Raising the Standard: Building Trust in the Roofing and Home-Service Industry
Choosing a roofing contractor can be difficult. Homeowners often hear similar promises from every company: quality workmanship, great service, strong warranties, and years of experience. But when several contractors appear to offer the same thing, how does a homeowner know whom to trust?
That question was at the center of a recent episode of the Near Me Podcast featuring Chad Bates, owner of Near Me Roofing & Contracting, and Randy Hurtado, COO of The Good Contractors List and an owner of DT Companies.
During their conversation, Chad and Randy discussed how reputable contractors earn homeowners’ trust, the importance of third-party protection, common mistakes that prevent contractors from growing, and what the future holds for the roofing and home-service industries.
Why Trust Matters When Choosing a Roofing Contractor
According to Randy, homeowners frequently default to price when they cannot determine which contractor deserves their trust.
“When somebody doesn’t know you and doesn’t trust you, they naturally default to price,” Randy explained.
Choosing the lowest estimate can feel like the safest financial decision. Unfortunately, it may expose the homeowner to poor workmanship, unfinished projects, roofing leaks, and contractors who disappear when warranty repairs are needed.
Chad and Randy agreed that the quality of the completed roof should be a homeowner’s minimum expectation. The true difference between roofing companies is often found in everything surrounding the installation, including:
- Clear and consistent communication
- Professional project management
- Reliable scheduling
- On-site supervision
- Thorough property protection
- Detailed photo documentation
- Strong warranty coverage
- Responsive service after the project is complete
A reputable roofing company must do more than install shingles correctly. It must provide a professional experience before, during, and after the roof replacement.
What Is The Good Contractors List?
The Good Contractors List was founded in 2011 to help protect homeowners from dishonest or unreliable contractors. The organization evaluates contractors before allowing them to become members, providing homeowners with an additional layer of confidence when hiring someone to work on their property.
The screening process includes criminal and financial background checks. Membership is not based solely on the size of a company or the amount of revenue it produces.
As Randy explained during the podcast, the real question is whether the organization would feel comfortable sending a contractor into a family member’s home.
Approved members of The Good Contractors List also provide homeowners with third-party financial protection. Every qualifying project completed by a member contractor is backed by a $25,000 guarantee through The Good Contractors List.
This protection matters because a workmanship warranty is only valuable if the company responsible for it remains available and willing to honor it. Third-party backing gives homeowners reassurance beyond a contractor’s promises.
Near Me Roofing & Contracting is proud to be a vetted member of The Good Contractors List and to offer this added protection to its customers.
Randy Hurtado’s Journey From Member to COO
Before becoming COO of The Good Contractors List, Randy experienced the organization from a contractor’s perspective. His companies were members of the list, and he initially viewed membership as an achievement he could display on their websites.
He soon discovered that it offered much more than a logo.
His sales team began closing more opportunities because homeowners felt more comfortable moving forward. The organization helped his companies overcome one of the biggest obstacles in home improvement sales: uncertainty about whom to trust.
After seeing those results, Randy approached founder John Hill in 2020 and asked why the program was not available nationwide. Several years later, Randy was invited to help expand The Good Contractors List beyond the Dallas–Fort Worth market.
Today, the organization serves contractors across the country and covers all 50 home-service trades. Randy’s experience as an active contractor gives him firsthand insight into the challenges facing both homeowners and reputable home-service companies.
Growing a Roofing Company Without Growing Too Fast
Chad and Randy also discussed the challenges of scaling a roofing or contracting business.
One of Randy’s most important lessons is that companies should avoid increasing overhead too quickly after a successful year. A busy storm season or period of rapid growth can make it tempting to hire several new employees and expand expenses all at once.
However, roofing is often seasonal. Revenue can fluctuate because of weather, market conditions, insurance changes, and demand.
Randy recommends that business owners remain as lean as possible without overwhelming their teams. Employees may need to fill several roles until the company can comfortably afford additional specialized positions.
Sustainable growth requires balancing customer service with financial responsibility. A company must be profitable to remain available for its customers, support its employees, honor its warranties, and give back to its community.
The Risk of Trying to Offer Every Home Service
Another common mistake is attempting to place too many unrelated services under one company name.
Randy humorously described businesses that advertise roofing, siding, painting, garage doors, and nearly every other service imaginable. While offering more services may seem like a good way to create revenue, it can make potential customers question what the company does best.
It can also make search engine optimization and digital marketing more difficult. A company specializing in one trade can establish clearer expertise than a business attempting to rank for several unrelated services at once.
DT Companies handles this challenge by creating separate businesses for different specialties. Each company has its own:
- Brand identity
- Financial reporting
- Leadership
- Marketing strategy
- Profit-and-loss statement
- Area of expertise
This structure allows each business to build credibility in its specific trade while benefiting from the reputation of the broader organization.
