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North Carolina roofer vetting guide

How to Vet a Winston-Salem Roofing Company

License, insurance, warranty, the quote itself — five checks that separate a pro from a problem, and a shortlist of Winston-Salem roofers whose Google records hold up.

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Why vetting matters in Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem’s housing has a median year built of 1981 (2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates), and Forsyth County logged 18 hail reports and 189 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 Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem vetting shortlist — and 107 more listed

Google ratings are only as strong as the reviews behind them. This shortlist keeps Winston-Salem 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.

Winston-Salem companies rated 4.5+ on 20+ Google reviews, ranked by review-weighted rating
#CompanyGoogle ratingReviewsWeightedQuote
1Big Anchor Roofing & Gutters, Inc.4.92254.87
2Camel City RoofingVerified4.91274.85
3Mabe's Roofing Inc4.91044.85
4Vinyl Masters Home Improvements4.9984.84
5Mid Atlantic Roofing Systems Inc4.71554.69
6Mid Atlantic Roofing Systems Inc4.71554.69
7EcoShield Roofing4.71384.69
8Statewide Roofing Specialist4.71004.68

Also listed in Winston-Salem (107) — A to Z

A and J Meza Remodeling

Winston Salem, NC

A&A Home Improvements

Winston Salem, NC

ABC Supply

Winston Salem, NC

Alliance PRO Restorations

Winston Salem, NC

Alvarez Roofing And Gutters

Winston Salem, NC

Amazing Construction

Winston Salem, NC

American Quality Remodeling

Winston Salem, NC

AquaProofUsa

Winston Salem, NC

Autry Construction Inc

Winston Salem, NC

Barlow Roofing Home Improvement

Winston Salem, NC

Barringer Roofing

Winston Salem, NC

Bassett Gutters and More Inc

Winston Salem, NC

Beta Builders

Winston Salem, NC

Buckeye Home Improvements

Winston Salem, NC

Bulldogg Group Inc

Winston Salem, NC

Burris Roofing Co Inc

Winston Salem, NC

Burris Roofing Co Inc

Winston Salem, NC

Candor Roofing

Winston Salem, NC

Carolina Roof Stain Remvl

Winston Salem, NC

Carter Lumber

Winston Salem, NC

Centrum Engineering Consultants Inc

Winston Salem, NC

ChemTech Roof & Insulation Systems

Winston Salem, NC

4.8(4 Google reviews)

Clodfelter Roofing Company

Winston Salem, NC

Colby's Home Repairs

Winston Salem, NC

Before you hire in Winston-Salem

Licensing rules, costs and every listed Winston-Salem roofer, on the National Roofing Directory.

Vetting a Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem average according to how many reviews stand behind it. A handful of perfect reviews can’t outrank a long record.
Does a Winston-Salem 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

  1. N.C.G.S. § 87-1 — who must hold a general contractor license ($40,000 threshold)
  2. Session Law 2023-108 — license and permit thresholds raised to $40,000 (effective Oct. 1, 2023)
  3. NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — consumer FAQ
  4. NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — classifications, including S(Roofing)
  5. NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — license search
  6. N.C.G.S. § 87-10 — Limited ($750,000), Intermediate ($1.5 million) and Unlimited licenses
  7. NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — Homeowners Recovery Fund
  8. N.C.G.S. § 87-15.5 — Homeowners Recovery Fund
  9. N.C.G.S. § 97-2 — workers’ compensation applies at three or more employees
  10. NC Industrial Commission — workers’ compensation insurance coverage search
  11. N.C.G.S. § 160D-1110 — building permits and the $40,000 single-family exemption
  12. N.C.G.S. § 14-401.13 — off-premises roof contracts: five business days to cancel after a claim denial
  13. US Census Bureau — Winston-Salem city: median year built (2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)
  14. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database — Forsyth County hail, 2016–2025
  15. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database — Forsyth County thunderstorm wind, 2016–2025