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How do roofers in Minnesota get more customers from Google and AI search?
Short answer: Roofers in Minnesota get found online with a website that shows their license number, names the towns they serve such as Minneapolis, St. Paul and Rochester, and collects real local reviews. Licensing runs through the Minnesota DLI. The state had 497 businesses with staff in this Census category in 2022.
- Licensing body: Minnesota DLI.
- Residential contractor licensees must show their license number in any advertising: signs, vehicles, business cards, flyers, websites and internet ads. Minn. Stat. 326B.87.
- 497 businesses with staff in 2022, 15th of 50 states; 85% have fewer than 10 staff.
- Largest cities: Minneapolis, St. Paul and Rochester.
- Common words in local searches: “reviews”, “repair” and “best”.
- Coldest month January (about 10°F), warmest July (about 69°F), statewide average.
Do roofers need a license in Minnesota?
In Minnesota, the licensing body for this work is Minnesota DLI.
License or registration types named by the state: Residential Roofer; Residential Building Contractor; Residential Remodeler.
- Residential roofing needs a roofer, building contractor or remodeler license. The roofer license covers roofing only, not gutters, downspouts, soffit or fascia.
- Contractors with under $15,000 in yearly gross receipts may claim an exemption by getting a Certificate of Exemption every year.
- Roofing subcontractors need no license but must register with the Contractor Registration Program.
Contractor registration in Minnesota sits with Minnesota DLI. Anyone who contracts directly with a homeowner for work in more than one skill needs a residential building contractor or remodeler license. Needs a qualifying person who passes a DLI exam. Liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence, $300,000 aggregate, plus workers' compensation proof.
License numbers in ads and on websites
Residential contractor licensees must show their license number in any advertising: signs, vehicles, business cards, flyers, websites and internet ads. Minn. Stat. 326B.87. Contracts must state the contractor is licensed and give the number. Rules for electrical and plumbing ads: unknown.
What do homeowners in Minnesota’s biggest cities search for?
Google autocomplete for roofer searches in each city (job-seeker searches removed):
Minneapolis
- best roofers minneapolis
- commercial roofing minneapolis
- metal roofing minneapolis
- minneapolis roofing code
- minneapolis roofing companies
- minneapolis roofing contractors
- minneapolis roofing permit
- minneapolis roofing plant
St. Paul
- roof repair st paul
- roof repair st paul mn
- roofer st paul mn
- roofers st paul mn
- roofing companies st paul
- roofing company st paul mn
- roofing contractor st paul mn
- roofing st paul mn
Rochester
- rochester roofers ice
- rochester roofers local 22
- rochester roofing and guttering ltd
- rochester roofing and gutters
- rochester roofing and gutters reviews
- rochester roofing company
- rochester roofing company reviews
- rochester roofing contractors
Duluth
- duluth mn roofing companies
- duluth mn roofing contractors
- duluth roofers arrested by ice
- duluth roofing company
- duluth roofing company photos
- duluth roofing company reviews
- duluth roofing contractors
- empire roofing duluth mn
Bloomington
- bloomington normal roofers
- bloomington roofing company
- bloomington roofing contractors
- roofers bloomington mn
- roofing bloomington mn
Across these cities, the words that come up most are “reviews”, “repair”, “best” and “commercial”.
Source: Google autocomplete suggestions, checked November 9, 2026. Suggestions change over time.
What does a year of roofer work look like in Minnesota?
Publish each seasonal page four to six weeks ahead.
| Month | Avg temp | Jobs to plan for (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 10°F | leak repairs and ice dam calls, booking spring work |
| February | 15°F | leak repairs and ice dam calls, booking spring work |
| March | 28°F | leak repairs and ice dam calls, booking spring work |
| April | 42°F | inspections and replacement quotes |
| May | 55°F | inspections and replacement quotes |
| June | 65°F | full replacements, gutters |
| July | 69°F | full replacements, gutters |
| August | 67°F | full replacements, gutters |
| September | 59°F | full replacements, gutters |
| October | 45°F | inspections and replacement quotes |
| November | 30°F | leak repairs and ice dam calls, booking spring work |
| December | 16°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 Minnesota’s main cities?
| City | County | Businesses with staff | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | Hennepin County | 117 | 10,758 |
| St. Paul | Ramsey County | 34 | 15,767 |
| Rochester | Olmsted County | 13 | 12,676 |
| Duluth | St. Louis County | 21 | 9,548 |
| Bloomington | Hennepin County | 117 | 10,758 |
Competition is tightest around Duluth (St. Louis County), with one business for every 9,548 residents, and loosest around St. Paul, at one per 15,767.
