Short answer: As of October 2026, the four highest-scoring roofing contractors in the Cleveland, TN metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score are Alltimate Roofing (92.5), Steve’s Roofing Company (73.0), Tallent Construction (61.9), Owens Construction Services (61.7). Every one holds a manufacturer certification that can be verified independently, every rating below has been corroborated against at least one source outside the certification registry, and no company paid to appear here.
The Roofing Brief scored 4 certified roofing contractors serving the Cleveland metro on a published, reproducible formula, then researched each of the top four individually to confirm its record. A licence line runs through the middle of the Cleveland metro: Bradley County is one of nine Tennessee counties where a home improvement licence is required for a residential roof between $3,000 and $25,000, and Polk County is not, so the same reroof needs a state licence in Cleveland but none in Benton. On Easter Sunday 2020 an EF2 destroyed 26 homes just east of downtown. Seven certified firms appear in the directory; three are excluded, two for licensing and one with no published service area, so four are ranked.
Quick picks for Cleveland:
- Alltimate Roofing: best overall (TRB Score 92.5). Verified services: commercial roofing, siding, gutters, windows.
- Steve’s Roofing Company: best long-licensed family firm (TRB Score 73.0). Verified services: roof replacement, roof repair, inspections and maintenance.
- Tallent Construction: best for the Hamilton County side (TRB Score 61.9). Verified services: commercial roofing, gutters, siding, windows, skylights.
- Owens Construction Services: best for roof plus decks (TRB Score 61.7). Verified services: gutters, siding, windows.
The conditions a Cleveland, TN roof has to be specified for
Tennessee requires a full contractor licence for projects of $25,000 or more, and a roofing subcontractor needs one too once the roofing portion reaches $25,000. Below that, Bradley County is a home improvement licence county: a residential job over $3,000 and under $25,000, roofing included, needs a state home improvement licence backed by a $10,000 bond plus liability and workers’ compensation insurance. Polk County is not on the list, so a smaller reroof there needs no state licence at all. The state’s public register shows each firm’s licence type, classifications and dollar limit.
Under Tennessee’s insurance-funded roofing law you may cancel before midnight on the third business day after your insurer says in writing that all or part of the claim is not covered, and the roofer may not require payment until the insurer confirms full coverage or that window passes, apart from emergency repairs you acknowledged. Tennessee has no ban on a roofer paying or waiving your deductible.
The City of Cleveland requires no permit for a reroof that replaces only shingles, but does when structural decking is replaced, and every new roof must have a drip edge; the city issues a permit on request where an insurer wants one. The city and Bradley County both enforce the 2018 residential code, and the county’s table sets a 115 mph design wind speed and a 10 psf ground snow load with no ice barrier requirement. County permits run $50 for the first $1,000 of value plus $3.50 per further $1,000.
Across 2016 to 2025 Bradley and Polk counties logged 14 hail reports, the largest 2.5 inches in Cleveland in March 2017, when hail stripped leaves and damaged shingles, 95 thunderstorm wind reports and six tornadoes. Mobile homes are 10.9 percent of the metro’s housing and 21.6 percent in Polk County, and the two deadliest tornadoes of the decade killed people in manufactured homes. Inside Cleveland 52 percent of homes are rented.
The 4 best roofers in Cleveland, TN
Scored 2026-10-12. The metro mean rating used as the Bayesian prior for Cleveland is 4.9, across a pool of 4 certified contractors.
