Short answer: As of September 2026, the five highest-scoring roofing contractors in the Urban Honolulu, HI metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score are Kapili Roofing & Painting (92.4), Environmental Roofing Solutions, LLC (68.4), First Class Roofing, LLC (66.5), Tory’s Roofing & Waterproofing, Inc. (66.2), All Around Roofing & Waterproofing LLC (66.2). Each holds a certification we verified on the manufacturer’s own register, every rating was corroborated elsewhere, and placement on this page is not for sale.
The Roofing Brief scored 8 certified roofing contractors serving the Honolulu metro on a published, reproducible formula, then researched each of the top five individually to confirm its record. Honolulu has one of the widest gaps between first and second place in this programme. The leading contractor scores 92.4; the second scores 68.4, a 24-point drop, and the next five are packed within five points of each other. Hawaii also vets contractors unusually hard: a C-42 roofing licence requires four years of supervisory experience, two exams, and financial statements plus a credit review. A licensed Hawaii roofer has cleared a solvency check most states never conduct, which makes the licence itself unusually informative.
Why a Honolulu roof fails slowly rather than suddenly
Hail and tornadoes barely register in Honolulu. The NOAA record for the decade holds a single hail report, 1.25-inch stones at Nanakuli on 23 March 2023, four severe wind reports and no tornadoes at all. The risks that shape a roof on Oahu are different: a hurricane strike that is rare but catastrophic, trade winds that load the same roof edges every day, heavy windward rainfall, salt air, and ultraviolet exposure that ages coatings and underlayments faster than on the mainland.
Hurricane history is written into the building code. Iwa in 1982 and Iniki in 1992 exposed how easily roofs lifted off older houses, and hurricane clips and straps tying rafters to walls are now required for new construction, additions and remodels, while insurers urge them for homes built before 1994. If a re-roof exposes the top plate, it is the cheapest moment to add or upgrade clips, and a good contractor will raise it before you ask.
Permitting depends on the scope. The Department of Planning and Permitting may not require a building permit for re-roofing a single-family home that does not affect structural components, but work that touches rafters, sheathing or connections does, and condominium and historic properties carry their own approvals. Confirm with DPP or have the contractor confirm in writing whether a permit applies to your job, rather than assuming either way.
Materials need to suit the salt. Near the shoreline and on the windward side, fasteners, flashing and drip edge should be stainless or rated for coastal exposure, and metal roofing should carry a finish warranty that covers salt air at your distance from the ocean. Every roofer doing work above $1,000 must hold a Hawaii specialty contractor licence with the C-42 roofing classification, which you can check on the state’s Professional and Vocational Licensing lookup.
The 5 best roofers in Honolulu, HI
Scored 2026-09-17. The metro mean rating used as the Bayesian prior for Honolulu is 4.737, across a pool of 8 certified contractors.
| Rank | Company | TRB Score | Certification | Rating (reviews) | Adjusted | In business since | Based in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kapili Roofing & Painting | 92.4 | President’s Club | 4.9 (396) | 4.882 | 2007 | Waipahu, HI |
| 2 | Environmental Roofing Solutions, LLC | 68.4 | Master Elite | 5.0 (12) | 4.788 | not published | Kapolei, HI |
| 3 | First Class Roofing, LLC | 66.5 | Certified | 5.0 (86) | 4.903 | not published | Waipahu, HI |
| 4 | Tory’s Roofing & Waterproofing, Inc. | 66.2 | Master Elite | 4.5 (22) | 4.665 | 1972 | Pearl City, HI |
| 5 | All Around Roofing & Waterproofing LLC | 66.2 | Certified | 4.9 (120) | 4.852 | not published | Waimanalo, HI |
1. Kapili Roofing & Painting — TRB Score 92.4
Kapili Roofing & Painting is based in Waipahu, HI, in business since 2007, BBB a+ rating, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 35 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 35.3 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 15.0 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 7.2 | 10 |
| Total | 92.4 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- A+ rated. BBB
- 4.9 across 375 reviews, with customers citing on-time crews, thorough cleanup and clear status updates. Reviews
- Serving Oahu since 2007, fully licensed and insured, offering the GAF Golden Pledge warranty. Company
What they actually do. Residential roof repair and replacement across Oahu, with a separate residential painting division.
Why it ranks here. 396 registry reviews at 4.9 against a metro mean of 4.54, and the only President’s Club contractor in the Honolulu pool. Its score of 92.4 sits 24 points clear of the next contractor, one of the widest gaps between first and second anywhere in this programme.
Best fit for: Oahu homeowners generally. In this metro the gap between first and second is wide enough that it genuinely narrows the decision.
Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (808) 621-7663, which is the registry’s contact line and is often a directory tracking number rather than the contractor’s own: take the number from the company’s own website and compare the two.
