Short answer: As of October 2026, the five highest-scoring roofing contractors in the Champaign-Urbana, IL metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score are Freedom Roofing & Construction Inc (93.5), Copper Creek Contractors (72.0), DECA Real Estate Improvements Inc (59.6), Steinmeyer Roofing Inc (58.4), Roofs By Rodger Inc (52.2). Each is certified by a manufacturer whose register we checked by hand, each rating has been tested against a source outside that register, and nobody bought a place on this page.
The Roofing Brief scored 10 certified roofing contractors serving the Champaign metro on a published, reproducible formula, then researched each of the top five individually to confirm its record. Illinois is one of a small number of states that examines roofers, and the Champaign metro is where that becomes visible, because Indiana thirty miles east has no state roofing licence at all. Every firm ranked below holds an active Illinois roofing contractor licence, checked against the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s own register, published as an open data file updated on 2 October 2026. That register also carries discipline, and two of the five ranked firms have a regulatory history behind their current clean licence: a 2017 suspension and a 2021 refusal to renew, both published by the state and set out below.
Wind, terrain and the Champaign housing stock
The storm record here is wind first. Across 2016 to 2025 Champaign, Ford and Piatt counties logged 285 thunderstorm wind reports, 115 of them at 58 knots, roughly 67 mph, or more, against 86 hail reports of which 54 reached an inch and 5 reached two inches, with a largest stone of 2.5 inches. There were 28 tornadoes. Several touched houses directly: on 14 March 2025 an EF1 crossed 13.72 miles of northern Champaign County, leaving shingle and siding damage to houses on the west side of Gifford, and on 31 March 2023 another EF1 ran 10.83 miles from south of Dewey towards Ludlow. June and May are the peak months.
The Illinois licence is a real gate rather than a formality. Under 225 ILCS 335/9 nobody may carry out roofing work for pay, or hold themselves out as a roofer, without a licence. There are two classes: a limited licence covering residential properties of eight units or fewer, and an unlimited licence covering commercial and industrial work as well. The statutory bond is $10,000 for a limited licence and $25,000 for an unlimited one. And the licence is tied to the permit: a municipality may not issue a roofing permit to a contractor without proof of current licensure, and the licence number and name must appear on every contract, bid and advertisement.
The 2025 amendments changed the contract you should expect to sign. Public Act 104-427, effective 15 August 2025, requires a signed written contract before roofing work begins, stating the scope, approximate dates, the contractor’s surety and liability insurer, a rescission clause letting you cancel and get a full refund of any deposit within 72 hours, and a statement that the contractor cannot pay, waive or rebate any part of your insurance deductible. Separately, the Home Repair and Remodeling Act, 815 ILCS 513/18, bars a contractor from representing you on an insurance claim for a roof, from filing a claim on your behalf, and from climbing on your roof to inspect for damage without your express permission.
Permits differ between the twin cities, so ask. The City of Urbana states that shingle replacement or an overlay by itself does not need a permit, while re-sheathing a roof or changing its pitch does, at $3 per $1,000 of value with a $55 minimum. The City of Champaign does not list reroofing among its permit-exempt work and records roof replacements in its issued permits as alterations, priced at $6 per $1,000 with a $45 minimum. This is a heavily rented market: 56.2 percent of occupied homes in Champaign and 62.7 percent in Urbana are rented, against 15.2 percent in neighbouring Piatt County.
The 5 best roofers in Champaign, IL
Scored 2026-10-04. The metro mean rating used as the Bayesian prior for Champaign is 4.44, across a pool of 10 certified contractors.