| Rank | Company | TRB Score | Certification | Rating (reviews) | Adjusted | In business since | Based in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alltimate Roofing | 92.5 | President’s Club | 4.8 (379) | 4.812 | not published | Cleveland, TN |
| 2 | Steve’s Roofing Company | 73.0 | Master Elite | 5.0 (22) | 4.931 | not published | Decatur, TN |
| 3 | Tallent Construction | 61.9 | Certified | 5.0 (15) | 4.923 | not published | Harrison, TN |
| 4 | Owens Construction Services | 61.7 | Certified | 4.7 (73) | 4.781 | not published | Charleston, TN |
1. Alltimate Roofing: best overall (TRB Score 92.5)
Alltimate Roofing is based in Cleveland, TN, led by Ryan Baxter, owner, BBB accredited since 5 June 2017, A+ rating, no complaints, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: President’s Club (GAF), CertainTeed Select ShingleMaster (self-reported). 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 | 32.5 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 15.0 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 92.5 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- All-Timate Construction LLC, trading as All-Timate Roofing, holds contractor licence 72970 with the BC-21 roofing and BC-A residential classifications, a $1,000,000 limit, active to 31 December 2026; it held home improvement licence 7188 from 2012 to 2019.. Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors register
- Accredited since June 2017 with an A+ rating; business started 2000; owner Ryan Baxter; service area includes Bradley County and Cleveland; no complaints.. BBB business profile
- Says it opened in 1999 under the same ownership since; lists Cleveland and Bradley County among its service pages.. Company website
What they actually do. Residential and commercial roofing, siding, gutters and windows.
Services we could verify: commercial roofing, siding, gutters, windows.
Why it ranks here. The top-scoring firm and the only ranked one based in Cleveland with a full state contractor licence that includes the roofing classification, so no job size is beyond it. It holds President’s Club status with 379 GAF reviews averaging 4.8 and a clean BBB file since 2017. Its site says 1999 and BBB says 2000, so we give no year.
Best fit for: Cleveland homeowners with any size of job, including large insurance claims, who want a local President’s Club firm.
What we would want clarified. Its website markets mainly to Chattanooga, though it lists Cleveland and Bradley County. 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 (423) 476-6387, 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. Steve’s Roofing Company: best long-licensed family firm (TRB Score 73.0)
Steve’s Roofing Company is based in Decatur, TN, led by Steven Forrester Jr., owner, BBB accredited since 31 March 2011, A+ rating, no complaints, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 24 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 37.2 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 7.9 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 3.9 | 10 |
| Total | 73.0 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Louis Forrester, trading as Steve’s Home Improvement, holds home improvement licence 1123, first issued December 1991 and active to February 2027; no full contractor licence found.. Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors register
- Steve’s Home Improvement, trading as Steve’s Roofing Company: accredited since March 2011 with an A+ rating; service area includes Bradley and Polk counties; no complaints.. BBB business profile
- Shows the same home improvement licence number and names Cleveland among the communities it serves.. Company website
What they actually do. Residential roof replacement, repair and inspections.
Services we could verify: roof replacement, roof repair, inspections and maintenance.
Why it ranks here. A small family roofer from Decatur in Meigs County, about 25 miles north, at Master Elite with a perfect 5.0 from 22 GAF reviews. Its home improvement licence dates from 1991, and the number on its site matches the register. BBB names Bradley and Polk counties in its service area.
Best fit for: Bradley and Polk County homeowners with a standard reroof under $25,000 who want a long-licensed family firm.
What we would want clarified. It holds a home improvement licence only, so it cannot take a job of $25,000 or more, and its review base is small. 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 (423) 240-6943, 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. Tallent Construction: best for the Hamilton County side (TRB Score 61.9)
Tallent Construction is based in Harrison, TN, led by Nancy Tallent, owner, BBB accredited since 7 December 1998, A+ rating, no complaints, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 12 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 36.9 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 7.0 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 6.0 | 10 |
| Total | 61.9 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Nancy E. Tallent, trading as Tallent & Sons Construction Co., holds home improvement licence 15, first issued June 1989 and active to June 2028; no active full contractor licence found.. Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors register
- Tallent Construction Company: accredited since December 1998 with an A+ rating; service area includes Cleveland, Collegedale and Ooltewah; no complaints.. BBB business profile
- Residential and commercial roofing, gutters, siding and windows in the Chattanooga area.. Company website
What they actually do. Residential and commercial roofing, gutters, vinyl siding, windows and skylights.
Services we could verify: commercial roofing, gutters, siding, windows, skylights.