2. Environmental Roofing Solutions, LLC — TRB Score 68.4
Environmental Roofing Solutions, LLC is based in Kapolei, HI, BBB a+ rating, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: Master Elite (GAF), Coatings and Liquid Applied certified, Single-Ply certified. Certification by more than one manufacturer is uncommon and requires meeting each programme’s separate standards for insurance, training and track record.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 24 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 31.5 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 6.4 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 6.5 | 10 |
| Total | 68.4 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- A+ rated and committed to the BBB Standards for Trust. BBB
- GAF certified commercial contractor, certified as an Asphaltic Roofer, Coatings and Liquid Applied specialist, and Single-Ply Roofer. Certifications
What they actually do. Low-slope, flat and high-slope roofing, commercial and residential, across Oahu.
Why it ranks here. Holds three distinct GAF system certifications covering asphaltic, coatings and single-ply. Flat and low-slope roofs are common on Oahu, and coating systems are often the right answer there rather than tear-off and replacement.
Best fit for: Flat and low-slope roofs, and coating restoration rather than full replacement.
What we would want clarified. At 12 registry reviews this is one of the thinnest evidence bases in the entire programme. The certification breadth is the reason it ranks, not customer feedback volume. We publish this because a ranking that only prints the flattering findings is an advertisement, not an assessment.
Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (808) 799-6089, which is the registry’s contact line and is often a directory tracking number rather than the contractor’s own: take the number from the company’s own website and compare the two.
3. First Class Roofing, LLC — TRB Score 66.5
First Class Roofing, LLC is based in Waipahu, HI, BBB accredited since 6 April 2022, A+ rating with no complaints, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 12 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 36.1 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 11.2 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 7.2 | 10 |
| Total | 66.5 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- A+ rated and accredited since 6 April 2022, with no recorded complaints. BBB
- Holds an active Roofing Contractor licence on the Hawaii licence board record. Hawaii licence
- 4.9 on HomeAdvisor and 5.0 across 75 Birdeye reviews. Reviews
What they actually do. Full service roofing, new roofs and reroofs across Oahu.
Why it ranks here. An active Hawaii roofing licence confirmed on the state board record, zero BBB complaints, and a clean 5.0 across 86 registry reviews. In a state with this much financial vetting, a confirmed active licence carries real weight.
Best fit for: Central and leeward Oahu homeowners wanting a verifiable licence and a clean complaint record.
What we would want clarified. Base certification and five years trading, so the record is short. We publish this because a ranking that only prints the flattering findings is an advertisement, not an assessment.
Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (808) 277-1200, which is the registry’s contact line and is often a directory tracking number rather than the contractor’s own: take the number from the company’s own website and compare the two.
4. Tory’s Roofing & Waterproofing, Inc. — TRB Score 66.2
Tory’s Roofing & Waterproofing, Inc. is based in Pearl City, HI, in business since 1972, led by Founded by Louis Tory, Jr., BBB accredited since 22 September 1983, A+ rating, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 24 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 26.6 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 7.9 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 7.8 | 10 |
| Total | 66.2 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- A+ rated and accredited since 22 September 1983, a 43-year record, 51 years in business. BBB
- Established 1972 by Louis Tory Jr, covering residential, commercial, state, city, county and federal roofing including single-ply membrane, coatings, shingles, solar shingles and Energy Star systems. Company
What they actually do. Residential, commercial and government roofing including single-ply membrane, coating systems, shingle and solar shingle.
Why it ranks here. Trading since 1972 with 43 years of unbroken BBB accreditation, the longest record in the Honolulu pool, and holding government contracting experience at state, city, county and federal level.
Best fit for: Government or institutional buildings, and homeowners weighting a five-decade record.
What we would want clarified. The most serious concerns in this top five. Published reviews report roofing work that did not properly address dry rot, contracted gutter repairs left incomplete leading to flooding and significant additional cost, and separately a customer stating they were threatened with legal action for posting a negative experience on social media. We found no regulatory action and the BBB rating remains A+. But threatening a customer over a review, if accurate, would tend to suppress exactly the feedback this ranking depends on. Read the full review record and get the scope written in detail before signing. We publish this because a ranking that only prints the flattering findings is an advertisement, not an assessment.
Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (808) 456-5990, which is the registry’s contact line and is often a directory tracking number rather than the contractor’s own: take the number from the company’s own website and compare the two.
5. All Around Roofing & Waterproofing LLC — TRB Score 66.2
All Around Roofing & Waterproofing LLC is based in Waimanalo, HI, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 12 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 34.1 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 12.0 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 8.1 | 10 |
| Total | 66.2 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- More than 15 years providing roof repair and replacement to residents and businesses across Kailua and windward Oahu. Company
- 4.9 across 111 reviews on the GAF registry. Reviews
What they actually do. Roof repair, replacement and waterproofing across windward Oahu.
