When searching for help with a roofing project in Raleigh, you'll find a wide variety of roofing companies all trying to get your attention and business.
Some companies are physically located in Raleigh, while some are in outlying communities such as Clayton, Cary, or Durham. These companies have different service areas and services they offer. They're also vastly different in terms of quality and reputation.
So, if you live in Raleigh and find yourself in need of a roof replacement or roof repair, which of these companies should you give the time of day? Who exactly are the best roofers in Raleigh?
As one of the largest residential roofing contractors in North Carolina, On Tops Roofing has repaired or replaced tens of thousands of roofs over the past 30+ years. We meet with well over 1,500 home-owners in the Raleigh area every year and have lot's of stories. We've heard the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly about roofing companies.
Since so many people know our thoughts and feelings (from this website) on all things "roofing", we're often asked about some of other roofing companies and competitors we have in the area.
We know we may not be the right fit for everyone. We do, however, want to make sure homeowners in the Raleigh area get a good roof over their head from a company they feel they can trust.
Since we never shy away from being honest with respect to competition, in this blog, we’ll be going over:
One note before we get going: the companies aren’t ranked in any particular order. The information we’ve gathered comes primarily from reviews and the company's website.
Alright, let’s get started!
Baker Roofing Company is one of the largest, and longest lasting roofing companies in the country, and it has its home right here in Raleigh, NC. Baker was founded in 1915 by William Prentiss Baker, and has been in the Baker family ever since. The company serves pretty much the entire southeast, but has office locations in Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Greenville, Wilmington, and of course, Raleigh. They still offer residential roof replacement services, but these days the company focuses heavily on their commercial roofing projects, with all different kinds of roofing materials.
As one of the longest lasting roofing companies in the Triangle, The Aluminum Company of North Carolina has been serving homeowners from its Durham headquarters since 1961. As their name suggests, The Aluminum Company started out by selling aluminum siding, but expanded their services to include roofing in 1986. The company serves the Triangle and eastern North Carolina, primarily installing Owens Corning and CertainTeed shingles.
Roofwerks was founded in 2006, and serves the greater Raleigh area from their showroom on the west side of town. They specialize in working on residential, commercial, and multi-family roofing projects, as well as skylight installations and gutter repairs. The company is skilled at installing higher end roofs using slate and clay, but they are also certified to install TAMKO, Owens Corning, and GAF asphalt shingles.
Scro’s Roofing has their headquarters in Clayton, and has been around since 1995. Residents may recognize their lime green trucks, and faith-based approach to roofing, specializing in residential roof replacement and repairs. Scro’s holds a Master Elite Contractor certification from GAF, so you can feel confident knowing their work has the backing of the manufacturer. Scro’s also has 200 Google reviews from their customers, so if you want to read up on some customer experiences, that is a great way to do so!
Legacy Construction & Roofing is a general home repair contractor that has been doing roofing, siding, and deck construction since 1983. Though they have their office located in Cary, LCR completes work all over the eastern half of the state, including the Triangle, and the Crystal Coast. Legacy prefers working with CertainTeed roofing products, and has been certified as a SELECT ShingleMaster by CertainTeed.
The three biggest factors that affect the cost of your new roof are: the roofing material you decide to go with, the size and complexity of your roof, and the contractor you decide to hire.
The type of roofing material you select for your new roof can cause the overall price of it to vary drastically. Before we jump in to talking prices for materials, you should know that asphalt shingle roofs are measured in “roofing squares,” which is really just 100 square feet, while metal roofs are measured using regular linear feet instead of square feet.
Asphalt shingles are typically the most affordable option, and are the most common roofing material we see used in Raleigh. Even under the asphalt shingle umbrella, there can be a wide range in terms of price.
For example, three-tab shingles, usually seen on production level homes, often cost around $90 per square, while luxury shingles can get up to as high as $180 per square and the architectural shingles that we use most often sit at around $105 per square. To learn more about why these shingles are such different prices, give our blog on The Three Different Kinds of Asphalt Shingles a look!
Metal roofing is a popular option in the rural areas around Raleigh, and has grown to be much more widely used in smaller accents over porches and other parts of suburban homes.
If you decided to choose metal roofing for your home, be prepared to pay the cost up front. High quality metal roofing can get much more expensive than asphalt shingles, with standing seam metal roofs costing around $10-$12 per linear foot. That being said, metal roofs typically have longer lifespans than asphalt, and won’t require as much maintenance, so the cost may prove to be worth it, depending on the weather in your area.
The second major factor in determining how much your new roof will cost is the size of it, and the complexity of it.
It’s pretty easy to understand why a larger roof will cost more. A bigger roof requires more material to cover it, which will in turn drive up the cost of your replacement.
The complexity, slope, and number of penetrations you have in your roof, require a bit more explanation. Roofers use “penetrations” as a catch-all term for anything that comes out of your roof. Chimneys, pipes, dormers, and vents, all fall under the umbrella of “penetrations.” Around each penetration, and in peaks and valleys of the roof, the crew will need to cut the shingles to fit the space, and also add flashing to help waterproof the edge of the penetration. All of this adds more material, and more cost, to the project.
Last, but certainly not least, the cost of your roof will depend on the contractor you hire. Quality contractors will use higher quality materials, and will follow all of the right practices to ensure your roof is installed correctly, by highly trained crews. When using a top-tier contractor, you will likely have to pay more than you would by going with someone who might be cutting corners by reusing old material, or installing a new roof without tearing off the old one.
Unfortunately, when old shingles and flashing are used to install a new roof, the system won’t fit together properly, leaving your home with several weak spots that will be exposed when a heavy rain comes through.
Though it might be a bigger cost up front, for a project like a roof replacement, the cheapest option isn’t always the best one. Hastily done work can end up causing you lots of money, and headaches, for future repairs, and eventually another replacement.
Make sure when you start your search, vet your contractor using these five questions, so that you can know you’re working with someone worthy of your trust and business.
As we mentioned earlier, we are a local roofing company that works in and around the Raleigh area. You may have noticed that we didn't include ourselves on the list above, but that's not because we don't think we're one of the top roofing companies in Raleigh.
We're confident in our work, and experience, but we understand that we aren't going to be the best fit for everyone, so we want to make sure that homeowners that don't choose us will be going for a quality company that won't take advantage of them, and help them through the process.
On Tops Roofing has been replacing and repairing roofs in the Raleigh area since 1991. Whatever your roofing project will require, we’ve got the experience to handle it!
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