Why it ranks here. A Harrison family firm east of Chattanooga holding one of the oldest home improvement licences on the state register, number 15 since 1989, and BBB accreditation since 1998 with no complaints. It has a perfect 5.0 from 15 GAF reviews and its BBB service area names Cleveland.
Best fit for: Homeowners on the Hamilton County side of the metro who value a decades-long clean record.
What we would want clarified. It has the fewest reviews here, holds a home improvement licence only, and its own site talks about other manufacturers’ products rather than GAF. 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 (423) 344-5499, 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. Owens Construction Services: best for roof plus decks (TRB Score 61.7)
Owens Construction Services is based in Charleston, TN, led by Dustin Owens, owner, BBB accredited since 18 December 2017, A+ rating, no complaints, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 12 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 31.3 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 10.9 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 7.6 | 10 |
| Total | 61.7 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Owens Construction Services, LLC holds home improvement licence 8139, active to September 2027; no full contractor licence found under its name.. Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors register
- Owens Construction Services of East Tennessee, LLC: accredited since December 2017 with an A+ rating; business started 2006, LLC formed 2011; service area includes Cleveland, Charleston, Benton and Calhoun; no complaints.. BBB business profile
- Exterior improvements in Cleveland and Chattanooga: roofing, gutters, siding, decks, fences, windows and sunrooms.. Company website
What they actually do. Roofing, gutters, siding, decks, fences, windows and sunrooms.
Services we could verify: gutters, siding, windows.
Why it ranks here. A Charleston exterior remodeller inside Bradley County with 73 GAF reviews averaging 4.7 and BBB accreditation since 2017 with no complaints. Its home improvement licence covers Bradley County residential jobs under $25,000. BBB gives a 2006 start and the LLC dates from 2011, so we give no single year.
Best fit for: Northern Bradley and Polk County homeowners combining a roof with decks, gutters or siding.
What we would want clarified. Its website calls it a fully licensed general contractor, but the register shows only a home improvement licence, so a job of $25,000 or more needs a different contractor. 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 (423) 650-3925, 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.
Another licensed roofer in Cleveland
Four certified firms are ranked here. This one is based in Cleveland and holds a full Tennessee contractor licence with the roofing classification. It is not scored and we are not recommending it.
| Company | Verified credential |
|---|---|
| Burell Built, LLC | Tennessee contractor licence 68998 including the BC-21 roofing classification, $1.5 million limit; on the Owens Corning locator; BBB accredited since 2012 at A+, no complaints. |
Roof replacement and repair in Cleveland, TN
Short answer: Alltimate Roofing is the strongest Cleveland pick and the only ranked local firm with a full contractor licence carrying the roofing classification, so no job size is beyond it. Steve’s Roofing Company suits standard reroofs under $25,000, Tallent Construction the Hamilton County side, and Owens Construction Services roofs combined with decks or siding. The rule that matters most: Bradley County requires a state home improvement licence for residential roofs over $3,000 and under $25,000.
On Easter Sunday night, 12 April 2020, an EF2 formed less than a mile east-north-east of downtown Cleveland and destroyed 26 homes, with 23 more badly damaged, and EF1 tornadoes left houses near Corvin and Wilkerson roads with significant roof damage. In Polk County an EF3 near Ocoee on 30 November 2016 killed two people in manufactured housing. Across 2016 to 2025 Bradley and Polk counties logged 14 hail reports, the largest 2.5 inches in Cleveland in March 2017, when hail damaged shingles, plus 95 thunderstorm wind reports and six tornadoes. Mobile homes are 10.9 percent of the metro’s housing and 21.6 percent in Polk County.
The City of Cleveland requires no permit for a reroof that replaces only shingles, but does when structural decking is replaced, and every new roof must have a drip edge; the city issues a permit on request where an insurer wants one. The city and Bradley County both enforce the 2018 residential code, and the county’s table sets a 115 mph design wind speed and a 10 psf ground snow load with no ice barrier requirement. County permits run $50 for the first $1,000 of value plus $3.50 per further $1,000. Where the 2018 IRC applies, a replacement means tear-off to the deck and no recover over two or more layers.
