1.1 The Michigan Roofing License Exam: Format, Fees & Test-Day Rules

Which Exam You Are Taking

Michigan licenses residential contractors under Article 24 of the Occupational Code (1980 PA 299). The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes, issues two kinds of licenses: the Residential Builder license and the Maintenance & Alteration (M&A) Contractor license. Roofing is one of the M&A trades. A roofer who wants to contract directly with homeowners usually earns an M&A license with the roofing trade listed on it.

PSI Services administers the exams for LARA. The current PSI Candidate Information Bulletin (updated August 3, 2026) combines each M&A trade exam with the Business and Law section. You sit for both parts in one appointment and receive one result.

A candidate may register for at most two M&A trade exams in one registration. Each trade exam includes its own set of Business and Law questions.

How the 100 Questions Are Distributed

The Business and Law half follows the PSI outline:

The roofing half follows the PSI Roofing content outline (effective March 14, 2019):

Two lessons follow from these tables. Business and Law is worth exactly half the exam, so you cannot pass on trade knowledge alone. Within the roofing half, installation, estimating, and MIOSHA safety together account for 41 of the 50 questions.

Getting Authorized and Scheduling

You cannot book the exam until LARA approves your license application. The sequence works like this:

1. Complete the 60 hours of approved prelicensure education (see Section 1.3).
2. Submit the license application to LARA through its online licensing system.
3. After LARA approves you, it sends your information to PSI.
4. Register and pay PSI online or by phone. Walk-in testing is not allowed.
5. Test at a PSI center. The bulletin lists centers in Dearborn, Holt (Lansing), two in Southfield, Grand Rapids, Gaylord, and Marquette.

You may reschedule or cancel without losing the fee if PSI receives notice at least 2 days before the exam date. Voicemail and email do not count as notice. You forfeit the fee if you miss the appointment, arrive after the start time, or lack proper ID. Bring one valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID with your signature, and make sure the name matches your registration.

Test-Day Rules

• The exam is closed book. No codebooks, notes, or reference materials are allowed.
• Calculators must be silent, battery-powered, and without paper tape or an alphabetic keyboard. PSI specifically bans construction calculators that convert feet and inches, such as the Construction Master I and II, Handyman, and Measure Maker.
• Phones, smart watches, bags, hats not worn for religious reasons, and bulky coats go into storage.
• A tutorial of up to 15 minutes does not count against your time.
• You may return to earlier questions and change answers while time remains.
• Up to 10 experimental questions may be included. They are not identified, do not count, and do not reduce your time.
• Extra time (time and a half) and a reader are available as accommodations for a $50 fee each.

Scores, Retakes, and Deadlines

If you pass, the score report says only PASS. If you fail, you see a score for each major content area, which you can use to plan your restudy. PSI does not offer a post-exam review, but you can leave comments on individual questions during the test. Retest fees are the same as first-time fees, and you must retake the full combination exam.

Two deadlines matter. Under MCL 339.409(3) and R 338.1521(1), you must finish every licensure requirement, including passing the exam, within 1 year after LARA receives your application. Otherwise the application is void and the fee is forfeited. Under R 338.1521(2), a passing score is valid for 1 year from the date you pass.

Building a Study Plan

PSI's suggested references include the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, MIOSHA construction standards, the Occupational Code and its administrative rules, the Construction Lien Act, NRCA roofing manuals, and Roofing Construction and Estimating. Split your time evenly between law and trade, because each is 50 questions. Practice the arithmetic by hand with a basic calculator: slope factors, squares, bundle counts, ventilation area, and markup.