| Rank | Company | TRB Score | Certification | Rating (reviews) | Adjusted | In business since | Based in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freedom Roofing & Construction Inc | 93.5 | President’s Club | 4.9 (319) | 4.838 | not published | Champaign, IL |
| 2 | Copper Creek Contractors | 72.0 | Certified | 5.0 (319) | 4.924 | 2020 | Mahomet, IL |
| 3 | DECA Real Estate Improvements Inc | 59.6 | Certified | 4.9 (72) | 4.711 | not published | Mahomet, IL |
| 4 | Steinmeyer Roofing Inc | 58.4 | Master Elite | 4.3 (73) | 4.357 | not published | Urbana, IL |
| 5 | Roofs By Rodger Inc | 52.2 | Master Elite | 4.2 (37) | 4.338 | 2008 | Longview, IL |
1. Freedom Roofing & Construction Inc — TRB Score 93.5
Freedom Roofing & Construction Inc is based in Champaign, IL, led by Kurt Kiser, President, BBB accredited since 2016, A+ rating, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: President’s Club (GAF), Illinois roofing contractor licence 104017008, verified active with no discipline. 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 | 35 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 33.5 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 15.0 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 93.5 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Licensed Roofing Contractor 104017008, FREEDOM ROOFING & CONSTRUCTION INC, active, first issued 29 May 2015, expiring 31 December 2027, never disciplined.. IDFPR Illinois roofing licence register
- Accredited with an A+ rating since 2016, Kurt Kiser as president.. BBB business profile
What they actually do. Residential and commercial roofing, repair and replacement, storm damage, siding, gutters.
Why it ranks here. The clear top score in the metro, on President’s Club certification and a 4.9 across 319 reviews, with an Illinois roofing licence held since May 2015 and never disciplined. It publishes Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, St Joseph, Mahomet and Clinton as its service area and does both residential and commercial work.
Best fit for: A full replacement from the most established certified firm in the twin cities.
What we would want clarified. Its founding year cannot be pinned down: its own site says since 1995, a directory says since 2004, and BBB and the state licence both point to 2015, so we publish none. Its 319 reviews match the next firm’s count exactly; we checked for a connection and found different owners, licence numbers and addresses, so it looks like coincidence. Two different Champaign addresses appear across sources. Certification tier and reviews are unverified. 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 (217) 393-6000, 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. Copper Creek Contractors — TRB Score 72.0
Copper Creek Contractors is based in Mahomet, IL, in business since 2020, led by Jeremy M Janes, Owner, BBB accredited, A+ rating, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: Certified (GAF), Illinois roofing contractor licence 104018957, verified active with no discipline. 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 | 12 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 37.0 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 15.0 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 8.0 | 10 |
| Total | 72.0 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Licensed Roofing Contractor 104018957, COPPER CREEK CONTRACTORS CORP., active, first issued 16 April 2021, expiring 31 December 2027, never disciplined.. IDFPR Illinois roofing licence register
- Accredited with an A+ rating, business start 13 July 2020, Jeremy M Janes as owner.. BBB business profile
What they actually do. Asphalt, metal and slate roofing, commercial roofing, siding, windows and doors, solar.
Why it ranks here. A 5.0 rating across 319 reviews and a clean Illinois licence, which it publishes correctly on its own site as the Act requires. It is the only firm here documenting slate alongside asphalt and metal, which is the relevant capability on the older housing in Champaign and Urbana. Its service area covers Champaign County and more than 21 central Illinois towns.
Best fit for: Slate and metal work, and anyone wanting the highest rating in the metro.
What we would want clarified. It is young, started in July 2020 and licensed since April 2021, so its record is five years long, and it holds base-tier certification, which is why it ranks second despite the best rating. Certification tier and reviews are unverified. 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 (217) 586-9016, 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. DECA Real Estate Improvements Inc — TRB Score 59.6
DECA Real Estate Improvements Inc is based in Mahomet, IL, led by Not verified, BBB no BBB profile found, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: Certified (GAF), Illinois roofing contractor licence 104018788, verified active with no discipline. 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 | 12 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 28.5 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 11.2 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 8.0 | 10 |
| Total | 59.6 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Licensed Roofing Contractor 104018788, registered as DECA REALSTATE IMPROVEMENTS INC, active, first issued 9 September 2020, expiring 31 December 2027, never disciplined.. IDFPR Illinois roofing licence register
What they actually do. Roofing, siding, gutters, windows, interior remodelling, decks, concrete, landscaping.
Why it ranks here. An actively licensed Illinois roofer with a clean record and a 4.9 rating, whose own site markets heavily to real estate investors. In a metro where well over half of homes in the twin cities are rented, a firm set up to work for landlords on turnover is a recognisable part of the market.
Best fit for: Landlords and investors handling roofing alongside other turnover work.
