A-1 Roofing Company
Durham, NC
North Carolina roofer vetting guide
How to Vet a Durham Roofing Company
License, insurance, warranty, the quote itself — five checks that separate a pro from a problem, and a shortlist of Durham roofers whose Google records hold up.
- 103 roofers listed in Durham
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Why vetting matters in Durham
Durham’s housing has a median year built of 1995 (2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates), and Durham County logged 15 hail reports and 102 thunderstorm-wind reports in NOAA’s records from 2016 through 2025. Every storm brings new names to town. Run these five checks on any of them before you sign.
Check 1: the license — and when North Carolina requires one
North Carolina requires a general contractor’s license when the cost of the undertaking is $40,000 or more (G.S. 87-1); the line moved up from $30,000 on October 1, 2023. The NC Licensing Board for General Contractors issues a dedicated S(Roofing) specialty classification, and its Residential and Building licenses cover roofing work too.
Below $40,000 the state doesn’t require the license at all — which is exactly why it is worth asking whether a company holds one anyway. Look any contractor up by name, license number or classification in the Board’s public search. A license also tells you size: Limited licensees can take single projects up to $750,000, Intermediate up to $1.5 million, and Unlimited licensees any size (G.S. 87-10).
There is a practical upside to licensed work, too. North Carolina’s Homeowners Recovery Fund, run by the Board, reimburses owners of single-family homes for losses caused by a licensed general contractor once the owner has a court judgment the contractor hasn’t paid (G.S. 87-15.5 and following).
Check 2: insurance — two policies, two lookups
Workers’ compensation first: in North Carolina, a business that regularly employs three or more employees must carry it (G.S. 97-2), and the NC Industrial Commission’s coverage search shows whether a policy is on file for the company you’re considering.
Then liability. Ask for a certificate of insurance sent to you by the insurance agent, not handed over by the salesperson, with you named as certificate holder — and check the policy dates cover the days the crew will be on your roof.
Check 3: the warranty — whose, what, and for how long
- There are two warranties on a new roof: the manufacturer’s, on the materials, and the contractor’s, on the workmanship. Get both in writing and know which one pays for labor when something fails.
- Ask whether the manufacturer’s warranty has to be registered, who registers it, and whether you get the confirmation.
- Ask whether either warranty transfers to the next owner if you sell.
- Ask what voids it — for example, mismatched components or attic ventilation that doesn’t meet the manufacturer’s requirements.
Check 4: reading a Durham roofing quote
A good quote reads like a scope of work, not a price with a logo. Look for each of these, in writing:
- Tear-off: how many existing layers come off, and what happens if there are more than expected.
- Decking: the price per sheet for replacing rotten or damaged plywood, since nobody knows the count until the old roof is off.
- Underlayment, plus ice-and-water membrane in valleys and around penetrations.
- Drip edge, and new flashing — step flashing at walls and counter-flashing at chimneys — rather than reused.
- Ventilation: ridge vent and intake, sized for the attic.
- Pipe boots, disposal, magnet sweep and cleanup.
- The payment schedule, the start window, and the warranty terms written into the contract.
Check 5: the contract and the permit
North Carolina’s building-permit statute doesn’t list replacing roofing among the jobs that trigger a permit on a single-family house when the work costs $40,000 or less — but new roofing, and any repair to load-bearing structure, do (G.S. 160D-1110). Ask in writing whether your job needs a permit and who pulls it.
If the contract is signed at your kitchen table rather than the roofer’s office, state law adds a five-business-day cancellation window after an insurance claim denial for residential roof work, during which the seller can’t start or take payment — unless the roofer is a licensed general contractor.
