Short answer: As of October 2026, the five highest-scoring roofing contractors in the Appleton, WI metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score are Keeney Home Services (78.5), Ridge Top Exteriors (76.6), Schabel Exteriors LLC (71.8), Badgerland Restoration & Remodeling Inc (67.5), DuraShield Roofing & Contracting (67.2). 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 9 certified roofing contractors serving the Appleton metro on a published, reproducible formula, then researched each of the top five individually to confirm its record. On the morning of 7 September 2021 grapefruit hail fell near Apple Creek, north of Appleton: 4.5 inches, which NOAA’s record calls the largest hail ever measured in Outagamie County and joint third largest in Wisconsin history. That one morning accounts for 11 of the 13 two-inch stones in the decade’s record, and it fell in September, the peak month for hail here. Wisconsin has no roofing licence, but it does have one of the better insurance-claim roofing statutes in the Midwest, and it is the protection to know. Five certified firms clear our evidence floor; one is a multi-state operator with the most BBB complaints in the pool, and another has recently changed its trading name.
What an Appleton roof is up against
Hail here comes late. Across 2016 to 2025 Calumet and Outagamie counties logged 73 hail reports, 51 at an inch or more and 13 at two inches or more, along with 101 thunderstorm wind reports, 24 at 58 knots or more, and 15 tornadoes. September has more hail reports than any other month, at 27, ahead of June at 14 and April at 13. That runs against the common assumption that hail season ends with early summer, and it means a roof damaged in a September storm is often being replaced as the first snow arrives.
Wisconsin has no roofing licence and no roofing exam. What it requires is credentials to pull a permit: under Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.31 no one may obtain a building permit for a one or two family dwelling without a Dwelling Contractor certification, held by the owner or a principal of the business, plus a certified Dwelling Contractor Qualifier on staff. The Qualifier credential requires twelve hours of approved coursework with course tests and is described in the code as proof of continuing education rather than trade competence. The business certification requires a bond of at least $25,000 or liability insurance of at least $250,000 per occurrence.
The permit rules depend on which municipality your house is actually in, and the City of Appleton warns that many neighbouring places use Appleton mailing addresses without being inside the city. The Town of Grand Chute, which surrounds much of Appleton, lists reroofing as requiring a permit at $35 on its 2026 schedule. The City of Neenah says cosmetic work such as reroofing may not need a permit unless it involves structural items. The City of Appleton prices alterations at $10 per $1,000 with a $75 minimum, tripled if work starts first, but its pages do not say whether a like-for-like reroof needs one. Ask your own building department.
The Uniform Dwelling Code sets the technical floor. SPS 321.28(4) requires ice dam protection, in sheet metal or a membrane meeting ASTM D 1970, on shingled or shake roofs over heated space with a slope of 4:12 or less, running at least 30 inches up from the edge and 12 inches past the inner face of the wall. SPS 321.28(6) bars a new covering over an existing one that is water-soaked or deteriorated, is wood shake or tile, or already has two or more layers. Appleton and Outagamie County sit in the code’s 30 pound roof load zone. The city’s housing has a median year built of 1971, and 32.9 percent of its homes are rented.
The 5 best roofers in Appleton, WI
Scored 2026-10-04. The metro mean rating used as the Bayesian prior for Appleton is 4.733, across a pool of 9 certified contractors.
| Rank | Company | TRB Score | Certification | Rating (reviews) | Adjusted | In business since | Based in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keeney Home Services | 78.5 | Master Elite | 4.8 (679) | 4.795 | 2009 | Neenah, WI |
| 2 | Ridge Top Exteriors | 76.6 | Master Elite | 4.7 (553) | 4.703 | not published | Appleton, WI |
| 3 | Schabel Exteriors LLC | 71.8 | Certified | 5.0 (188) | 4.944 | not published | Appleton, WI |
| 4 | Badgerland Restoration & Remodeling Inc | 67.5 | Master Elite | 4.7 (187) | 4.707 | not published | Weyauwega, WI |
| 5 | DuraShield Roofing & Contracting | 67.2 | Certified | 5.0 (109) | 4.916 | 2003 | Neenah, WI |
1. Keeney Home Services — TRB Score 78.5
Keeney Home Services is based in Neenah, WI, in business since 2009, led by Josh Keeney, Owner and President; Amy R. Keeney, Owner, BBB accredited since 24 April 2009, A+ rating, one complaint closed in three years, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 24 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 31.8 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 15.0 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 7.7 | 10 |
| Total | 78.5 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Accredited since 24 April 2009 with an A+ rating and one complaint closed in three years, Josh and Amy Keeney as owners.. BBB business profile
What they actually do. Roofing, siding, gutters and exterior services.