Tennessee requires a full contractor licence for projects of $25,000 or more, including the roofing portion of a larger job. Below that, Bradley County is a home improvement licence county: a residential job over $3,000 and under $25,000 needs a state licence backed by a $10,000 bond plus liability and workers’ compensation insurance. Polk County is not on the list, so a smaller reroof there needs no state licence. On insurance-funded jobs you may cancel before midnight on the third business day after a written claim denial, and the roofer may not require payment before then except for acknowledged emergency repairs. Tennessee has no ban on a roofer paying or waiving your deductible.
Alltimate Roofing holds contractor licence 72970 with the BC-21 roofing classification and a $1,000,000 limit, and does residential and commercial roofing, siding, gutters and windows. Steve’s Roofing Company of Decatur does residential replacement, repair and inspections on a home improvement licence held since 1991, so it cannot take a job of $25,000 or more. Tallent Construction of Harrison and Owens Construction Services of Charleston also hold home improvement licences only. Burell Built, LLC in Cleveland holds a full contractor licence including BC-21 roofing; it is listed for comparison, not scored or recommended. After a storm, check any licence number on the state register.
| Rule | What applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full contractor licence | Required for projects of $25,000 or more, and for a roofing subcontractor once the roofing portion reaches $25,000; the roofing classification is BC-21. | T.C.A. 62-6-103(d) |
| Home improvement licence | Required in Bradley County for residential work over $3,000 and under $25,000, with a $10,000 bond plus liability and workers’ compensation insurance; not required in Polk County. | Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors |
| City reroof permit | Not required for a shingle-only reroof; required when structural decking is replaced; every new roof must have a drip edge. | City of Cleveland |
| Design criteria and county fees | 115 mph design wind speed, 10 psf ground snow load, no ice barrier requirement; permits $50 for the first $1,000 plus $3.50 per further $1,000. | Bradley County (design wind speed: Resolution 2022-47) |
| Cancellation after a claim denial | Before midnight on the third business day after written notice that all or part of the claim is not covered. | T.C.A. 62-6-601 to 606 |
| Insurance matching | Under replacement cost policies, the insurer must replace mismatched items to conform to a reasonably uniform appearance. | Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-01-05-.10(1)(b) |
| 25 percent rule | Tennessee has no statewide 25 percent roof rule. | Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-02-23-.02 |
Related guides: the 25% roofing rule in Tennessee and every other state; how to decide between roof repair and replacement; how to read and compare a roof replacement quote; how to compare roof repair quotes; what homeowners insurance covers on a roof.
The 95 wind reports that shape a Cleveland, TN 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 Cleveland, TN statistical area over ten years, with the dates, the stone sizes and the towns they landed on. Over that decade the metro logged 14 hail reports, 95 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports and 6 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 biggest hail to fall on Cleveland in a decade
| Date | Stone size | Reported near | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 March 2017 | 2.5 in | Cleveland | Bradley |
| 17 March 2018 | 1.75 in | Julian Chapel | Bradley |
| 17 March 2018 | 1.75 in | Benton | Polk |
| 21 March 2017 | 1.75 in | Cleveland | Bradley |
| 21 March 2017 | 1.75 in | Cleveland | Bradley |
| 21 March 2017 | 1.25 in | Hopewell | Bradley |
The largest stone on record for this metro fell on 21 March 2017 near Cleveland, 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 70 knots, about 81 mph, near Benton Station on 30 November 2016. Asphalt shingles begin lifting at roughly 67 mph when they are correctly nailed, and considerably below that when they are not.
Tornadoes. 6 tornadoes touched down in these counties over the decade, the strongest rated EF3 near Ocoee on 30 November 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 9 May 2024 event near Ball Play, reproduced verbatim:
A dozen large trees, all located in the same location on private property, were felled by severe straight line thunderstorm winds. Near to this location a separate tree fell and took out powerlines.
A roof in this metro is built against events like that one, as recorded by the agency that recorded it rather than by a contractor selling the repair.
