No matter what the level of area emergency, Barbera Home Improvement has packed its crews with seasoned professionals who are ready to help—with no extended waiting

By Patricia Nugent

The tornadoes and dangerous storms of early August left homeowners contending with fallen trees, downed power lines and significantly damaged and destroyed roofs. In the aftermath, people reached out to roofing companies for help and found many of them so busy they were told the replacement job could take months to handle.

But anyone who called Barbera Home Improvement found out they had plenty of bandwidth to manage the uptick in business.

“Thanks to the size of our crews and equipment—we’re in the top 150 roofing companies in the country—we’ve been able to tell people we can fix or replace their roof within two weeks,” says Bob Potocar, who runs the family-owned company. “Expertise matters, too. We’ve been in business for the past 40 years and our crews are highly specialized. We have carpenters on staff as well as masonry and construction workers who can handle any structural consideration on a job. Not many companies can say that.”

Structurally Sound
He says he went to a client last week for an estimate and the homeowner said another roofer told him they’d only be able to do a quick patch and couldn’t get to the replacement until November.

“A patch is okay in an emergency, but in the long term you want peace of mind that your roof is structurally sound,” says Bob. “If it isn’t, that could lead to worse problems down the road.”

In addition to speed of workflow, he notes they also differ from other roofers in the area because of the 10-year warranty on labor they offer on top of the manufacturer’s warranty. “I’d say this is unheard of in our industry,” he says.

He also mentions that since they’ve earned a reputation for working with insurance agents, they often receive direct referrals from them.

Even if you didn’t have a tree fall on your house or shingles blown into the yard, the storm could have done damage not visible to the eye on a walk around your home. Getting a free roofing inspection would help you determine if you need to make a claim, while you can, as there’s a time limit on storm damage.

Beware of Door-to-Door Roofers
In the wake of any storm, opportunistic fly-by-night roofing companies come from out of state and converge on the area.

“There’s a lot to be concerned about with storm-chasing operations,” says Bob. “First of all, you have no idea what sort of training they have undergone. And even if they give you a warranty, if the company is out of business in a year, it would be worthless.”

He recommends homeowners make sure the company is local, licensed, bonded and insured. Find out what sort of manufacturer training the crews have had and if they will help you in working with the insurance company to make a claim.

“I also suggest you ask a company for qualified referrals,” he says. “If they don’t supply you with them, that’s a serious red flag.”

Headquartered at 5376 Ridge Road in Parma, Barbera Home Improvement will go to homes and businesses throughout Cuyahoga, Medina, Lorain, Summit, Lake and Geauga counties. BHI also offers vinyl siding installation, window installation and gutter guard installation. Call 440-843-8987 or visit BHIRoof.com.