The Durham vetting shortlist — and 99 more listed
Google ratings are only as strong as the reviews behind them. This shortlist keeps Durham companies rated 4.5 or higher on at least 20 Google reviews and ranks them by a review-weighted rating: each score is pulled toward the local average in proportion to how few reviews it rests on, so three perfect reviews can’t outrank three hundred good ones. Then run the five checks on whoever you call.
| # | Company | Google rating | Reviews | Weighted | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boxer Roofing | 4.9 | 39 | 4.59 | |
| 2 | Mighty Dog Roofing of Durham | 4.7 | 73 | 4.55 | |
| 3 | Kingsford Home Improvements, Inc. | 4.6 | 86 | 4.49 | |
| 4 | Accurate Renovation | 4.5 | 77 | 4.41 |
Also listed in Durham (99) — A to Z
A1 Roofing
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ABC Supply
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ABC Supply
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Alamo City Constructors Inc
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Alanis Home Remodeling & Company
Durham, NC
Allen & Sons Exteriors
Durham, NC
Allied Building Products
Durham, NC
Alpine Roofing
Durham, NC
Alpine Roofing, Inc.
Durham, NC
Aluminum Company Of N C Inc
Durham, NC
American Craftsmen Of NC
Durham, NC
Apr painting
durham, NC
Beacon Building Products
Durham, NC
Bobby Yates Roofing
Durham, NC
Budd -Piper Roofing Co
Durham, NC
Build Moore Exteriors, LLC
Durham, NC
Bull City Painting & Roofing
Durham, NC
Carolina Home Specialists
Durham, NC
Cayton Contracting Company
Durham, NC
Century Slate Co
Durham, NC
Champion Windows And Home Exteriors of Raleigh
Durham, NC
Cole Roofing & Construction
Durham, NC
Cole Roofing & Construction
Durham, NC
Before you hire in Durham
Licensing rules, costs and every listed Durham roofer, on the National Roofing Directory.
Vetting a Durham roofer: questions
Does a roofer need a license in North Carolina?
A general contractor’s license is required when the job costs $40,000 or more (G.S. 87-1, effective October 1, 2023). The NC Licensing Board for General Contractors issues an S(Roofing) specialty classification, and Residential and Building licensees can do roofing work too.
How do I check a Durham roofer’s license?
Search the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors’ public license database by company name, license number or classification, including S (Roofing).
How can I tell whether a roofer carries workers’ comp?
North Carolina requires businesses that regularly employ three or more people to carry it, and the NC Industrial Commission’s insurance coverage search shows whether a policy is on file.
What is the Homeowners Recovery Fund?
A fund run by the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors that reimburses owners of single-family homes for losses caused by a licensed general contractor, once the owner holds a court judgment the contractor hasn’t paid.
Is a 5.0-star roofer with three reviews better than a 4.8 with three hundred?
Not necessarily, which is why this page’s shortlist blends each rating with the Durham average according to how many reviews stand behind it. A handful of perfect reviews can’t outrank a long record.
Does a Durham roof replacement need a permit?
State law doesn’t list replacing roofing as a permit trigger for single-family homes on jobs of $40,000 or less, but new roofing and repairs to load-bearing structure are. Get the answer, and the name of whoever pulls the permit, in writing.
Sources
- N.C.G.S. § 87-1 — who must hold a general contractor license ($40,000 threshold)
- Session Law 2023-108 — license and permit thresholds raised to $40,000 (effective Oct. 1, 2023)
- NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — consumer FAQ
- NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — classifications, including S(Roofing)
- NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — license search
- N.C.G.S. § 87-10 — Limited ($750,000), Intermediate ($1.5 million) and Unlimited licenses
- NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — Homeowners Recovery Fund
- N.C.G.S. § 87-15.5 — Homeowners Recovery Fund
- N.C.G.S. § 97-2 — workers’ compensation applies at three or more employees
- NC Industrial Commission — workers’ compensation insurance coverage search
- N.C.G.S. § 160D-1110 — building permits and the $40,000 single-family exemption
- N.C.G.S. § 14-401.13 — off-premises roof contracts: five business days to cancel after a claim denial
- US Census Bureau — Durham city: median year built (2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database — Durham County hail, 2016–2025
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database — Durham County thunderstorm wind, 2016–2025