When it happens. Severe weather reports cluster in July (19), May (19), June (17). The worst years on record were 2018 (16), 2020 (16), 2023 (16). If you are scheduling non-urgent work in Cleveland, 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 Cleveland. Weight your decision toward wind rating, ventilation and flashing detail rather than paying extra for impact-rated shingles.
A licence line through the middle of the metro
Tennessee’s home improvement licence covers residential remodelling, roofing included, over $3,000 and under $25,000, but only in nine counties. Bradley is one; Polk is not. So a $15,000 reroof in Cleveland or Charleston needs a state licence backed by a $10,000 bond, liability insurance and workers’ compensation, while the same job in Benton or Ducktown needs none. Cleveland writes the rule into its own permit process.
The firms in our pool show how wide the range of credentials is. All-Timate Construction holds a full contractor licence with the roofing classification and a $1 million limit. Several others hold home improvement licences only, which cover jobs under $25,000. One firm’s only licence expired in January 2025, and another returned no Tennessee licence record at all under its name or its owner’s, though both are in licence counties. On a job of $25,000 or more, only a full contractor licence will do.
The licence matters most after a storm. On Easter Sunday night, 12 April 2020, an EF2 formed less than a mile east-north-east of downtown Cleveland. The Weather Service survey describes a residential section of houses and mobile homes hit, with 26 destroyed, 23 with major damage and 62 more affected; six people were hurt. The same storm then spun up EF1 tornadoes across Bradley County, leaving houses near Corvin and Wilkerson roads with significant roof damage.
Polk County’s worst came earlier. On 30 November 2016 an EF3 near Ocoee heavily damaged a post office and manufactured homes, killing two people in manufactured housing and injuring twenty. Mobile homes make up more than a fifth of Polk County’s housing.
After a storm in Bradley County, ask for the roofer’s home improvement or contractor licence number and check it on the state register; in Polk County there may be no licence to check, so insurance certificates verified with the insurer become the main protection.
The licence line and the storm record in the Cleveland metro
| Item | Bradley County | Polk County |
|---|---|---|
| Home improvement licence, $3,001 to $24,999 | Required | Not required |
| Full contractor licence, $25,000 or more | Required | Required |
| Licence bond, home improvement | $10,000 | Not applicable |
| Shingle-only reroof permit, City of Cleveland | Not required | Not applicable |
| Easter EF2, 12 April 2020 | 26 homes destroyed east of downtown Cleveland | Not affected |
| Ocoee EF3, 30 November 2016 | Not affected | Two killed in manufactured homes |
| Mobile homes | 10.9% metro | 21.6% |
| Largest hail, 2016 to 2025 | 2.5 inches, Cleveland, 21 March 2017 | NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
| Cancellation after claim denial | Three business days | Three business days |
| Design wind speed | 115 mph | Bradley County Resolution 2022-47 |
Source: NWS Morristown storm surveys and NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (Bradley and Polk counties and zone rows); T.C.A. 62-6-103, 62-6-501 and 62-6-601 to 606; Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors guidance and public register; City of Cleveland building pages; Bradley County Resolution 2022-47; Owens Corning contractor locator; BBB business profiles; US Census Bureau ACS 2020 to 2024.
Three things to confirm before work starts in Cleveland, TN
Licensing is required in TN. Tennessee requires a licence from the Board for Licensing Contractors, within the Department of Commerce and Insurance, for projects of $25,000 or more. Like electrical, plumbing and HVAC subcontractors, a roofing subcontractor needs its own licence once the roofing portion of a project reaches $25,000 (T.C.A. 62-6-103(d)).
The roofing classification is BC-21, covering roofing, gutters and vinyl siding over $25,000; the broader building classifications also cover roofing. BC-21 applicants sit no trade exam but must pass the Business and Law exam and show experience; since 1 July 2026 a surety bond of at least half the requested monetary limit can replace the reviewed financial statement, and exams have been run by Prov since the same date. A Home Improvement licence for residential work over $3,000 and under $25,000 applies only in Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Haywood, Knox, Marion, Robertson, Rutherford and Shelby counties. Under T.C.A. 62-6-601 to 606, a homeowner may cancel an insurance-funded roofing contract before midnight on the third business day after written notice that all or part of the claim is not covered, and the roofer may not require payment until the insurer confirms full coverage or that window has passed, apart from emergency repairs the owner acknowledged.
