Alabama roofing contract rules
What an Alabama roofing contract must say, how long you can back out, how much a roofer may ask up front, when a lien can follow and what a roofer may do about your insurance claim. Each rule is quoted from the statute or agency rule. Checked 2026-10-09.
Short answer: You can cancel an Alabama home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after you sign (3 business days, Ala. Code §5-19-12(a)). The federal rule adds 3 business days for sales made at your home (16 CFR 429). If your insurer says the roof claim is not covered, or the covered amount will not cover the contract, you can cancel until midnight of the fifth business day (Ala. Code §8-36-2(a)). The roofer may not require any payment until the five-day cancellation period ends, except emergency services you acknowledged in writing (Ala. Code §8-36-2(c)). An original contractor, such as a roofer hired by the owner, loses the lien unless the sworn statement is filed within six months after the last work or material (Ala. Code §35-11-215). 17 rules on this page are quoted from official statutes, agency rules or regulator pages; 5 more are marked not confirmed.
State cancel period
3 business days
Ala. Code §5-19-12(a)
Deposit rule
Rule quoted
Ala. Code §8-36-2(c)
Lien filing deadline
6 months
Ala. Code §35-11-215
Written contract
Rule quoted
Ala. Code §8-36-2(b)(1)
Find your last day to cancel
Only the signing date is needed for the cancel dates. Add the other dates when they happen and the rules that start from them get a calendar day too. Counting starts the day after the date you enter.
Enter the signing date to see your dates.
Days are counted the way each rule defines them: federal “business days” skip Sundays and federal holidays and count Saturdays; where a state rule defines business days as Monday to Friday we skip Saturdays and Sundays; where a rule says business days without defining them, or just says “days”, we count every calendar day and show the earliest possible date. State holidays are not subtracted, so a real deadline can fall a day or two later than shown. If the last day lands on a weekend, do not wait for it. General information from public rules, not legal advice.
Alabama against the other states
Calendar-day equivalents are used for the bars only (business days scaled by 7/5, months by 30, years by 365); the exact unit is in the tables.
Before you sign: Alabama checklist
Every line below comes from a rule on this page. Tick a line as you check it.
Alabama: written contract
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Before you sign, the roofer must give you a bold statement of this cancellation right, in type of at least 10 points. | Ala. Code §8-36-2(b)(1) Covers: Insurance-paid residential roofing contracts. | |
| The roofer must also attach a detachable NOTICE OF CANCELLATION form, filled in, in duplicate. | Ala. Code §8-36-2(b)(2) Covers: Insurance-paid residential roofing contracts. |
Alabama: right to cancel
The federal rule (16 CFR §429.1(a)) gives 3 business days for a sale made at your home. Rules of Alabama below are added to it.
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| If your insurer says the roof claim is not covered, or the covered amount will not cover the contract, you can cancel until midnight of the fifth business day. The chapter does not define 'business day', so the calculator skips Sundays only. Alabama adds the case where the covered claim is too small for the contract. |
5 business days counted from the day the insurer denies the claim |
Ala. Code §8-36-2(a) Covers: A written contract with a residential roofing contractor for a one-to-four family building, paid from a property and casualty insurance policy. |
| Cancel in writing, in any form. Mail counts when you put it in the mailbox, and email counts if sent to the address in the contract. | Ala. Code §8-36-2(a) Covers: The roofing cancellation right after an insurer's notice. | |
| A contract fee for anything except emergency services cannot be enforced against an insured who cancelled under this section. | Ala. Code §8-36-2(c) Covers: An insured who cancelled after the insurer's notice. | |
| You can cancel an Alabama home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after you sign. The Alabama Consumer Credit Act does not define 'business day' here, so the calculator skips Sundays only. |
3 business days counted from the day you sign |
Ala. Code §5-19-12(a) Covers: A consumer credit sale of goods or services solicited away from the seller's place of business. See the scope fact below. |
| The three-day right in Alabama law covers credit sales only; a cash sale at your door falls under the federal rule. | Ala. Code §5-19-1(8) Covers: Consumer credit sales of goods or services. | |