What we would want clarified. It is a full-service remodeller rather than a roofing specialist: its own site lists kitchens, bathrooms, additions, drywall, decks, concrete and landscaping alongside exteriors. We could not identify a principal, found no BBB profile, and its address is published only in third-party directories. If you are an owner-occupier, note that a firm geared to investor turnover may price and specify differently from one geared to homeowners, and ask about materials accordingly. Certification tier and reviews are unverified. 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 (217) 202-7327, 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. Steinmeyer Roofing Inc — TRB Score 58.4
Steinmeyer Roofing Inc is based in Urbana, IL, led by Donald S. Wheeler, President, Not accredited; B minus rating, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: Master Elite (GAF), Illinois roofing contractor licence 104018432, verified active. 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 | 14.3 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 11.2 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 9.0 | 10 |
| Total | 58.4 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Licensed Roofing Contractor 104018432, STEINMEYER ROOFING INC, active, first issued 17 June 2019, expiring 31 December 2027, never disciplined on this licence.. IDFPR Illinois roofing licence register
- Steinmeyer Construction, Inc. of Urbana, licence 104015148, placed in refuse to renew status and fined $5,000; its qualifying party, Don Wheeler, licence 105006955, indefinitely suspended with the suspension stayed, reprimanded and fined $5,000, for aiding and assisting unlicensed practice and failing to respond to a Department request.. IDFPR monthly enforcement report, February 2021
- Not accredited, rated B minus, Donald S. Wheeler as president and Steinmeyer Construction Inc listed as an alternate name.. BBB business profile
What they actually do. Residential and commercial roofing, siding.
Why it ranks here. An Urbana firm with Master Elite certification and an active Illinois roofing licence, first issued in June 2019, that carries no discipline flag. It has since expanded into the St Louis metro.
Best fit for: Homeowners who have read the regulatory history below and are satisfied by the current licence.
What we would want clarified. Read this entry before you call. In February 2021 the Department placed the licence of Steinmeyer Construction, Inc. of Urbana in refuse to renew status with a $5,000 fine, and reprimanded and fined its qualifying party Don Wheeler $5,000, with an indefinite suspension stayed, for aiding and assisting unlicensed roofing and for failing to respond to a Department request. Those are findings by the regulator, not complaints. The current firm holds a separate licence that is clean, but BBB lists its president as Donald S. Wheeler and gives Steinmeyer Construction Inc as an alternate name, which indicates the same people and the same business lineage. Its BBB rating of B minus is the weakest on this page, and its 4.3 rating is the lowest among the ranked firms. Certification tier and reviews are unverified. 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 (217) 202-4158, 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. Roofs By Rodger Inc — TRB Score 52.2
Roofs By Rodger Inc is based in Longview, IL, in business since 2008, led by Rodger Ocheltree, Owner; Wayne Bialeschki, Manager, BBB accredited since 2016, A+ rating, no complaints in three years, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: Master Elite (GAF), Illinois roofing contractor licence 104019355, verified active. 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 | 13.5 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 9.5 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 5.2 | 10 |
| Total | 52.2 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Licensed Roofing Contractor 104019355, ROOFS BY RODGER INC, active, first issued 7 September 2022, expiring 31 December 2027, never disciplined on this licence.. IDFPR Illinois roofing licence register
- Roofing contractor licence 104013618, held by Rodger Ocheltree, suspended for 90 days from 1 December 2017 and fined $5,000, with the qualifying party designation concurrently suspended, for unprofessional conduct.. IDFPR monthly enforcement report, October 2017
- Accredited since 2016 with an A+ rating and no complaints closed in three years.. BBB business profile
What they actually do. Roofing, siding, windows, doors, gutters and gutter guards, roof wash and roof treatment.
Why it ranks here. A southern Champaign County firm with Master Elite certification, BBB accreditation since 2016 at A+ and no complaints in three years, now trading under a corporate licence issued in September 2022 that carries no discipline flag. It is the only firm here offering roof washing and treatment, which on a north-facing slope under trees is maintenance worth pricing separately from a reroof.
Best fit for: Southern Champaign County addresses, and roof cleaning and treatment.
What we would want clarified. In December 2017 the Department suspended the owner’s previous roofing licence for 90 days and fined him $5,000 for unprofessional conduct, suspending his qualifying party designation at the same time. That is a regulatory finding, nine years old, and the current licence and BBB record are clean since, so we rank the firm and set the history out for you to weigh. Its 4.2 rating across 37 reviews is the weakest consumer record here. Certification tier and reviews are unverified. 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 (217) 834-3800, 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.