Why it ranks here. Waterproofing alongside roofing is the relevant pairing on the windward side, where driven rain and salt exposure attack flashing and parapet details rather than the field of the roof.
Best fit for: Kailua, Kaneohe and windward Oahu homeowners.
What we would want clarified. No BBB listing or rating was locatable, and base GAF certification rather than a higher tier. Hawaii’s DCCA licence lookup is the substitute check and is worth running. We publish this because a ranking that only prints the flattering findings is an advertisement, not an assessment.
Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (808) 797-9084, which is the registry’s contact line and is often a directory tracking number rather than the contractor’s own: take the number from the company’s own website and compare the two.
5 severe weather reports in a decade, and why that matters in Honolulu
Aggregate hail counts tell you very little about a specific roof. These are the individual events: every severe-weather report logged by the National Weather Service across the 1 county of the Urban Honolulu, HI statistical area over ten years, with the dates, the stone sizes and the towns they landed on. Over that decade the metro logged 1 hail report, 4 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports and 0 tornadoes. The database’s property-damage fields are left blank for most of these reports, so it carries no usable loss total for this metro and we do not quote one.
The largest hail on record in a decade
| Date | Stone size | Reported near | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 March 2023 | 1.25 in | Nanakuli | Honolulu |
The largest stone on record for this metro fell on 23 March 2023 near Nanakuli, measured at 1.25 inches. One inch is the point at which hail starts bruising asphalt shingles, which is damage an adjuster can find even when a homeowner cannot.
Wind. The strongest thunderstorm gust logged in the metro was 53 knots, about 61 mph, near Ewa on 19 December 2022. Asphalt shingles begin lifting at roughly 67 mph when they are correctly nailed, and considerably below that when they are not.
What the National Weather Service wrote about it
The NWS logs a written account of each severe-weather episode. This is its description of the 19 December 2022 event near Ewa, reproduced verbatim:
Video surfaced of trees down in the Ka Makana Alii Shopping Center parking lot, after thunderstorms had moved through the area.
That is what the specification has to anticipate here, written up by the agency that recorded it rather than by a contractor selling the repair.
When it happens. Severe weather reports cluster in December (3), April (1), March (1). The worst years on record were 2022 (3), 2018 (1), 2023 (1). If you are scheduling non-urgent work in Honolulu, the months outside that window are when crews are least stretched and least likely to be triaging emergency callouts ahead of your job.
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, county-level detail files 2016 to 2025, filtered to the counties of this statistical area by The Roofing Brief. Damage figures are as reported to the NWS and undercount insured losses.
What to do with this. Hail is not the governing risk in Honolulu. Weight your decision toward wind rating, ventilation and flashing detail rather than paying extra for impact-rated shingles.
How to check a Honolulu roofer in ten minutes
Licensing is required in HI. Hawaii requires a specialty contractor licence carrying the C-42 Roofing classification for any residential, commercial or public work valued above $1,000 in labour and materials. Licensing is overseen by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
A C-42 requires four years of supervisory experience under a licensed contractor, passing both a Business and Law and a Trade examination, general liability insurance, workers compensation where employees exist, and a bond. Applicants must also submit reviewed or audited financial statements prepared by a licensed public accountant and a clean five-year credit report, which is among the strictest financial vetting of any state in this programme.
Check here: Hawaii DCCA licence search. Hawaii’s financial-solvency requirement means a licensed C-42 contractor has passed a credit and accounts review most states never conduct. That makes the licence itself unusually informative here.
Four checks to run before you sign anything, in any state.
- Verify certification at the source. Use the GAF verification tool rather than trusting a badge image on a company website.
- Get the certificate of insurance from the insurer, not the contractor, and confirm general liability and workers compensation are both active on the day work starts.
- Confirm who pulls the permit. If a contractor asks you to pull it as the homeowner, that moves liability onto you. Decline.
- Get warranty terms in writing before any deposit, and check the manufacturer warranty being promised actually requires the certification tier the contractor holds.
The shape of the Honolulu contractor market
8 certified roofing contractors serve the principal cities of the Urban Honolulu, HI statistical area, of which 1 hold the top President’s Club tier. The pool carries 748 customer reviews between them at a mean rating of 4.737. The statistical area had a 2024 population of 998,747, a change of -1.75% against the 2020 census base, per the U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
How these Honolulu rankings were produced
Every contractor in the Urban Honolulu, HI pool was scored out of 100 on four published components: certification tier, a Bayesian adjusted rating, review depth and distance from the metro centre. In this metro that meant scoring 8 certified contractors, of whom 1 hold President’s Club standing and 3 Master Elite, against a metro mean rating of 4.737. The top five were then researched individually against Better Business Bureau records, state licence registers and manufacturer directories. The findings are printed above whether they flatter the contractor or not, and nobody paid to appear.