| If the seller skips the required cancellation notice, you can cancel for up to one year after the sale, in any manner. | 1 years counted from the day you sign |
Ala. Code §5-19-12(a) Covers: Home solicitation sales where the seller did not give the notice. |
| After you cancel, the seller must return your payments and any trade-in within 10 days. | 10 days counted from the date the rule names |
Ala. Code §5-19-12(b) Covers: Cancelled home solicitation sales. |
Alabama: deposits and down payments
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The roofer may not require any payment until the five-day cancellation period ends, except emergency services you acknowledged in writing. Emergency services acknowledged in writing as necessary to prevent damage may be billed when rendered. |
Ala. Code §8-36-2(c) Covers: Jobs paid from a property and casualty insurance policy. |
Alabama: Mechanic's lien
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| An original contractor, such as a roofer hired by the owner, loses the lien unless the sworn statement is filed within six months after the last work or material. | 6 months counted from the last day of work or delivery of materials |
Ala. Code §35-11-215 Covers: A lien on a building or improvement under the Alabama mechanic's lien division. Subcontractors and suppliers have four months. |
| The lien claim is a sworn written statement filed with the judge of probate of the county where the property sits; without it the lien is lost. | Ala. Code §35-11-213 Covers: Anyone claiming a mechanic's lien on Alabama property. | |
| A subcontractor or supplier (anyone but the original contractor) must give the owner written notice of the lien claim before filing the statement. | Ala. Code §35-11-218 Covers: Persons other than the original contractor. | |
| A lien suit must start within six months after the whole debt matures. | 6 months counted from the date the rule names |
Ala. Code §35-11-221 Covers: Enforcement of a mechanic's lien. |
Alabama: insurance claims and your roofer
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A residential roofing contractor may not represent or negotiate your insurance claim for the roof, or advertise that it will. Unlike Georgia's version, this text has no carve-out for licensed public adjusters. |
Ala. Code §8-36-2(c) Covers: Roof repair or replacement on a building for one to four families, including detached garages. |
The insurer’s own deadlines are on the Alabama claim deadlines page.
Alabama: after a disaster
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| In a declared state of emergency, a price 25 percent or more above the 30-day pre-emergency average is prima facie unconscionable unless tied to reasonable costs. Services count. Section 8-31-2 defines commodity to include services offered to consumers. |
25% | Ala. Code §8-31-4 and §8-31-2(1) Covers: The affected area named in the Governor's proclamation or a joint resolution. |
Alabama: other rules
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The roofing rules apply to buildings for one to four families, detached garages included. | Ala. Code §8-36-1(1) Covers: Sets which roofs fall under Chapter 36 of Title 8. |
Alabama roofing license
The Home Builders Licensure Board issues a Roofers License; the board tells consumers to check a license before signing a contract over $10,000. Source, checked 2026-10-07.
What we could not confirm in Alabama
- A legal cap on a roofing deposit: not confirmed. No cap found in the Alabama sections read (Title 8 ch. 36, ch. 31, Title 5 ch. 19, Title 35 ch. 11 div. 2).
- A rule that every Alabama roofing contract be written: not confirmed. Only the insurance-paid roofing rule and the home solicitation rule mention a written contract; no general rule found.
- A statute on assignment of property-claim benefits to a roofer: not confirmed. A full-text search of the Code of Alabama for assignment of benefits returned nothing on roofing or property claims.
- A rule against waiving or rebating the insurance deductible: not confirmed. Full-text searches for deductible and rebate in the Code found no roofing or contractor rule.
- A special residential-owner lien notice in Alabama: not confirmed. Only the §35-11-218 notice for non-original contractors was found.
Alabama contract questions
- How long can I cancel a roofing contract in Alabama?
- Ala. Code §5-19-12(a): 3 business days, counted from the day you sign. The federal rule gives 3 business days for sales made at your home. The median across the 25 of 27 states with a confirmed number is about 4 calendar days (business days scaled by 7/5). The Alabama Consumer Credit Act does not define 'business day' here, so the calculator skips Sundays only.