The 285 wind reports that shape a Champaign 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 3 counties of the Champaign-Urbana, IL statistical area over ten years, with the dates, the stone sizes and the towns they landed on. Over that decade the metro logged 86 hail reports, 285 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports and 28 tornadoes. Reported property damage from hail, severe wind and tornado over that decade totalled $8.3 million; flood and winter-storm losses are counted separately and are not included.
The biggest hail to fall on Champaign in a decade
| Date | Stone size | Reported near | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 September 2022 | 2.5 in | Mahomet | Champaign |
| 28 May 2019 | 2.5 in | Deland | Piatt |
| 11 July 2020 | 2.0 in | Mira Station | Champaign |
| 11 May 2016 | 2.0 in | Monticello | Piatt |
| 20 May 2025 | 2.0 in | Mahomet | Champaign |
| 11 July 2020 | 1.75 in | Philo | Champaign |
The largest stone on record for this metro fell on 19 September 2022 near Mahomet, measured at 2.5 inches. That is hen-egg sized. Two inches is the threshold at which insurers expect functional damage and full replacement claims.
Wind. The strongest thunderstorm gust logged in the metro was 71 knots, about 82 mph, near Mahomet on 29 June 2023. Asphalt shingles begin lifting at roughly 67 mph when they are correctly nailed, and considerably below that when they are not.
Tornadoes. 28 tornadoes touched down in these counties over the decade, the strongest rated EF2 near Block on 9 September 2016.
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 29 June 2023 event near Mahomet, reproduced verbatim:
A cluster of thunderstorms that initiated during the night of June 28th across the Central Plains entered west-central Illinois by the late morning of June 29th. Aided by an increasingly unstable airmass characterized by CAPE values of 3000-4000J/kg and a 30-40kt mid-level jet streak, the storms became linear in nature and began racing east-southeastward across central Illinois. Widespread wind gusts of 60-80mph were observed along the line, with localized corridors of even higher gusts. The highest measured gust of 101 mph came from a personal weather station near Taylorville that took a direct hit from a tornado. A total of seven tornadoes were embedded within the line of storms,…
That account is the design case for a roof here, and it comes from the agency that recorded it rather than by a contractor selling the repair.
When it happens. Severe weather reports cluster in June (129), May (98), July (50). The worst years on record were 2023 (70), 2024 (54), 2019 (52). If you are scheduling non-urgent work in Champaign, 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 Champaign. Weight your decision toward wind rating, ventilation and flashing detail rather than paying extra for impact-rated shingles.
The examined roofer, and the register that shows who was disciplined
Most of the metros in this programme leave a homeowner with nothing to check but a bond or a business registration. Illinois is different in a way that matters. Under 225 ILCS 335/3.5 every licensed roofing business must designate a qualifying party who has passed a state examination covering roofing practice and Illinois jurisprudence as it relates to roofing, before any licence is issued. That person must be a genuine employee: the Act requires the qualifying party to be paid by and under the supervision of the licensed contractor and not to receive a Form 1099. If the qualifying party leaves, the licence goes inoperative immediately, and a replacement has seven months to pass the examination.
The register is unusually open. The Department publishes its licence file on the state’s open data portal, and as of 2 October 2026 it lists 4,760 distinct active roofing contractor licences and 12,230 active qualifying party records statewide, each with a flag showing whether the holder has ever been disciplined. Champaign, Piatt and Ford counties account for at least 80 of the active licences, a floor because the county field is blank on many records. The same file lists 107 revoked and 77 suspended roofing contractor licence records. And 92 active Illinois roofing licences give an Indiana address, which tells you that Indiana roofers working on this side of the state line sit the same Illinois examination.
Discipline is published too, in the Department’s monthly enforcement reports, and two of them concern firms on this page. The October 2017 report records that a Longview roofing contractor licence was suspended for 90 days from 1 December 2017 and fined $5,000, with the qualifying party designation concurrently suspended, for unprofessional conduct. The February 2021 report records that an Urbana roofing company’s licence was placed in refuse to renew status and fined $5,000, and that its qualifying party was indefinitely suspended, with the suspension stayed, reprimanded and fined $5,000 for aiding and assisting unlicensed practice and failing to respond to a Department request.