Why it ranks here. The top score in the metro on Master Elite certification and a 4.8 across 679 reviews, much the deepest consumer record here, with BBB accreditation since 2009. Its own site lists Appleton and Outagamie County in its service area.
Best fit for: A full replacement from the most-reviewed certified firm in the Fox Valley.
What we would want clarified. The business has changed shape and you should know which one you are dealing with. Its website now presents it as Larson and Keeney Home Services, a multi-location operation with offices in Neenah, Pewaukee, Arlington, Weston, Eagle River and Rochester, Minnesota, while BBB still lists Keeney Home Services. A separate Larson Home Services BBB profile in Rochester, Minnesota is not accredited and rated C+. The company’s own pages disagree about who founded it in 2009. BBB files it under gutters. Ask which entity your contract and warranty will name. We could not verify its Wisconsin credentials, certification tier or reviews. 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 (920) 558-4182, 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. Ridge Top Exteriors — TRB Score 76.6
Ridge Top Exteriors is based in Appleton, WI, led by Larry Gebhart, President, BBB accredited since 6 April 2005, A+ rating, 15 complaints closed in three years, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: Master Elite (GAF), Florida and Illinois contractor credentials shown on its website, not checked on those registers. 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 | 28.1 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 14.5 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 76.6 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Accredited since 6 April 2005 with an A+ rating and 15 complaints closed in three years, Larry Gebhart as president, headquartered in Madison.. BBB business profile
What they actually do. Roofing, siding, windows and exterior renovation across four states.
Why it ranks here. Master Elite certification and a 4.7 across 553 reviews, with an Appleton office serving Appleton, Oshkosh and Neenah and BBB accreditation since 2005. It is a large, multi-state operator with offices in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Florida.
Best fit for: Homeowners comfortable with a large regional operator and its process.
What we would want clarified. BBB records 15 complaints closed in the last three years, the most in this pool. A large multi-office firm attracts more complaints than a small one and BBB keeps it at A+, and complaints are allegations rather than findings, but read them on the BBB profile before you sign. Its founding year conflicts, with BBB giving 1995 and its own history 2002. We could not verify its Wisconsin credentials, certification tier or reviews. 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 (920) 521-3654, 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. Schabel Exteriors LLC — TRB Score 71.8
Schabel Exteriors LLC is based in Appleton, WI, led by Jacob (Jake) R. Schabel, Owner, BBB accredited since 27 April 2023, A+ rating, no complaints in three years, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 12 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 37.8 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 12.1 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 71.8 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Accredited since 27 April 2023 with an A+ rating and no complaints closed in three years, business start 1 November 2021.. BBB business profile
What they actually do. Roofing, siding and gutters, with roofing the lead service.
Why it ranks here. The highest rating in the metro, a 5.0 across 188 reviews, from an Appleton-based, owner-run firm whose lead service is roofing and whose BBB record is clean. Of the ranked firms it is the only local single-office business.
Best fit for: Fox Cities homeowners wanting a local, owner-run roofing firm.
What we would want clarified. It is young, with a BBB business start of November 2021, so its record is under five years long, and it holds base-tier certification, which is why it ranks third. Only one source gives a start date. We could not verify its Wisconsin credentials, certification tier or reviews. 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 (920) 442-0700, 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. Badgerland Restoration & Remodeling Inc — TRB Score 67.5
Badgerland Restoration & Remodeling Inc is based in Weyauwega, WI, led by Travis Pruett, Owner, BBB accredited since 12 April 2018, A+ rating, no complaints in three years, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 24 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 28.3 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 12.0 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 3.2 | 10 |
| Total | 67.5 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Accredited since 12 April 2018 with an A+ rating and no complaints closed in three years, business start 1994.. BBB business profile
What they actually do. Roofing, restoration, remodelling, water removal and mould remediation.
Why it ranks here. Master Elite certification with a 4.7 across 187 reviews, a clean BBB record, and the only firm here offering water removal and mould remediation alongside roofing, which is the relevant combination when a hail-damaged roof has already let water in.
Best fit for: Storm jobs where water has got inside and needs remediation as well as a roof.
