Compare
A Roofing Company vs. a General Contractor
For most roof jobs a dedicated roofing company is the right call and will be faster and cheaper. Here is the situation where that stops being true.
Photographs and a written scope. If the honest answer is that it can wait another season, you will get that answer.
Side by side
| Category | Us | A Roofing-Only Contractor |
|---|---|---|
| A straightforward re-roof | We do it | Their core work, often cheaper. They win here |
| Speed on a simple repair | Scheduled around larger projects | Usually faster. They win here |
| Volume pricing on material | Good | Often better. They win here |
| Rotten sheathing and framing | Structural work is ours | Frequently subcontracted out |
| Interior damage — ceilings, drywall, insulation | Same contractor, one scope | A separate trade you coordinate |
| Structural changes, added drains, reframing | In scope | Outside their licence |
| One point of accountability | One contract for everything | Several contracts, several schedules |
| Roofing licence | Roofing performed under the appropriate trade certification | Their own licence. They win here |
Each row marked “wins here” is a genuine advantage of the alternative. A table that gives the other side nothing is an advertisement wearing a table's clothes.
Our view
The honest verdict
If your roof needs a roof, hire a roofer. Call a general contractor when the water has been getting in long enough that the roof is no longer the whole job — soaked framing, a ceiling to rebuild, a wall to open up. The moment a project needs three trades, having one contract instead of three is worth real money and considerably less of your time.
Other comparisons
Repair or Replace?
This is the only question that matters, and in Florida it is often not a judgement call — the code decides it.
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The Crew That Knocked on Your Door
Not everyone who knocks after a storm is a problem. Some are perfectly good companies working hard in a busy week. The checks below cost you five minutes and separate the two.
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Doing It Yourself, or Calling a Handyman
Some roof work is genuinely fine to do yourself. Some of it will cost you a warranty, an insurance claim, or a fall. The line is clearer than you would think.
Read more →
Coating a Flat Roof vs. Replacing It
Coatings are a real product with real applications. They are also the most oversold thing in Florida roofing, and the difference comes down to what is under them.
Read more →
Next step
Find out what is actually wrong with it.
An inspection, photographs of what we found, and a written scope. If the honest answer is that it can wait another season, that is the answer you will get.