Madison roofing companies: how this guide works

What this guide is

This site explains roofing for Madison and Dane County homeowners: what fails on the houses here, what repairs and replacements typically cost, how a hail or ice dam claim works from the homeowner's side, and what to ask before you sign. It is a free homeowner guide, not a contractor, and it does not handle insurance claims. When you call or request an estimate, your request goes to an independent local roofing contractor partner who inspects the roof, gives you a written price and performs the work. If you're picking a roofing company, Madison has plenty of good ones and, after every hailstorm, a few that won't be around in two years; the rest of this page is how to tell them apart.

How to vet a roofing contractor in Madison, WI

Check credentials. Check a contractor's Wisconsin credentials with the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) and your city's permit office before you sign. Ask which credentials the company holds, who will pull any permit, and whether the permit is on the quote.

Check insurance. Whoever you hire, ask to see their certificate of insurance before work starts. Call the agent listed on the certificate to confirm it's current.

Check the inspection. A sound estimate comes from the roof and the attic, not a satellite measurement. A roofer who prices your replacement from the driveway hasn't seen the decking, the ventilation or the water trail.

When you compare roofing contractors, Madison homeowners have more choice than they need after a storm; these checks narrow it fast.

What a good quote includes

One page. The roof measured from the roof and the attic. Materials named by line. The ice barrier distance in feet. A decking allowance per sheet. Ventilation. The permit. Both warranties, in years — get the workmanship term in writing from the roofer who installs it. Ask how long the price is good for; nobody should be pressured into a roof at the kitchen table.

Red flags to watch for

Walk away from anyone who knocks on your door the week after a hailstorm with a same-day-only price, asks for a large deposit before materials arrive, or wants you to sign over your claim. Be wary of any roofer who offers to cover, waive or rebate your deductible; it can put your claim at risk, so ask your insurer, or check with the Wisconsin DATCP or an attorney. Be cautious with anyone who wants to hatchet an ice dam, roof over a second layer, or sell you a roof that has years left in it. The best roofers here are the ones who send you away with a $350 pipe boot and a date to call back.

Where the information comes from

The prices on this site are typical ranges, written to help you judge a quote. They are not a quote; every roof gets its own written price after a roofer has walked it. Rules about permits, credentials, claims and contracts are written in general terms and point to the office that actually decides: the City of Madison Building Inspection or your local building department, DSPS, the Wisconsin DATCP, the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, your insurer, or an attorney. When one of those offices says something different from this guide, go with the office.

How to use this guide

1. Figure out what you're looking at. The roof repair, ice dam and hail and wind pages describe what each problem looks like on the houses here.
2. Check the price range. The pricing page has typical numbers by job and house type.
3. Get a written estimate. From the partner this site refers requests to, from someone else, or both. Two written prices are better than one.
4. Ask the questions below and in the hiring post.
5. Decide on your own schedule. Unless water is coming in, nothing about a roof needs to be decided the same day.

Comparing two or three companies

Put the estimates side by side and look at the same lines on each: tear-off, underlayment, ice barrier in feet, the shingle line, nailing, decking price, flashing, ventilation, the permit and both warranties. Then look at the companies, not just the paper. Who answered the phone? Who came out, and did they go into the attic? Did they send photos? Did they explain what they found in plain words, or push for a signature? The cheapest estimate is often missing a line, and the most expensive one should be able to tell you why. Ask each one how long the price is good for and how payments are staged.

Common hiring mistakes

• Hiring the first crew that knocks after a storm because the street is full of their yard signs.
• Choosing on price alone without checking what each quote includes.
• Skipping the certificate of insurance because the company "seems established."
• Signing a contingency agreement or an assignment of benefits before seeing a price.
• Leaving the workmanship warranty off the paperwork.
• Letting work start before the permit question is answered.

What this guide won't do

It won't tell you a particular company is the best, and it doesn't rank or rate contractors. It doesn't inspect roofs, write repair scopes, deal with insurers or meet adjusters. Claims are between you and your insurer; in Wisconsin only a public adjuster licensed by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance can negotiate a claim for a homeowner. And it won't pressure you: the estimate request is free, and you're under no obligation to hire anyone.

Areas this guide covers

Take the Beltline from Middleton to Monona and the guide covers both sides: the isthmus and Tenney-Lapham, Vilas and Dudgeon-Monroe, Nakoma and Westmorland, Hill Farms, the far west side out to Junction Road, the north side, Eastmorland and the far east side. Off the Beltline it follows Highway 151 to Sun Prairie, Highway 14 to Fitchburg and Oregon, Highways 18/151 to Verona, 113 to Waunakee and DeForest, and 51 to McFarland and Stoughton.

If you searched for a roofer near me, Madison results after a storm are crowded with out-of-state crews, and the checks above apply to every one of them. If you're choosing a roofing company, Fitchburg, WI's 1990s two-stories off McKee Road raise the same questions. The same goes for roof repair: Verona, WI subdivisions west of Epic are mostly 2000s builder-grade roofs reaching the age where boots and flashing go.

Homes, rentals and small commercial buildings

This guide is written mostly for single-family homes, duplexes and student rentals near campus and on the near east side, plus suburban condos and townhomes. For commercial roofing, Madison shops, offices and churches with low-slope EPDM or TPO need a contractor who does that work regularly; ask before you request an estimate. The flat and low-slope roof repair guide covers what to check on those buildings.

Get a free estimate

Call, text or request an estimate, and a local roofer will follow up. If you're weighing companies, our post on questions to ask a Madison roofing contractor is the list, and the pricing page has the numbers you'll be comparing.

How estimate requests are handled

Calls and requests through this site are handled by an independent local roofing contractor we work with in Madison, who provides the written quote and performs the work. Prices on the site are typical Madison ranges, not a quote.