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How do roofers in Illinois get more customers from Google and AI search?
Short answer: Roofers in Illinois get found online with a website that shows their license number, names the towns they serve such as Chicago, Aurora and Joliet, and collects real local reviews. Licensing runs through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Roofing Industry Licensing Act (225 ILCS 335).
- Licensing body: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Roofing Industry Licensing Act (225 ILCS 335).
- IDPH says all plumbing advertisements must include the plumbing license number.
- 1,012 businesses with staff in 2022, 4th of 50 states; 84% have fewer than 10 staff.
- Largest cities: Chicago, Aurora and Joliet.
- Common words in local searches: “commercial”, “cost” and “replace”.
- Coldest month January (about 27°F), warmest July (about 75°F), statewide average.
Do roofers need a license in Illinois?
In Illinois, the licensing body for this work is Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Roofing Industry Licensing Act (225 ILCS 335).
License or registration types named by the state: Limited Roofing Contractor; Unlimited Roofing Contractor.
- Roofing is the main state-licensed contractor trade in Illinois. A qualifying individual must pass an exam. Limited covers residential up to 8 units.
- Unlicensed roofing can bring fines up to $5,000 per violation. Cities often ask for the state license to issue roofing permits.
Homeowners can check a license on the state lookup page. Put your number where they will look for it.
Contractor registration in Illinois sits with No state general contractor license. Licensed by cities and counties.. Illinois has no statewide general or residential contractor license. Concrete, masonry, fencing and painting have none at state level either. Chicago uses license classes A through E by project size. Class E is capped at $500,000.
License numbers in ads and on websites
IDPH says all plumbing advertisements must include the plumbing license number. No state rule for electrical, HVAC or general work because no state license exists. Local rules may apply.
What do homeowners in Illinois’s biggest cities search for?
Google autocomplete for roofer searches in each city (job-seeker searches removed):
Chicago
- chicago roofers and waterproofers charitable foundation
- chicago roofers local 11
- chicago roofing code
- chicago roofing company
- chicago roofing consultant
- chicago roofing contractors
- chicago roofing contractors association
- chicago roofing license
Aurora
- aurora roofing and restoration
- aurora roofing and solar
- aurora roofing codes
- aurora roofing company
- aurora roofing company aurora il
- aurora roofing license
- aurora roofing lm
- aurora roofing permit
Joliet
- adler roofing joliet
- commercial roofers joliet
- great roofing joliet
- imperial roofing joliet
- joliet il roofing code
- joliet il.roofing permit
- joliet roofing code
- joliet roofing permit
Naperville
- how much does it cost to replace a roof with shingles
- how to reroof a shed with shingles
- naperville roofers arrested
- naperville roofers arrested by ice
- naperville roofers detained
- naperville roofers detained by ice
- naperville roofers ice
- naperville roofers ice raid
Rockford
- best roofers rockford il
- cost to replace roof plywood and shingles
- liquid roof repair for shingles
- residential roofers rockford il
- rockford commercial roofing
- rockford il roofing companies
- rockford il roofing contractors
- rockford roofing and siding
Across these cities, the words that come up most are “commercial”, “cost”, “replace” and “best”.
Source: Google autocomplete suggestions, checked November 9, 2026. Suggestions change over time.
What does a year of roofer work look like in Illinois?
Publish each seasonal page four to six weeks ahead.
| Month | Avg temp | Jobs to plan for (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 27°F | leak repairs and ice dam calls, booking spring work |
| February | 31°F | leak repairs and ice dam calls, booking spring work |
| March | 41°F | inspections and replacement quotes |
| April | 53°F | inspections and replacement quotes |
| May | 63°F | full replacements, gutters |
| June | 72°F | storm and hail repairs, replacements |
| July | 75°F | storm and hail repairs, replacements |
| August | 74°F | storm and hail repairs, replacements |
| September | 67°F | full replacements, gutters |
| October | 55°F | inspections and replacement quotes |
| November | 42°F | inspections and replacement quotes |
| December | 32°F | leak repairs and ice dam calls, booking spring work |
Temperatures: NOAA NCEI nClimDiv statewide data. Job column: our planning suggestion, not survey data.
How many roofing contractors compete in Illinois’s main cities?
| City | County | Businesses with staff | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | Cook County | 352 | 14,452 |
| Aurora | Kane County | 51 | 10,098 |
| Joliet | Will County | 67 | 10,459 |
| Naperville | DuPage County | 112 | 8,225 |
| Rockford | Winnebago County | 38 | 7,393 |
Competition is tightest around Rockford (Winnebago County), with one business for every 7,393 residents, and loosest around Chicago, at one per 14,452.
Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 and County Population Estimates 2023. Counts businesses with paid employees only.
How many roofing contractors are in Illinois?
The Census Bureau counted 1,012 businesses with employees in Illinois in 2022, in the category “Roofing contractors”. That ranks Illinois 4th of 50 states, one of the largest markets in the country, and 4% of the US total. 84% of them have fewer than 10 staff, and 83 have 20 or more.
Together they employ 6,340 people, with an average yearly payroll of $503,663 per business. The three busiest counties hold 53% of them, so competition is packed into a few places.
With 12,549,689 residents (Census, July 2023), that is one business for every 12,401 people, against 13,628 nationally: close to the US average.
Illinois next to its neighbors
| State | Businesses | Residents per business | Under 10 staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 1,012 | 12,401 | 84% |
| Indiana | 512 | 13,403 | 79% |
| Iowa | 275 | 11,662 | 83% |
| Kentucky | 226 | 20,027 | 79% |
| Michigan | 474 | 21,176 | 74% |
| Missouri | 485 | 12,776 | 79% |
| Wisconsin | 489 | 12,088 | 82% |
Counties with the most roofing contractors
| County | Businesses | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 352 | 14,452 |
| DuPage County | 112 | 8,225 |
| Lake County | 68 | 10,423 |
| Will County | 67 | 10,459 |
| Kane County | 51 | 10,098 |
| McHenry County | 47 | 6,655 |
| Winnebago County | 38 | 7,393 |
| Madison County | 19 | 13,829 |
| St. Clair County | 18 | 13,945 |
| Sangamon County | 15 | 12,899 |
41 of Illinois’s counties have at least one. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022.
How big are they?
Businesses by number of employees, 2022: 727 with 1-4 staff, 123 with 5-9 staff, 79 with 10-19 staff, 62 with 20-49 staff, 21 with 50+ staff.
Where Illinois is growing
New homes and new owners bring new work. Illinois's population changed -1.9% from July 2020 to July 2023. The fastest-growing counties with 50,000 or more people:
- Kendall County: 139,976 people, +5.8% since 2020, 12 roofing contractors
- Grundy County: 53,578 people, +2.0% since 2020, 4 roofing contractors
- McHenry County: 312,800 people, +0.9% since 2020, 47 roofing contractors
- Will County: 700,728 people, +0.6% since 2020, 67 roofing contractors
- DeKalb County: 100,288 people, +0.0% since 2020, 7 roofing contractors
Source: US Census Bureau, County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023.
Which code applies in Illinois?
Illinois has no single statewide edition of the International Residential Code (IRC). Cities and counties adopt their own, so say which edition applies in the towns you serve.
What should an Illinois roofer website show?
- Your license or registration number where people can see it, even where the state does not require it in ads.
- A service area list that names real counties and towns, for example Cook County, DuPage County and Lake County.
- Seasonal pages published before April, so they are found when demand starts.
- Real reviews from local jobs, with the town named, and photos of your own work.
Illinois questions
Who licenses roofers in Illinois?
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Roofing Industry Licensing Act (225 ILCS 335). Roofing is the main state-licensed contractor trade in Illinois. A qualifying individual must pass an exam. Limited covers residential up to 8 units. Unlicensed roofing can bring fines up to $5,000 per violation. Cities often ask for the state license to issue roofing permits.
How many roofing contractors are there in Illinois?
The US Census Bureau counted 1,012 businesses with employees in Illinois in 2022 in the category Roofing contractors, and 84% of them have fewer than 10 staff.
Which county in Illinois has the most roofing contractors?
Cook County, with 352 businesses with employees in 2022 (Census County Business Patterns).
Do I need my license number on my website in Illinois?
IDPH says all plumbing advertisements must include the plumbing license number.
What do people in Chicago search for when they need a roofer?
Google autocomplete for Chicago shows searches such as “chicago roofers and waterproofers charitable foundation”, “chicago roofers local 11”, “chicago roofing code” and “chicago roofing company”.
When is the busiest season for roofers in Illinois?
Illinois’s statewide average runs from about 27°F in January to about 75°F in July (NOAA, 1991 to 2020).
Sources
- US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 (state and county files)
- US Census Bureau, City, Town and County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023
- NOAA NCEI, nClimDiv statewide temperature and degree days, 1991 to 2020
- Google autocomplete suggestions for the cities named, checked November 2026
- https://www.procore.com/library/illinois-contractors-license
- https://www.housecallpro.com/licensing/handyman/illinois/
- https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/environmental-health-protection/plumbing.html
- https://ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/pubact90/acts/90-0055.html
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