Near Me Roofing & Contracting has followed a similar philosophy by keeping its primary focus on roofing. Specialization allows the company to refine its process, train its team, and become exceptionally good at protecting homes and businesses with quality roofing systems.
Company Culture Starts With Leadership
Culture has become a popular business term, but Chad and Randy agreed that genuine culture is created through actions—not slogans posted on a wall.
“Culture comes from the top down,” Chad said.
Leaders cannot ask employees to arrive on time, work hard, and serve customers well if they do not model those behaviors themselves. The standards demonstrated by company leadership eventually become the standards followed throughout the organization.
Randy explained that faith plays a significant role in the culture of DT Companies. While employees are not required to share the same beliefs, the team understands that company meetings may end in prayer and that leadership views the business as something entrusted to them.
That perspective influences how the company treats its employees, serves customers, measures success, and gives back to others.
Both Chad and Randy emphasized that a company can grow without abandoning honesty, integrity, or its core values. Growth may require additional processes and policies, but it does not have to change the principles on which the business was built.
Earning Trust Through Community Involvement
A strong local reputation is not created through advertising alone. It develops over time through consistent service and meaningful involvement in the community.
Randy shared how DT Companies operates a year-round neighborhood food drive. When the company installs a roof, team members deliver donation bags to nearby homes and collect food for a local pantry.
The purpose is not to pressure neighbors into scheduling roof inspections. It is an opportunity to serve the community. However, that genuine service often begins conversations and helps residents see the company as more than a roofing business.
Chad and the Near Me Roofing team share the belief that businesses should contribute to the communities that support them. A company should not simply enter an area, complete projects, and take revenue away. It should look for meaningful ways to give back.
Collaboration Is Stronger Than a Scarcity Mindset
The roofing industry is highly competitive, but Chad and Randy believe good contractors can help one another without harming their own businesses.
As Randy put it, “Those at the bottom compete, and those at the top collaborate.”
Both leaders have shared advice, training, and resources with other roofing company owners. They believe there is enough opportunity for reputable contractors who work hard, take care of customers, and operate with integrity.
Their frustration is not directed toward responsible competitors. It is directed toward dishonest contractors whose poor workmanship and unethical practices hurt homeowners and damage the reputation of the entire roofing industry.
When reputable contractors collaborate and hold one another to higher standards, homeowners ultimately receive better service.
What Makes an Elite Contractor?
Being an elite contractor is about more than certifications, awards, or revenue.
Randy described an elite contractor as someone who wakes up wanting to serve customers, perform excellent work, and operate a profitable, sustainable company. Profit should not come from cutting corners or taking advantage of homeowners. It should be the result of delivering genuine value.
An elite roofing contractor should:
- Complete high-quality work
- Use dependable roofing materials
- Communicate honestly
- Maintain strong business practices
- Treat employees and customers with respect
- Stand behind completed projects
- Remain available after the final payment
- Contribute positively to the community
Online reviews, project photos, customer testimonials, professional credentials, and third-party guarantees can help homeowners verify these qualities before signing a roofing contract.
The Future of Roofing and Home Services
The roofing industry continues to change. Higher insurance deductibles, new policy limitations, increasing material costs, evolving technology, and changing homeowner expectations are requiring contractors to adapt.
Randy believes storm-restoration contractors will need to become better at retail roofing sales. As deductibles increase, homeowners may need financing options to make necessary roof repairs or replacements affordable.
Technology and artificial intelligence will also play larger roles in marketing, customer service, estimating, documentation, and office operations. However, skilled tradespeople will remain essential. Technology may improve how roofing companies operate, but it cannot replace the knowledge and physical skill required to install a complex roofing system correctly.
The home-service industry also faces a significant shortage of skilled workers. Roofing, welding, construction, plumbing, electrical work, and other trades continue to offer valuable career opportunities for people willing to learn and work hard.
Contractors who combine skilled craftsmanship with modern technology, strong marketing, customer-focused processes, and trustworthy service will be positioned to succeed.
Raising the Standard for Homeowners
The central message of Chad and Randy’s conversation was simple: homeowners deserve contractors they can trust.
Near Me Roofing & Contracting is committed to raising the standard through professional roofing installations, clear communication, on-site supervision, quality materials, three levels of warranty protection, and third-party backing from The Good Contractors List.
Homeowners should never feel as though they are playing “contractor roulette” when selecting someone to repair or replace their roof. They should have access to clear information, documented qualifications, and meaningful protection.
If you need a roof inspection, roof repair, complete roof replacement, metal roofing system, or help following storm damage, contact Near Me Roofing & Contracting. Our team is ready to evaluate your property, explain your options, and help you make an informed decision.
Watch the full episode of the Near Me Podcast: Raising the Standard to hear more from Chad Bates and Randy Hurtado about trust, leadership, company culture, sustainable growth, and the future of the home-service industry.