- Can I cancel if my Alabama insurer denies the roof claim?
- Ala. Code §8-36-2(a): If your insurer says the roof claim is not covered, or the covered amount will not cover the contract, you can cancel until midnight of the fifth business day. 5 business days, counted from the day the insurer denies the claim. The chapter does not define 'business day', so the calculator skips Sundays only. Alabama adds the case where the covered claim is too small for the contract.
- What are the deposit rules for a roofing job in Alabama?
- Ala. Code §8-36-2(c): The roofer may not require any payment until the five-day cancellation period ends, except emergency services you acknowledged in writing. Emergency services acknowledged in writing as necessary to prevent damage may be billed when rendered.
- What is a mechanic's lien on a house in Alabama?
- Ala. Code §35-11-215: An original contractor, such as a roofer hired by the owner, loses the lien unless the sworn statement is filed within six months after the last work or material.
- Can a roofer in Alabama handle my insurance claim for me?
- Ala. Code §8-36-2(c): A residential roofing contractor may not represent or negotiate your insurance claim for the roof, or advertise that it will. Unlike Georgia's version, this text has no carve-out for licensed public adjusters.
Why contracts get signed fast after an Alabama hailstorm
NOAA lists 9 Alabama cities in our data with 159 city-days of hail at 1 inch or more since 2014; the largest stone was 2.75 inches and the busiest month is Apr.
Alabama cities we cover
| City | Cost | Roofers |
|---|---|---|
| Auburn | Roof age | Roofers in Auburn |
| Decatur | Roof age | Roofers in Decatur |
| Dothan | Roof age | Roofers in Dothan |
| Gadsden | Roof age | Roofers in Gadsden |
| Hoover | Roof age | Roofers in Hoover |
| Huntsville | Roof age | Roofers in Huntsville |
| Mobile | Roof age | Roofers in Mobile |
| Montgomery | Roof age | Roofers in Montgomery |
| Tuscaloosa | Roof age | Roofers in Tuscaloosa |
Where each Alabama rule comes from
| Rule | Source | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Written contract: no fixed number Before you sign, the roofer must give you a bold statement of this cancellation right, in type of at least 10 points. |
Ala. Code §8-36-2(b)(1) statute text Quote“Before entering a contract as provided in subsection (a), the residential roofing contractor shall do all of the following: (1) Furnish the insured a statement in boldface type of a minimum size of 10 points” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Written contract: no fixed number The roofer must also attach a detachable NOTICE OF CANCELLATION form, filled in, in duplicate. |
Ala. Code §8-36-2(b)(2) statute text Quote“Furnish each insured a fully completed form in duplicate, captioned “NOTICE OF CANCELLATION,” which shall be attached to the contract but easily detachable” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Right to cancel: 5 business days If your insurer says the roof claim is not covered, or the covered amount will not cover the contract, you can cancel until midnight of the fifth business day. |
Ala. Code §8-36-2(a) statute text Quote“may cancel the contract prior to midnight on the fifth business day if the insured receives written notice from the insurer that all or any part of the claim or contract is not a covered loss under the insurance policy or that the covered claim will not be sufficient to cover the amount of the contract.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Right to cancel: no fixed number Cancel in writing, in any form. Mail counts when you put it in the mailbox, and email counts if sent to the address in the contract. |
Ala. Code §8-36-2(a) statute text Quote“Notice of cancellation, if given by mail, shall be effective upon deposit into the United States mail, postage prepaid and properly addressed to the residential roofing contractor and, if given by electronic mail, shall be effective if sent to the electronic mail address stated in the contract.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Right to cancel: no fixed number A contract fee for anything except emergency services cannot be enforced against an insured who cancelled under this section. |
Ala. Code §8-36-2(c) statute text Quote“that requires the payment of any fee for anything except emergency services shall not be enforceable against any insured who has cancelled a contract pursuant to this section.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Right to cancel: 3 business days You can cancel an Alabama home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after you sign. |
Ala. Code §5-19-12(a) statute text Quote“A buyer has the right to cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day following execution by the buyer of an agreement or offer to purchase” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Right to cancel: no fixed number The three-day right in Alabama law covers credit sales only; a cash sale at your door falls under the federal rule. |
