the country.

Cite this analysis

The Roofing Brief. “Best Roofers in Lawrence, KS: The Roofing Brief Contractor Score.” Published October 2026. Inputs: GAF certification registry; NOAA Storm Events Database 2016-2025; U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates; Better Business Bureau and independent review-platform records for each ranked contractor.