Those are findings of a regulator, not allegations, and both businesses now hold separate current licences that carry no discipline flag. We rank both firms because their current credentials are valid and their consumer records are otherwise sound, and we name the history plainly in each entry so you can weigh it. That is precisely the kind of information Illinois makes available and most states do not: a disciplinary record on a licence that required an examination to obtain.
The penalties behind the licence are substantial. Unlicensed roofing carries a civil penalty of up to $15,000 per offence under section 10a, and any violation of the Act is a Class A misdemeanour, rising to a Class 4 felony with a $25,000 fine on a second offence. In practice, the check that protects you is simple: ask for the licence number, look it up on the open data file or the Department’s lookup, confirm it is active, see whether it is limited or unlimited, and look at the disciplinary flag.
What Illinois requires of a roofer, and what it publishes
| Item | Requirement or figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State roofing licence | Required for any roofing work for pay | 225 ILCS 335/9 |
| Licence classes | Limited: residential of 8 units or fewer. Unlimited: all property types | 225 ILCS 335/2 |
| Examination | Required of the qualifying party, covering practice and Illinois roofing law | 225 ILCS 335/3.5 |
| Qualifying party status | A paid employee, not a 1099 contractor; licence inoperative if they leave | 225 ILCS 335/3, 4.6 |
| Bond | $10,000 limited, $25,000 unlimited | 225 ILCS 335/3(2)(d) |
| Contract terms since 15 August 2025 | 72-hour rescission with full deposit refund; no deductible waiver statement | Public Act 104-427 |
| Penalty for unlicensed roofing | Civil penalty up to $15,000; Class A misdemeanour; Class 4 felony on repeat | 225 ILCS 335/10a, 9.8 |
| Active roofing licences statewide | 4,760 | IDFPR open data file, 2 October 2026 |
| Revoked and suspended licence records statewide | 107 and 77 | IDFPR open data file |
| Active Illinois roofing licences with an Indiana address | 92 | IDFPR open data file |
| Thunderstorm wind reports, 2016 to 2025 | 285, of which 115 at 58 knots or more | NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
Source: Roofing Industry Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 335, as amended by Public Act 104-427; Home Repair and Remodeling Act, 815 ILCS 513; IDFPR licence file on data.illinois.gov and monthly enforcement reports; Cities of Champaign and Urbana; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; US Census Bureau ACS.
How to tell a Champaign roofer’s claims from their record
Licensing is required in IL. Illinois licenses roofing contractors at state level under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 335, administered by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Unlicensed roofing work carries a civil penalty of up to $15,000 per offence, and any violation of the Act is a Class A misdemeanour, rising to a Class 4 felony on a second offence.
There are two classes: a Limited licence for residential properties of eight units or fewer, and an Unlimited licence covering residential, commercial and industrial work. Each licensee designates a qualifying party who must pass an examination covering roofing practice and Illinois roofing law. The statutory bond is $10,000 for a Limited licence and $25,000 for an Unlimited one, alongside liability insurance set by the Department, workers’ compensation and an unemployment insurance account. Since Public Act 104-427, effective 15 August 2025, every roofing contract must include a 72-hour rescission clause with a full deposit refund and a statement that the contractor cannot pay, waive or rebate any part of your insurance deductible.
Check here: IDFPR roofing licence register (open data). The licence number and the name on it must appear on every contract, bid and advertisement, and a local permit official must see proof of current state licensure before issuing a roofing permit. Ask whether the licence is Limited or Unlimited, and check it on the Department’s register or its open data file on data.illinois.gov.
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 Champaign contractor market
10 certified roofing contractors serve the principal cities of the Champaign-Urbana, IL statistical area, of which 1 hold the top President’s Club tier. The pool carries 1,022 customer reviews between them at a mean rating of 4.44. The statistical area had a 2024 population of 242,453, a change of 2.45% against the 2020 census base, per the U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
How these Champaign rankings were produced
Every contractor in the Champaign-Urbana, IL 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 10 certified contractors, of whom 1 hold President’s Club standing and 2 Master Elite, against a metro mean rating of 4.44. The top five were then researched individually against Better Business Bureau records, state licence registers and manufacturer directories. Anything unflattering that research surfaced appears above alongside the rest, and no company bought its position.
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.
Common questions about roofers in Champaign
Who is the best roofer in Champaign, IL?