Ala. Code §5-19-1(8) statute text Quote“HOME SOLICITATION SALE. A consumer credit sale of goods or services, other than motor vehicles, in which the seller or a person acting for the seller engages in a personal solicitation of the sale at a place other than the seller’s place of business” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Right to cancel: 1 years If the seller skips the required cancellation notice, you can cancel for up to one year after the sale, in any manner. |
Ala. Code §5-19-12(a) statute text Quote“Until the seller has complied with this section the buyer may cancel the home solicitation sale within one year after the date of the sale by notifying the seller in any manner and by any means of the buyer’s intention to cancel.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Right to cancel: 10 days After you cancel, the seller must return your payments and any trade-in within 10 days. |
Ala. Code §5-19-12(b) statute text Quote“Within 10 days after a home solicitation sale has been cancelled or an offer to purchase revoked, the seller must tender to the buyer any payments made or goods traded in by the buyer” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Deposits and down payments: no fixed number The roofer may not require any payment until the five-day cancellation period ends, except emergency services you acknowledged in writing. |
Ala. Code §8-36-2(c) statute text Quote“a residential roofing contractor shall not require any payments from an insured until the five-day cancellation period has expired.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Mechanic's lien: 6 months An original contractor, such as a roofer hired by the owner, loses the lien unless the sworn statement is filed within six months after the last work or material. |
Ala. Code §35-11-215 statute text Quote“shall be filed by every original contractor within six months and by every journeyman and day laborer within 30 days, and by every other person entitled to such lien within four months, after the last item of work or labor has been performed” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Mechanic's lien: no fixed number The lien claim is a sworn written statement filed with the judge of probate of the county where the property sits; without it the lien is lost. |
Ala. Code §35-11-213 statute text Quote“It shall be the duty of every person entitled to such lien to file in the office of the judge of probate of the county in which the property upon which the lien is sought to be established is situated, a statement in writing, verified by the oath of the person claiming the lien” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Mechanic's lien: no fixed number A subcontractor or supplier (anyone but the original contractor) must give the owner written notice of the lien claim before filing the statement. |
Ala. Code §35-11-218 statute text Quote“Every person, except the original contractor, who may wish to avail himself of the provisions of this division, shall before filing his statement in the office of the judge of probate, give notice in writing to the owner or proprietor” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Mechanic's lien: 6 months A lien suit must start within six months after the whole debt matures. |
Ala. Code §35-11-221 statute text Quote“Any action for the enforcement of the lien declared in this division must be commenced within six months after the maturity of the entire indebtedness secured thereby, except as otherwise provided in this division.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Insurance claims and your roofer: no fixed number A residential roofing contractor may not represent or negotiate your insurance claim for the roof, or advertise that it will. |
Ala. Code §8-36-2(c) statute text Quote“A residential roofing contractor shall not represent or negotiate, or offer or advertise to represent or negotiate, on behalf of an owner or possessor of residential real estate on any insurance claim in connection with the repair or replacement of roof systems.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| After a disaster: 25% In a declared state of emergency, a price 25 percent or more above the 30-day pre-emergency average is prima facie unconscionable unless tied to reasonable costs. Services count. |
Ala. Code §8-31-4 and §8-31-2(1) statute text Quote“It is prima facie evidence that a price is unconscionable if any person, during a state of emergency declared pursuant to the powers granted to the Governor in Section 31-9-8, charges a price that exceeds, by an amount equal to or in excess of 25 percent the average price at which the same or similar commodity or rental facility was obtainable in the affected area during the last 30 days immediately prior to the declared state of emergency” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Other rules: no fixed number The roofing rules apply to buildings for one to four families, detached garages included. |
Ala. Code §8-36-1(1) statute text Quote“RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE. A new or existing building constructed for habitation by one to four families, including detached garages.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
Nearby states
Georgia, North Carolina, Louisiana, South Carolina or all states.
Related: Alabama claim deadlines, Alabama roofers, insurer roof-age rules.