Owner-run, and that means something specific
Plenty of roofing companies say "owner-operated." Here is what it actually means at Beaudry Roofing, in the order you'd encounter it:
- Justin answers the phone. Not a call centre, not a commissioned salesperson who has never been on a roof. If you call or text (905) 599-4441, you're talking to the owner.
- Justin climbs the ladder to quote it. Roofs are not quotable from the driveway, and a number written without getting up there is a guess. He looks at the deck, the flashing, the valleys and the attic venting, then writes the quote himself.
- Justin is on the roof while it's done. The crew works for Beaudry Roofing. Nothing is handed to a subcontractor, which is why the person who promised you something is the person standing there when it's time to do it.
- The written quote is the price. Customers keep writing the same sentence in their reviews — the final price was as quoted. If the deck turns out to be rotted and sheets need replacing, you see the damage and the per-sheet price before anything is replaced.
Since 2008
Justin Beaudry started Beaudry Roofing in November 2008 and has run it out of Waterdown, Ontario ever since. The company has a Better Business Bureau file going back to 2012. Most new work still arrives as a referral off an earlier roof, which is a slower way to grow a roofing company than advertising and a considerably better filter on the work.
The tagline came off the old sign and it hasn't needed changing: do it right the first time. It's a commercial position as much as a principle. An owner-run shop that lives on referrals cannot afford the roof that comes back.
Credentials, and what each one actually covers
BP Certified Roofer — Weather-Tite program
A manufacturer certification, which is worth understanding properly: it backs the installation, not just the shingle. A standard shingle warranty covers a defective shingle. It does nothing for a sound shingle installed badly, which is how most roofs actually fail. Being certified under BP's Weather-Tite program means the workmanship carries the manufacturer's backing too.
WSIB coverage
Ontario's workplace insurance. This is the one homeowners most often skip asking about, and the one with the most exposure attached. If an uninsured worker is hurt on your roof, that can become your liability. Ask every contractor who quotes you, not just this one.
Fully insured
Liability coverage for the work and the property. Documentation goes out with your quote if you want it on file — you shouldn't have to take anyone's word for it.
No subcontracted crews
Not a certificate, but it belongs in this list. Subcontracting is how a company takes on more jobs than it can personally stand on, and it is where accountability goes to die: the crew that installed your roof has no relationship with the company that warrantied it. Beaudry's crew is Beaudry's crew.
What we install
BP and GAF architectural shingle lines rated for Ontario winters, ice-and-water membrane at the eaves, valleys and penetrations, synthetic underlayment over the field rather than felt, new metal drip edge and flashing on every replacement, and Velux skylights. Full detail is on the roof replacement page.
Where we work
Waterdown is home base. The regular working area runs across Hamilton and Halton — Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville, Milton, Dundas, Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Aldershot, Flamborough, Carlisle and Halton Hills. Each of the first three has its own page covering the housing stock, the local roof problems and the permit rules there.
Getting hold of Justin
Call or text (905) 599-4441, or email beaudryroofing@gmail.com. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Texting a photo of what you're seeing is genuinely useful — it often tells him what to bring before he's even on the ladder. Estimates are free and written, and if a repair will hold your roof together for a few more years, he'll tell you that instead of selling you a replacement.