Check here: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. Outside the nine home improvement counties, a reroof under $25,000 needs no state licence at all, so ask for liability and workers’ compensation certificates and check them with the insurer. On larger jobs, check the classification and the monetary limit, both shown on the state’s public register.
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.
Who else is certified in Cleveland, TN
4 certified roofing contractors serve the principal cities of the Cleveland, TN statistical area, of which 1 hold the top President’s Club tier. The pool carries 489 customer reviews between them at a mean rating of 4.9. The statistical area had a 2024 population of 132,120, a change of 4.72% against the 2020 census base, per the U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
How these Cleveland, TN rankings were produced
Every contractor in the Cleveland, TN 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 4 certified contractors, of whom 1 hold President’s Club standing and 1 Master Elite, against a metro mean rating of 4.9. The top four were then researched individually against Better Business Bureau records, state licence registers and manufacturer directories. Where that research turned up something awkward it is on the page, and no placement was paid for.
Set aside in Cleveland. Contractors that would otherwise have scored into the top four were removed for the reason stated. The score is computed from public data, but where the research pass finds evidence undermining an input to that score, the score is set aside.
- Goodpaster Painting Guttering and Roofing, which scored 63.3: Excluded on licensing. A Hixson firm whose site names Cleveland, but we found no Tennessee contractor or home improvement licence under its name or its owner’s, although both Hamilton and Bradley counties require a home improvement licence for residential jobs of $3,000 to $24,999. BBB files it as a painting business.
- Crockett Construction, which scored 62.5: Excluded on licensing. An Athens roofer whose only Tennessee licence, home improvement licence 9285, expired on 31 January 2025, and Bradley County requires that licence for residential jobs of $3,000 to $24,999. Its website also claims BBB A+ accreditation, while BBB shows it neither accredited nor rated.
- James Fisher Construction, which scored 59.9: Excluded on service area. A Dayton builder with a full contractor licence, but no website beyond a social media page and no published service area, so we found no evidence it serves the Cleveland metro.
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: 2026-10-12. Corrections go to the editor and are actioned on verification.
Questions Cleveland, TN homeowners ask
Who is the best roofer in Cleveland, TN?
Alltimate Roofing of Cleveland, TN scores highest in the Cleveland metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score, at 92.5 out of 100 as of October 2026. It holds President’s Club certification with a 4.8 rating across 379 reviews. Highest-scoring is not the same as best fit for your specific job, and the three companies behind it score within 30.8 points.
What is the 25% rule for roofing in Tennessee?
Tennessee has no statewide 25 percent roof rule. Its minimum code for one and two family homes is the 2018 IRC with Tennessee amendments, none of which touch roofing, and where a local government applies it there is no percentage trigger. Cities that enforce their own codes set their own rules.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Cleveland, TN?
Not for a reroof that replaces only shingles, but the City of Cleveland does require a permit when structural decking is replaced. Every new roof must have a drip edge, and the city will issue a permit on request where your insurer wants one.
Who does roof repair in Cleveland, TN?
Steve’s Roofing Company, a family firm in Decatur whose BBB service area includes Bradley and Polk counties, does residential roof replacement, repair and inspections. Alltimate Roofing in Cleveland handles residential and commercial roofing and holds a full contractor licence, so it can take jobs of any size.
Does a roofer need a licence in Polk County, Tennessee?
Only for projects of $25,000 or more, which need a full contractor licence. Polk County is not one of the nine home improvement licence counties, so a smaller reroof there needs no state licence, and insurance certificates verified with the insurer become the main protection.
How many certified roofing contractors serve Cleveland?
4 contractors on the GAF certification registry serve the principal cities of the Cleveland, TN statistical area as of October 2026, of which 1 hold President’s Club status.
How much damaging hail does Cleveland get?
