Native Roofing Enterprises, Davie FL

I recently had a chance to speak with Rick Burton, a partner with Jim Anderson in Native Roofing Enterprises, to discuss his business and what he sees as the challenges and opportunities for homeowners and communities in Southeast Florida.

To start off with, here’s a little background information on Native Roofing Enterprises: 
Native Roofing is a licensed Florida Roofing Contractor based in Davie, FL. The company was started in 1996 by Jim Anderson, who began roofing with his father before he was legally able to drive. They are a full-service Roofing Company offering everything Homeowners and Communities might need to install and maintain a quality shingle, tile, or flat roof that will last as long as it was designed to.

What separates Native Roofing Enterprises from other Roofing Contractors in your area?
Aside from being able to offer everything a customer might need with regards to their roof, we strive to develop honest, long-lasting relationships with our customers – we want to be their Contractor For Life. When we assess a roofing project, we tell people the truth – which might not be exactly what they want to hear. And while our prices are very competitive, we earn our customers based on Competence, Quality, and Service. 

Our ideal customer is one that expects quality products and services at a fair price. So we’re not the type of company you’ll see advertising that “We’ll Beat Any Price”. The structural integrity and performance of a roof that protects someone’s family or business here in South Florida is too important to make decisions based solely on the lowest price.

What do you see as your biggest challenges in bringing your services to the people you're trying to serve? 
Getting people to understand the benefits of regular inspection / preventive maintenance and making sure that the roof is in good condition prior to storms. A lot of people don’t seem to want to spend money on these things. But what they don’t realize is that many problems can be detected (and corrected) while they’re relatively minor. If they wait until an issue becomes a Problem, then it’s usually a lot more inconvenient and expensive to fix.

What are the most common problems you see when you’re inspecting roofs?
When people have problems with their roofs, the most common problems they have are with the valleys, flashings, vents, and fascia. Most of these can be avoided with proper installation, which includes using the right products, and a lot more can be avoided with proper maintenance. 

Why are these areas more of a problem?
A lot of these problems are “built in”. When we deal with roofs in planned communities, a lot of times, these roofs were not installed by the developer. They were installed by a subcontractor that was competing on price. And since these subcontractors know that MOST of these roofs will never be properly inspected, shortcuts are taken with the quality of the materials used and the way they’re installed. FYI – When these larger communities are being developed, typically only one out of ten homes are actually inspected properly. 
The other main reason is lack of maintenance or improper maintenance. If you’re not going to maintain your roof at all, you should expect it to fail and need major repairs or replacement up to 10 years earlier than the typical life expectancy of a roof in South Florida - which is 20-25 years. And if you are doing maintenance, but you’re not doing it properly, you could be doing more harm than good. 

Roof cleaning is an example. We see a lot of roofs that are damaged because

the contractors hired to clean them really don’t know how to clean a roof properly. Many use way too much pressure or they use very high-strength chemicals. Both of these methods can be destructive to the very areas of the roof that are already at risk. Note: Roof Cleaning should only be done by Contractors that are licensed, trained, and equipped to do it properly.

What inspection schedule would you recommend for homeowners and community managers?
The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends yearly inspections and in some cases the manufacturer’s warranty requires this as well. But most roofs in South Florida are fine for the first five years. So we recommend an inspection after the first five and then yearly after that.

What areas does your company serve? 
Native Roofing Enterprises currently focuses on Broward and Palm Beach Counties. But we also have customers in Martin and St. Lucie Counties and plan to expand our services in these areas as well.

How is the best way for a customer to reach you?
Our office number is 954-236-9986, our website is NativeRoofing.com, and our customer service email address is CS@NativeRoofing.com. Customers can find a lot more about us and our services on our website as well as on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Native Roofing Enterprises is an Authorized Roof-A-Cide® Applicator serving Palm Beach & Broward Counties in South Florida. They are a Full-Service Roofing Contractor helping Homeowners and Communities maximize the life of their roofs.

Contact info: 
Native Roofing Enterprises
2041 SW 70th Ave., Ste. D-22
Davie, Florida 33317 
(954) 236-9986 phone | (954) 236-6585 fax 
http://www.nativeroofing.com/