Freedom Roofing & Construction Inc of Champaign, IL scores highest in the Champaign metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score, at 93.5 out of 100 as of October 2026. It holds President’s Club certification with a 4.9 rating across 319 reviews. Highest-scoring is not the same as best fit for your specific job, and the four companies behind it score within 41.3 points.
How many certified roofing contractors serve Champaign?
10 contractors on the GAF certification registry serve the principal cities of the Champaign-Urbana, IL statistical area as of October 2026, of which 1 hold President’s Club status.
How much damaging hail does Champaign get?
The Champaign-Urbana, IL statistical area recorded 54 hail reports of 1 inch or larger and 5 of 2 inches or larger between 2016 and 2025 in the NOAA Storm Events Database. The largest hailstone reported measured 2.5 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 Champaign in the last ten years?
The largest hailstone logged by the National Weather Service in the Champaign-Urbana, IL statistical area between 2016 and 2025 measured 2.5 inches, reported near Mahomet on 19 September 2022. That is hen-egg sized. Two inches is the threshold at which insurers expect functional damage and full replacement claims. Across the decade the metro recorded 86 hail reports. Reported property damage from hail, severe wind and tornado over that decade totalled $8.3 million; flood and winter-storm losses are counted separately and are not included.
When is the worst time of year for roof damage in Champaign?
Severe-weather reports in the Champaign-Urbana, IL statistical area cluster in June, May, July, on the NOAA record for 2016 to 2025. Booking non-urgent roof work outside those months usually means shorter lead times, because local crews are not simultaneously triaging storm callouts.
Do roofers need a licence in IL?
Illinois licenses roofing contractors at state level under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 335, administered by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Unlicensed roofing work carries a civil penalty of up to $15,000 per offence, and any violation of the Act is a Class A misdemeanour, rising to a Class 4 felony on a second offence. There are two classes: a Limited licence for residential properties of eight units or fewer, and an Unlimited licence covering residential, commercial and industrial work. Each licensee designates a qualifying party who must pass an examination covering roofing practice and Illinois roofing law. The statutory bond is $10,000 for a Limited licence and $25,000 for an Unlimited one, alongside liability insurance set by the Department, workers’ compensation and an unemployment insurance account. Since Public Act 104-427, effective 15 August 2025, every roofing contract must include a 72-hour rescission clause with a full deposit refund and a statement that the contractor cannot pay, waive or rebate any part of your insurance deductible.
What should I check before hiring a roofer in Champaign?
The licence number and the name on it must appear on every contract, bid and advertisement, and a local permit official must see proof of current state licensure before issuing a roofing permit. Ask whether the licence is Limited or Unlimited, and check it on the Department’s register or its open data file on data.illinois.gov.
The examined roofer, and the register that shows who was disciplined?
Most of the metros in this programme leave a homeowner with nothing to check but a bond or a business registration. Illinois is different in a way that matters. Under 225 ILCS 335/3.5 every licensed roofing business must designate a qualifying party who has passed a state examination covering roofing practice and Illinois jurisprudence as it relates to roofing, before any licence is issued. That person must be a genuine employee: the Act requires the qualifying party to be paid by and under the supervision of the licensed contractor and not to receive a Form 1099. If the qualifying party leaves, the licence goes inoperative immediately, and a replacement has seven months to pass the examination.
Is Champaign a hard market to find a good roofer in?
Illinois is one of a small number of states that examines roofers, and the Champaign metro is where that becomes visible, because Indiana thirty miles east has no state roofing licence at all. Every firm ranked below holds an active Illinois roofing contractor licence, checked against the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s own register, published as an open data file updated on 2 October 2026. That register also carries discipline, and two of the five ranked firms have a regulatory history behind their current clean licence: a 2017 suspension and a 2021 refusal to renew, both published by the state and set out below.
Is wind or hail the bigger risk to a roof in Champaign?
Wind, by a wide margin. The Champaign-Urbana, IL statistical area logged 285 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports against 54 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 Springfield, IL, another IL metro on the same formula
- Best roofers in Peoria, IL, another IL metro on the same formula
- Best roofers in Binghamton, NY, a metro of comparable size
- Best roofers in Lake Charles, LA, a metro of comparable size
- Best roofers in St. Louis, MO, also scored, about 147 miles away
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 Champaign, IL: 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.