The Cleveland, TN statistical area recorded 13 hail reports of 1 inch or larger and 1 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 four.
What was the worst hailstorm in Cleveland in the last ten years?
The largest hailstone logged by the National Weather Service in the Cleveland, TN statistical area between 2016 and 2025 measured 2.5 inches, reported near Cleveland on 21 March 2017. 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 14 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 Cleveland?
Severe-weather reports in the Cleveland, TN statistical area cluster in July, May, June, on the NOAA record for 2016 to 2025. Outside those months local crews are not triaging storm damage, so lead times are shorter and scheduling is easier.
Do roofers need a licence in TN?
Tennessee requires a licence from the Board for Licensing Contractors, within the Department of Commerce and Insurance, for projects of $25,000 or more. Like electrical, plumbing and HVAC subcontractors, a roofing subcontractor needs its own licence once the roofing portion of a project reaches $25,000 (T.C.A. 62-6-103(d)). The roofing classification is BC-21, covering roofing, gutters and vinyl siding over $25,000; the broader building classifications also cover roofing. BC-21 applicants sit no trade exam but must pass the Business and Law exam and show experience; since 1 July 2026 a surety bond of at least half the requested monetary limit can replace the reviewed financial statement, and exams have been run by Prov since the same date. A Home Improvement licence for residential work over $3,000 and under $25,000 applies only in Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Haywood, Knox, Marion, Robertson, Rutherford and Shelby counties. Under T.C.A. 62-6-601 to 606, a homeowner may cancel an insurance-funded roofing contract before midnight on the third business day after written notice that all or part of the claim is not covered, and the roofer may not require payment until the insurer confirms full coverage or that window has passed, apart from emergency repairs the owner acknowledged.
What should I check before hiring a roofer in Cleveland?
Outside the nine home improvement counties, a reroof under $25,000 needs no state licence at all, so ask for liability and workers’ compensation certificates and check them with the insurer. On larger jobs, check the classification and the monetary limit, both shown on the state’s public register.
A licence line through the middle of the metro?
Tennessee’s home improvement licence covers residential remodelling, roofing included, over $3,000 and under $25,000, but only in nine counties. Bradley is one; Polk is not. So a $15,000 reroof in Cleveland or Charleston needs a state licence backed by a $10,000 bond, liability insurance and workers’ compensation, while the same job in Benton or Ducktown needs none. Cleveland writes the rule into its own permit process.
Is Cleveland a hard market to find a good roofer in?
A licence line runs through the middle of the Cleveland metro: Bradley County is one of nine Tennessee counties where a home improvement licence is required for a residential roof between $3,000 and $25,000, and Polk County is not, so the same reroof needs a state licence in Cleveland but none in Benton. On Easter Sunday 2020 an EF2 destroyed 26 homes just east of downtown. Seven certified firms appear in the directory; three are excluded, two for licensing and one with no published service area, so four are ranked.
Is wind or hail the bigger risk to a roof in Cleveland?
Wind, by a wide margin. The Cleveland, TN statistical area logged 95 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports against 13 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.
Why is Goodpaster Painting Guttering and Roofing not on this list?
Excluded on licensing. A Hixson firm whose site names Cleveland, but we found no Tennessee contractor or home improvement licence under its name or its owner’s, although both Hamilton and Bradley counties require a home improvement licence for residential jobs of $3,000 to $24,999. BBB files it as a painting business..
Roofer rankings for other metros
The Roofing Brief scores certified roofing contractors in U.S. metropolitan and micropolitan areas on the same formula.
- Best roofers in Chattanooga, TN, about 23 miles from Cleveland
- Best roofers in Dalton, GA, about 29 miles from Cleveland
- Best roofers in Knoxville, TN, about 75 miles from Cleveland
- Best roofers in Morristown, TN, another TN metro on the same formula
- Best roofers in Nashville, TN, another TN metro on the same formula
- Best roofers in Albany, OR, a metro of comparable size
- Best roofers in Gainesville, GA, also scored, about 85 miles away
See the full index of 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 Cleveland, TN: 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.