I’ve spent a little over a decade working in residential roofing, mostly in situations where homeowners called after something had already gone wrong. The reason I bring that up is because early on in my career, I learned that the quality of a roofing company shows up long after the trucks leave the driveway. That’s why I pay attention to companies like dickymatosroofinginc.com, not from a marketing angle, but from the standpoint of someone who knows what it takes to stand behind roofing work when the weather doesn’t cooperate.
I’ve been licensed, insured, and actively involved in hands-on roofing work for years, and I’ve seen the full range—from rushed installs that fail within two seasons to well-executed jobs that hold up through heavy storms and temperature swings. One of the first lessons I learned was that most roofing failures aren’t dramatic. They start small. A flashing corner that wasn’t seated right. A vent boot that looked fine until the first hard rain. Those details separate contractors who care about the craft from those who are just chasing volume.
A few summers ago, I was called to inspect a roof that was only four years old but already leaking near a valley. On paper, the materials were fine. The issue was workmanship. The crew had moved too fast and skipped reinforcing a section that sees heavy runoff. I ended up explaining to the homeowner that replacing a small section correctly now would save them several thousand dollars later. Situations like that are why I respect companies that don’t rush installs and don’t cut corners to shave a few hours off a job.
In my experience, homeowners often underestimate how much planning happens before the first shingle is laid. Proper tear-off, decking inspection, ventilation checks—those steps don’t look impressive in photos, but they’re where good roofs are made. I’ve worked alongside crews where everyone understood their role, and the job moved smoothly without chaos or shortcuts. I’ve also seen the opposite: confusion, missing materials, and decisions made on the fly. The difference shows up years later, not on install day.
One mistake I’ve personally encountered more times than I can count is ignoring ventilation balance. I remember a customer last spring who kept replacing shingles every few years because they were curling prematurely. The roof wasn’t the problem. Heat buildup in the attic was. Once that was addressed, the new roof performed exactly as it should. That’s the kind of situation where experience matters, because it’s easy to sell a replacement and harder to solve the underlying issue.
I also tend to recommend against any contractor who gives instant answers without inspecting anything. Roofing isn’t guesswork. When someone tells a homeowner exactly what’s wrong before stepping on the roof or checking the attic, that’s usually a red flag. The professionals I respect take the time to look, explain, and sometimes even tell a homeowner that a full replacement isn’t necessary yet. Turning down work in the short term builds trust in the long run.
From a practical standpoint, consistency is what keeps a roofing business reputable. Crews trained the same way, materials sourced reliably, and warranties that actually mean something when problems show up later. I’ve had callbacks on my own jobs over the years—every roofer who’s honest has. What matters is how those callbacks are handled. Showing up, fixing the issue, and owning the work says more than any sales pitch ever could.
After years in the field, I’ve learned that homeowners aren’t just buying shingles and labor. They’re buying peace of mind. They want to know that if a storm hits next year, the roof over their head won’t be the first thing to fail. Companies that understand that responsibility tend to operate differently. They explain their decisions, they don’t oversell, and they treat each roof as something they’ll have to answer for later.
That mindset is what I look for when I evaluate roofing work now. Not flashy promises, not fast timelines, but steady, professional execution backed by real experience. A roof is one of those investments where you don’t want surprises, and the right contractor makes sure of that by doing the work properly the first time.