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 Minnesota?
The Census Bureau counted 497 businesses with employees in Minnesota in 2022, in the category “Roofing contractors”. That ranks Minnesota 15th of 50 states, a mid-sized market, and 2% of the US total. 85% of them have fewer than 10 staff, and 38 have 20 or more.
Together they employ 3,335 people, with an average yearly payroll of $611,744 per business. The three busiest counties hold 42% of them, so the work is spread across the state.
With 5,737,915 residents (Census, July 2023), that is one business for every 11,545 people, against 13,628 nationally: fewer residents per business than the US average, so more competition for each job.
Minnesota next to its neighbors
| State | Businesses | Residents per business | Under 10 staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 497 | 11,545 | 85% |
| Iowa | 275 | 11,662 | 83% |
| Michigan | 474 | 21,176 | 74% |
| North Dakota | 64 | 12,249 | 84% |
| South Dakota | 97 | 9,478 | 87% |
| Wisconsin | 489 | 12,088 | 82% |
Counties with the most roofing contractors
| County | Businesses | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|
| Hennepin County | 117 | 10,758 |
| Anoka County | 49 | 7,601 |
| Dakota County | 45 | 9,943 |
| Washington County | 35 | 7,970 |
| Ramsey County | 34 | 15,767 |
| St. Louis County | 21 | 9,548 |
| Wright County | 18 | 8,397 |
| Sherburne County | 14 | 7,300 |
| Olmsted County | 13 | 12,676 |
| Scott County | 13 | 11,986 |
32 of Minnesota’s counties have at least one. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022.
How big are they?
Businesses by number of employees, 2022: 367 with 1-4 staff, 56 with 5-9 staff, 36 with 10-19 staff, 27 with 20-49 staff, 11 with 50+ staff.
Where Minnesota is growing
New homes and new owners bring new work. Minnesota's population changed +0.5% from July 2020 to July 2023. The fastest-growing counties with 50,000 or more people:
- Wright County: 151,150 people, +6.5% since 2020, 18 roofing contractors
- Sherburne County: 102,206 people, +4.7% since 2020, 14 roofing contractors
- Washington County: 278,936 people, +3.9% since 2020, 35 roofing contractors
- Carver County: 111,057 people, +3.5% since 2020, 11 roofing contractors
- Chisago County: 58,535 people, +3.2% since 2020, 6 roofing contractors
Source: US Census Bureau, County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023.
Which code applies in Minnesota?
Minnesota uses the 2018 edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) (Minnesota Residential Code based on 2018 IRC, effective 2020). Homeowners rarely ask about code editions, but inspectors do, and a line on your service pages saying your work meets the current 2018 code answers the question before it comes up.
What should a Minnesota 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 Hennepin County, Anoka County and Dakota County.
- Seasonal pages published before May, so they are found when demand starts.
- Real reviews from local jobs, with the town named, and photos of your own work.
Minnesota questions
Who licenses roofers in Minnesota?
Minnesota DLI. Residential roofing needs a roofer, building contractor or remodeler license. The roofer license covers roofing only, not gutters, downspouts, soffit or fascia. Contractors with under $15,000 in yearly gross receipts may claim an exemption by getting a Certificate of Exemption every year. Roofing subcontractors need no license but must register with the Contractor Registration Program.
How many roofing contractors are there in Minnesota?
The US Census Bureau counted 497 businesses with employees in Minnesota in 2022 in the category Roofing contractors, and 85% of them have fewer than 10 staff.
Which county in Minnesota has the most roofing contractors?
Hennepin County, with 117 businesses with employees in 2022 (Census County Business Patterns).
Do I need my license number on my website in Minnesota?
Residential contractor licensees must show their license number in any advertising: signs, vehicles, business cards, flyers, websites and internet ads. Minn. Stat. 326B.87. Contracts must state the contractor is licensed and give the number. Rules for electrical and plumbing ads: unknown.
Which edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) does Minnesota use?
The 2018 edition. Minnesota Residential Code based on 2018 IRC, effective 2020.
What do people in Minneapolis search for when they need a roofer?
Google autocomplete for Minneapolis shows searches such as “best roofers minneapolis”, “commercial roofing minneapolis”, “metal roofing minneapolis” and “minneapolis roofing code”.
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.dli.mn.gov/business/residential-contractors/who-needs-roofer-license
- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/326B.87
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