What does each company do?
Wayne Gonzalez Roofing Contractor, Inc. repairs, replaces, inspects and maintains roofs, installs shingle, metal and flat roofs, and fits aluminium gutters rolled on site, plus fascia and soffit, for homes and commercial buildings. The company is small by its own description, has no sales team, and the owners handle the estimate and the job.
Westfall Roofing, on its own site, lists roof replacement and repair in asphalt shingle, tile, metal and flat systems, plus storm damage work, wind mitigation, gutters and gutter guards, soffit and fascia, insulation and ventilation, skylights, commercial roofing and property management services. It describes itself as an asphalt shingle specialist first, and it has been trading since 1989.
Where does each one work?
From its yard at 5625 Patterson Rd in Riverview, Wayne Gonzalez Roofing works Tampa, Riverview, Brandon, Valrico, Apollo Beach, Ruskin, Sun City Center, Wimauma, Lakeland and Bartow directly, plus Mulberry, Zephyrhills, Plant City, Thonotosassa, Wesley Chapel, Land o' Lakes, Lutz, Carrollwood and Clearwater. One base, and most of the work in one county.
Westfall Roofing says it covers Central and Southwest Florida from Levy County to Collier County, including the Tampa Bay tri-county area, Manatee County, Lakeland, Orlando, Sarasota, Naples and Ocala, with two office addresses on its contact page and a note that services available vary by area. For a Tampa homeowner the practical question is how far the crew drives to reach you and how quickly they can come back, and that is worth asking either company directly.
How does each handle the estimate and the inspection?
Both offer a free estimate that starts with an inspection. At Wayne Gonzalez Roofing an owner comes out, inspects the roof, explains what was found in plain words with photographs, and writes a scope with the material named. There is no follow up call unless you ask for one, and if the roof has years left the company says so.
At Westfall Roofing the site describes a comprehensive roof assessment with one of its roofing consultants, and its published replacement timeline says a quote follows the inspection within one to two weeks, with a start date scheduled in the following four to six weeks depending on material and weather. The difference is one of structure: an owner writing the scope on the spot, or a consultant and a scheduling process.
Who is actually on the roof?
At Wayne Gonzalez Roofing, employees. The company has never subcontracted a job, three generations of crews are on its payroll, and every employee is covered by workers compensation and general liability. The person who sold the roof and the person responsible for installing it work for the same business.
On the pages read for this comparison, Westfall Roofing's site describes its crews and consultants and says the company started with one crew in Tampa, but does not state whether installation crews are employees or subcontractors. That is not a criticism. It is a question to ask them, and to ask any roofer, before you sign.
What warranty does each give on its own work?
Wayne Gonzalez Roofing guarantees repairs for two years and full roof replacements for ten years, with manufacturer warranties on the materials varying and sitting on top. Both figures are stated on the company's site.
The Westfall Roofing warranties page describes a workmanship warranty from the contractor alongside the manufacturer's product warranty, and says workmanship warranties are registered once the roof is paid in full. The page read did not state the length of the workmanship warranty in years, so ask for it in writing. Both companies hold an Owens Corning designation: Wayne Gonzalez Roofing states Preferred Contractor and Westfall Roofing states Platinum Preferred Contractor.
How does each handle an insurance claim?
Neither company runs your claim for you, and both say so. Wayne Gonzalez Roofing provides a written report from a Florida Certified Roofing Contractor with photographs, which is what an adjuster needs, and advises caution with anyone who offers to handle the whole claim.
The financing page on westfallroofing.com states that the homeowner is responsible for filing and managing the claim, that the company does not communicate directly with the insurance company, and that payment is due on completion of the work. The practical result is the same with either company: you file, the roofer documents.
Which credentials can I check for each?
For Wayne Gonzalez Roofing: Florida Certified Roofing Contractor licence CCC1325942, held since February 2004 and registered with Hillsborough and Pasco counties, workers compensation and general liability on every employee, BBB accredited since 2008, Owens Corning Preferred Contractor. The licence number is the one to type into myfloridalicense.com.
For Westfall Roofing: its site offers its roofing licence and liability insurance certificate as downloads, and lists Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, GAF certification, CertainTeed Select ShingleMaster, Tamko Pro Diamond, FRSA membership and an A+ BBB rating, along with a place on a national Top 100 roofing contractors list. Download the licence, read the number off it, and check it the same way.
Questions we get asked
Which company is bigger?
The larger of the two is Westfall Roofing, by its own account: it describes itself as one of the largest private companies in Central and Southwest Florida and cites over 2,000 Google reviews. Wayne Gonzalez Roofing describes itself as a small team with no sales team, where you work directly with the owners. Neither size is a virtue on its own; what it changes is who you talk to and how far the crew travels.
How long does a roof replacement take with each?
Most residential replacements take one to three days at Wayne Gonzalez Roofing, depending on size, material and weather. Westfall Roofing's site gives a tear off and replacement window of two to four days on its timeline page and one to two days in its FAQ, also depending on weather and complexity. Either way, the weeks before the crew arrives matter more than the days they are there, so ask both for the start date, not only the duration.
Does either offer financing?
Both do. Wayne Gonzalez Roofing has a financing options page, and Westfall Roofing lists financing partners on its site. Terms come from the lender in both cases, so read them there.
What should I ask both before deciding?
The same five questions: the licence number, the insurance certificate, who will be on the roof, how long under one name, and a written scope before any deposit. The best roofing contractors in Tampa page explains each, and the guide to choosing a roofing contractor adds two more.
Want a roofer to look at it?
Call the office and tell us what the roof is doing. We will come out, look at it and tell you what it needs.