What we would want clarified. It is based in Weyauwega, in Waupaca County, about 30 miles west of Appleton, though its published service area includes Appleton. Its home county sits in the Uniform Dwelling Code’s heavier 40 pound roof load zone while Appleton is in the 30 pound zone, which matters only in that you should confirm the design figures for your own address. Its founding year is not fixed beyond a 1994 BBB start. We could not verify its Wisconsin credentials, certification tier or reviews. 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 (715) 942-2345, 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. DuraShield Roofing & Contracting — TRB Score 67.2
DuraShield Roofing & Contracting is based in Neenah, WI, in business since 2003, led by Anthony B. Walsh, President and CEO, BBB accredited since 27 February 2009, A+ rating, no complaints in three years, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 12 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 36.6 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 10.8 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 7.7 | 10 |
| Total | 67.2 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Accredited since 27 February 2009 with an A+ rating and no complaints closed in three years, founded 2003.. BBB business profile
What they actually do. Residential, commercial and multi-family roofing.
Why it ranks here. Founded in Appleton in 2003 by Anthony Walsh, a date BBB and the company agree on, now headquartered in Neenah with offices in Middleton, Milwaukee and Hoffman Estates, Illinois. It carries a 5.0 across 109 reviews and a clean BBB record, and it does substantial commercial and multi-family work alongside residential, which suits larger or low-slope roofs.
Best fit for: Larger homes, low-slope sections and multi-family buildings.
What we would want clarified. It holds base-tier certification, which is why it ranks fifth. With offices in three cities and a commercial line, ask which crew will work on a house in the Fox Valley. We could not verify its Wisconsin credentials, certification tier or reviews. 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 (920) 738-7663, 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.
Owens Corning top-tier roofers in the Fox Valley
Five certified firms clear our evidence floor here. These two Fox Valley roofers hold the top tier of Owens Corning’s contractor network, marketed as Platinum Preferred, and long BBB accreditation with no complaints closed in three years. They are not scored and we are not recommending them; Wisconsin’s own credential lookup was unreachable during our research, so we could not check any firm’s state certification.
| Company | Verified credential |
|---|---|
| Security-Luebke Roofing, Inc., Appleton | Owens Corning top tier, membership 208133; BBB accredited since 14 November 2013 at A+, business started 2013, no complaints closed in three years. |
| Fox Valley Roofing & Siding Company, LLC, Neenah | Owens Corning top tier, membership 204972; BBB accredited since 4 May 2005 at A+, business founded 1979, no complaints closed in three years. |
What 4.5 inch hail does to an Appleton roof
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 2 counties of the Appleton, WI statistical area over ten years, with the dates, the stone sizes and the towns they landed on. Over that decade the metro logged 73 hail reports, 101 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports and 15 tornadoes. Reported property damage from hail, severe wind and tornado over that decade totalled $512,000; flood and winter-storm losses are counted separately and are not included.
The biggest hail to fall on Appleton in a decade
| Date | Stone size | Reported near | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 2021 | 4.5 in | Applecreek | Outagamie |
| 7 September 2021 | 4.1 in | Greenville | Outagamie |
| 7 September 2021 | 4.0 in | Applecreek | Outagamie |
| 7 September 2021 | 3.75 in | Little Chute | Outagamie |
| 7 September 2021 | 3.0 in | Mackville | Outagamie |
| 7 September 2021 | 3.0 in | Applecreek | Outagamie |
The largest stone on record for this metro fell on 7 September 2021 near Applecreek, measured at 4.5 inches. That is grapefruit sized. Stones that big destroy asphalt shingles outright, dent metal, crack tile and routinely total roofs across whole neighbourhoods.
Wind. The strongest thunderstorm gust logged in the metro was 69 knots, about 79 mph, near Dundas on 3 August 2022. Asphalt shingles begin lifting at roughly 67 mph when they are correctly nailed, and considerably below that when they are not.
Tornadoes. 15 tornadoes touched down in these counties over the decade, the strongest rated EF1 near Darboy on 14 June 2017.
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 15 June 2022 event near Cicero, reproduced verbatim:
Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees and powerlines north of Seymour. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
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 June (60), September (34), July (33). The worst years on record were 2021 (36), 2019 (31), 2022 (30). If you are scheduling non-urgent work in Appleton, 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 Appleton. Weight your decision toward wind rating, ventilation and flashing detail rather than paying extra for impact-rated shingles.
The grapefruit hail of 7 September 2021, and the Wisconsin law that follows it
NWS Green Bay’s narrative for 7 September 2021 describes showers and thunderstorms developing ahead of a strong cold front during the morning across east central Wisconsin, and very large hail up to grapefruit size falling over the Fox Valley region. The largest stone, 4.5 inches, fell north north east of Appleton near Apple Creek. The same storm produced softball hail west of Mackville at 4.1 inches and north north east of Kimberly at 4.0 inches, 3.75 inch hail near Kaukauna, baseball hail in Freedom and east north east of Mackville, where the hail broke a home window, and two inch hail in Appleton itself.
