i am wanting to start a small roofing company due to such a demand
after all the hurricans here. i need to know about roofing licencse,
building codes, buying materials?  about liability Costs and workmans
comp. just the major things to get started and especially the costs. 
is it not  a good idea to get into this field?  what kind of income/
gain would i be looking at.  this would be something to make extra
income.  is it worth it?(pros and cons).

In the past one could get an occupational license and just start
roofing. One could have their roof done for eight cents per square
foot. At this rate the roofers had difficulty making money so they had
a law passed so that one had to work for an existing roofer for 4
years and then take a stiff test. One can learn how to do one type of
roofing in 2 hours. Most of the roofs done are asphalt shingles. For
each year of college you go to you can get one year of credit working
as a roofer, ( This does not make sense but that is the law) Without
licensing roofing would cost a third of what it does as it does in
Texas now. No licensing in Texas and the roofers get ten cents per
foot. The work is hard, hot, and can be dangerious.