The full method, the weightings, what the GAF certification tiers actually mean, who is eligible to be ranked and what we do not claim are all set out on our roofer ranking methodology page. Last updated: September 2026. Scoring run: 2026-09-17. Corrections go to the editor and are actioned on verification.
What Honolulu homeowners want to know
Who is the best roofer in Honolulu, HI?
Kapili Roofing & Painting of Waipahu, HI scores highest in the Honolulu metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score, at 92.4 out of 100 as of September 2026. It holds President’s Club certification with a 4.9 rating across 396 reviews. Highest-scoring is not the same as best fit for your specific job, and the four companies behind it score within 26.2 points.
How many certified roofing contractors serve Honolulu?
8 contractors on the GAF certification registry serve the principal cities of the Urban Honolulu, HI statistical area as of September 2026, of which 1 hold President’s Club status.
How much damaging hail does Honolulu get?
The Urban Honolulu, HI statistical area recorded 1 hail reports of 1 inch or larger and 0 of 2 inches or larger between 2016 and 2025 in the NOAA Storm Events Database. The largest hailstone reported measured 1.25 inches.
Did any contractor pay to appear on this list?
No. The Roofing Brief takes no placement fees, no lead fees and no affiliate commission from any roofing contractor. Ranking comes entirely from the published formula applied to public registry data, followed by an individual research pass on the top five.
What was the worst hailstorm in Honolulu in the last ten years?
The largest hailstone logged by the National Weather Service in the Urban Honolulu, HI statistical area between 2016 and 2025 measured 1.25 inches, reported near Nanakuli on 23 March 2023. One inch is the point at which hail starts bruising asphalt shingles, which is damage an adjuster can find even when a homeowner cannot. Across the decade the metro recorded 1 hail reports. The database’s property-damage fields are left blank for most of these reports, so it carries no usable loss total for this metro and we do not quote one.
When is the worst time of year for roof damage in Honolulu?
Severe-weather reports in the Urban Honolulu, HI statistical area cluster in December, April, March, on the NOAA record for 2016 to 2025. If the work can wait, booking outside that window usually buys you shorter lead times and more of the contractor’s attention.
Do roofers need a licence in HI?
Hawaii requires a specialty contractor licence carrying the C-42 Roofing classification for any residential, commercial or public work valued above $1,000 in labour and materials. Licensing is overseen by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. A C-42 requires four years of supervisory experience under a licensed contractor, passing both a Business and Law and a Trade examination, general liability insurance, workers compensation where employees exist, and a bond. Applicants must also submit reviewed or audited financial statements prepared by a licensed public accountant and a clean five-year credit report, which is among the strictest financial vetting of any state in this programme.
What should I check before hiring a roofer in Honolulu?
Hawaii’s financial-solvency requirement means a licensed C-42 contractor has passed a credit and accounts review most states never conduct. That makes the licence itself unusually informative here.
Is Honolulu a hard market to find a good roofer in?
Honolulu has one of the widest gaps between first and second place in this programme. The leading contractor scores 92.4; the second scores 68.4, a 24-point drop, and the next five are packed within five points of each other. Hawaii also vets contractors unusually hard: a C-42 roofing licence requires four years of supervisory experience, two exams, and financial statements plus a credit review. A licensed Hawaii roofer has cleared a solvency check most states never conduct, which makes the licence itself unusually informative.
Is wind or hail the bigger risk to a roof in Honolulu?
Wind, by a wide margin. The Urban Honolulu, HI statistical area logged 4 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports against 1 hail reports of an inch or more between 2016 and 2025. Wind damage shows up at the rake, ridge and edge rather than across the field of the roof, so the fastening schedule and edge detail matter more here than the impact rating of the shingle.
Roofer rankings for other metros
The Roofing Brief scores certified roofing contractors in the 400 largest U.S. metropolitan and micropolitan areas on the same formula.
- Best roofers in San Francisco, CA, about 2394 miles from Honolulu
- Best roofers in Omaha, NE, a metro of comparable size
- Best roofers in Greenville, SC, a metro of comparable size
See the full index of all 400 metro roofer rankings, or read how to find and vet a roofing contractor anywhere in the country.
Cite this analysis
The Roofing Brief. “Best Roofers in Honolulu, HI: The Roofing Brief Contractor Score.” Published September 2026. Inputs: GAF certification registry; NOAA Storm Events Database 2016-2025; U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates; Better Business Bureau and independent review-platform records for each ranked contractor.