Seattle roofs rarely fail dramatically. They fail slowly, from months of damp that never quite dries, from moss taking hold on north-facing slopes, and from organic debris sitting in valleys under a tree canopy. Washington registers contractors rather than licensing them, with no trade exam behind it, so the bond and the contractor’s own record are what you are relying on. This page lists roofers serving Seattle.
What Seattle roofers handle
Moss treatment and removal, a routine local maintenance item rather than a cosmetic one.
Full replacement on asphalt shingle, the dominant covering.
Cedar shake and shingle work on the older and higher-end stock.
Gutter and drainage work, inseparable from roofing in this rainfall.
Low-slope roofing on the modern and commercial stock.
Ventilation work, primarily a moisture control here.
Licensing in Washington
Washington registers contractors rather than licensing them, and the difference matters.
Contractors must register with the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) and carry a bond and liability insurance. But registration involves no trade examination, no formal experience verification and no continuing education requirement. It confirms a business exists, is bonded and is insured — not that it can roof a house.
Bond amounts as of 2026:
- General contractor: $30,000
- Specialty contractor: $15,000 — a specialty contractor works in a single designation such as roofing
The bond is the practical protection: it is what a homeowner can claim against if work goes wrong. Confirm the registration is active with L&I, and check whether the contractor is registered as general or specialty, because the bond behind them differs by half.
What’s specific to Seattle
Moss is a structural problem, not a cosmetic one. In Seattle’s damp, shaded conditions moss grows on north-facing slopes and lifts shingle edges as it thickens, letting water underneath. Left long enough it shortens roof life materially. Treatment is genuine maintenance here, and a roof inspection that ignores moss is not an inspection.
Constant damp, minimal sun. Long wet seasons with little drying and low ultraviolet mean the failure mechanism is biological and moisture-driven rather than thermal. That inverts the advice from sunbelt markets — reflectance is irrelevant, ventilation and drainage are everything.
Registration involves no exam. Washington L&I registration requires a bond and insurance but no trade test, no experience verification and no continuing education. A specialty contractor posts a $15,000 bond, a general contractor $30,000 — check which they hold, because the protection differs by half.
Tree canopy fills valleys. Evergreen debris accumulates year-round rather than seasonally, holding moisture against the covering.
Gutters matter more than usual. With this much rainfall, drainage failures show up as roof problems.
Pricing expectations
Seattle figures for 2026, as published by local roofing companies:
- Full replacement: $11,000–$25,000 for most single-family homes on one guide; the other puts a typical home at $20,000–$45,000+
- Architectural asphalt: $9–$15 per square foot on one, $8–$14 on the other
- Standing seam metal: $15–$25+; cedar shake $18–$30+; flat or low-slope $10–$22
- Moss preparation before install: $200–$600
- Algae-resistant shingle upgrade: add $0.50–$1.50 per square foot
- Deck repairs: $3–$6 per square foot, with $500–$2,500 a reasonable contingency
- Permit, where required: $250–$500; crews in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties charge $65–$95 an hour
Seattle has two cost lines that barely exist elsewhere on this site. Active moss has to come off before a new roof goes on, budgeted at $200–$600, and algae-resistant shingles are a real upgrade decision here rather than a marketing tick, at 50c to $1.50 a square foot. Both exist for the same reason the same guide gives for shingle life: persistent moisture cuts asphalt to 20–25 years against a 25–30 year national average. That shortens the replacement cycle, which is the number that should drive whether you spend up on material.
These are ranges local roofing companies publish for this metro rather than survey data, so treat them as a bracket to check a quote against, not a price list.
Two contract items: whether moss removal and treatment is in the price or an add-on, and the deck repair rate per square foot, and a contingency figure agreed before tear-off.
Neighborhoods served
Roofers listed here work across Seattle, including Ballard, Queen Anne, Wallingford, West Seattle, Capitol Hill, Greenwood, Beacon Hill, Magnolia, Fremont and Rainier Valley.
Most also serve surrounding communities — Bellevue, Shoreline, Renton, Kirkland, Burien, Redmond, Edmonds and Tukwila.
How this directory helps
Every roofer here is listed with business name, address and phone so you can verify them yourself.
Three questions sort Seattle contractors. Check the L&I registration and whether it is general ($30,000 bond) or specialty ($15,000). Ask whether moss treatment is part of the quote. And ask what they recommend for ventilation, since damp rather than heat is what ages roofs here.