That single morning accounts for 23 of the 73 hail reports in the two counties across the whole decade, and 11 of the 13 reports of two inches or more. Hail of that size does not dent a roof; it breaks shingles, cracks vents and skylights and punches through gutters. It also produces the conditions that Wisconsin’s insurance-claim roofing statute was written for: a sudden mass of claims, out-of-town contractors and pressure to sign.
Wis. Stat. 100.65 is that statute. Under subsection 2 a residential contractor may not promise, including in any advertisement, to pay or rebate any part of your insurance deductible as an incentive to sign a roof contract, and promise to pay or rebate is defined widely enough to include allowances, discounts, gifts, bonuses, coupons, credits and referral fees. Before you sign, subsection 3 requires the contractor to give you a boldface statement asking whether the work relates to an insurance claim, with a detachable notice of cancellation.
If your insurer then denies the claim in whole or in part, subsection 5 lets you cancel before midnight on the third business day after receiving the written denial, and the contractor must refund your payments within ten days, keeping only the reasonable value of any emergency work you agreed to. Subsection 8 bars the contractor from representing you or negotiating the claim on your behalf, though with your express consent it may discuss the damage with the insurer and submit an estimate. Each violation carries a forfeiture of $500 to $1,000.
The replacement roof then has to meet the code, and on a low-slope roof over heated space that means ice dam protection at least 30 inches up the slope and 12 inches past the inside of the wall. After a storm like September 2021, the questions worth asking are whether the contractor has handed you the statutory cancellation form, whether the contract mentions your deductible at all, and whether the ice barrier detail is written in. A contractor who does not know the 100.65 paperwork exists is telling you something.
7 September 2021, and the protections that apply after it
| Item | Figure or rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Largest hailstone | 4.5 inches near Apple Creek: the largest measured in Outagamie County | NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
| Other stones that morning | 4.1 inches west of Mackville; 4.0 north north east of Kimberly; 3.75 near Kaukauna | NWS Green Bay |
| Share of the decade’s two-inch hail | 11 of 13 reports, in one morning | NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
| Peak hail month, 2016 to 2025 | September, 27 of 73 reports | NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
| Deductible rebate by a contractor | Prohibited, including in advertising | Wis. Stat. 100.65(2) |
| Cancellation after a denial | Before midnight of the third business day; refund within 10 days | Wis. Stat. 100.65(5) |
| Contractor negotiating your claim | Prohibited | Wis. Stat. 100.65(8) |
| Penalty | $500 to $1,000 per violation | Wis. Stat. 100.65(9) |
| Ice dam protection | On roofs of 4:12 or less over heated space: 30 inches up, 12 past the wall | SPS 321.28(4) |
| Median year built, City of Appleton | 1971 | ACS 2020 to 2024, B25035 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database and NWS Green Bay narratives; Wis. Stat. 100.65 and 101.654; Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305 and 321; Town of Grand Chute, City of Neenah and City of Appleton permit guidance; US Census Bureau ACS.
Three things to confirm before work starts in Appleton
Licensing is required in WI. Wisconsin does not issue a roofing-specific licence, but anyone pulling a building permit for residential work must hold a Dwelling Contractor certification from the Department of Safety and Professional Services, and the company must also hold or employ a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier.
The Qualifier credential requires at least 12 hours of an approved course in dwelling construction, with course tests, and renews every two years on 12 hours of continuing education; the code describes its purpose as proof of continuing education rather than trade competence. The business certification requires a bond of at least $25,000 or liability insurance of at least $250,000 per occurrence. Under Wis. Stat. 100.65 a contractor may not promise to pay or rebate your insurance deductible, may not negotiate your claim for you, and must give you a cancellation form; you may cancel within three business days of a written claim denial. Each violation carries a forfeiture of $500 to $1,000.
Check here: Wisconsin DSPS credential search. Ask for both credentials: a Dwelling Contractor certification without a Qualifier cannot legally pull your permit. The Uniform Dwelling Code requires ice dam protection only on roofs of 4:12 slope or less over heated space, running at least 30 inches up the slope and 12 inches past the inner face of the wall, so on steeper roofs it is a choice, not a rule.
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.
How many certified roofers Appleton actually has
9 certified roofing contractors serve the principal cities of the Appleton, WI statistical area, of which 0 hold the top President’s Club tier. The pool carries 2,747 customer reviews between them at a mean rating of 4.733. The statistical area had a 2024 population of 248,992, a change of 2.41% against the 2020 census base, per the U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
How these Appleton rankings were produced
Every contractor in the Appleton, WI 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 9 certified contractors, of whom 0 hold President’s Club standing and 5 Master Elite, against a metro mean rating of 4.733. 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: October 2026. Scoring run: 2026-10-04. Corrections go to the editor and are actioned on verification.
Appleton roofing questions, answered
Who is the best roofer in Appleton, WI?
Keeney Home Services of Neenah, WI scores highest in the Appleton metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score, at 78.5 out of 100 as of October 2026. It holds Master Elite certification with a 4.8 rating across 679 reviews. Highest-scoring is not the same as best fit for your specific job, and the four companies behind it score within 11.3 points.
How many certified roofing contractors serve Appleton?
9 contractors on the GAF certification registry serve the principal cities of the Appleton, WI statistical area as of October 2026, of which 0 hold President’s Club status.
How much damaging hail does Appleton get?
The Appleton, WI statistical area recorded 51 hail reports of 1 inch or larger and 13 of 2 inches or larger between 2016 and 2025 in the NOAA Storm Events Database. The largest hailstone reported measured 4.5 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 Appleton in the last ten years?
The largest hailstone logged by the National Weather Service in the Appleton, WI statistical area between 2016 and 2025 measured 4.5 inches, reported near Applecreek on 7 September 2021. That is grapefruit sized. Stones that big destroy asphalt shingles outright, dent metal, crack tile and routinely total roofs across whole neighbourhoods. Across the decade the metro recorded 73 hail reports. Reported property damage from hail, severe wind and tornado over that decade totalled $512,000; flood and winter-storm losses are counted separately and are not included.
When is the worst time of year for roof damage in Appleton?
Severe-weather reports in the Appleton, WI statistical area cluster in June, September, July, 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 WI?
Wisconsin does not issue a roofing-specific licence, but anyone pulling a building permit for residential work must hold a Dwelling Contractor certification from the Department of Safety and Professional Services, and the company must also hold or employ a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier. The Qualifier credential requires at least 12 hours of an approved course in dwelling construction, with course tests, and renews every two years on 12 hours of continuing education; the code describes its purpose as proof of continuing education rather than trade competence. The business certification requires a bond of at least $25,000 or liability insurance of at least $250,000 per occurrence. Under Wis. Stat. 100.65 a contractor may not promise to pay or rebate your insurance deductible, may not negotiate your claim for you, and must give you a cancellation form; you may cancel within three business days of a written claim denial. Each violation carries a forfeiture of $500 to $1,000.
What should I check before hiring a roofer in Appleton?
Ask for both credentials: a Dwelling Contractor certification without a Qualifier cannot legally pull your permit. The Uniform Dwelling Code requires ice dam protection only on roofs of 4:12 slope or less over heated space, running at least 30 inches up the slope and 12 inches past the inner face of the wall, so on steeper roofs it is a choice, not a rule.
The grapefruit hail of 7 September 2021, and the Wisconsin law that follows it?
NWS Green Bay’s narrative for 7 September 2021 describes showers and thunderstorms developing ahead of a strong cold front during the morning across east central Wisconsin, and very large hail up to grapefruit size falling over the Fox Valley region. The largest stone, 4.5 inches, fell north north east of Appleton near Apple Creek. The same storm produced softball hail west of Mackville at 4.1 inches and north north east of Kimberly at 4.0 inches, 3.75 inch hail near Kaukauna, baseball hail in Freedom and east north east of Mackville, where the hail broke a home window, and two inch hail in Appleton itself.
Is Appleton a hard market to find a good roofer in?
On the morning of 7 September 2021 grapefruit hail fell near Apple Creek, north of Appleton: 4.5 inches, which NOAA’s record calls the largest hail ever measured in Outagamie County and joint third largest in Wisconsin history. That one morning accounts for 11 of the 13 two-inch stones in the decade’s record, and it fell in September, the peak month for hail here. Wisconsin has no roofing licence, but it does have one of the better insurance-claim roofing statutes in the Midwest, and it is the protection to know. Five certified firms clear our evidence floor; one is a multi-state operator with the most BBB complaints in the pool, and another has recently changed its trading name.
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 Green Bay, WI, about 26 miles from Appleton
- Best roofers in Milwaukee, WI, another WI metro on the same formula
- Best roofers in Madison, WI, another WI metro on the same formula
- Best roofers in Tyler, TX, a metro of comparable size
- Best roofers in Prescott Valley, AZ, 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 Appleton, WI: The Roofing Brief Contractor Score.” Published October 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.