Short answer: As of October 2026, the two highest-scoring roofing contractors in the Hattiesburg, MS metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score are Gable Roofing (88.6), Southeast Roofing (73.4). All of them carry a verifiable manufacturer certification, every rating here was cross-checked against an independent record, and no money changed hands for any placement.
The Roofing Brief scored 2 certified roofing contractors serving the Hattiesburg metro on a published, reproducible formula, then researched each of the top two individually to confirm its record. Hattiesburg and Petal have been crossed by two violent tornadoes four years apart on almost the same track: an EF4 in February 2013 and an EF3 in January 2017 that killed four people and destroyed or badly damaged 531 homes. Mississippi licenses residential roofers by exam, and since 2024 bans deductible deals. Four certified firms appear in the directory for Hattiesburg; one holds only a commercial certificate and one is a home builder, both excluded, and two firms holding the state’s residential roofing licence are ranked.
Hail, codes and what they cost a Hattiesburg homeowner
Mississippi requires a licence from the State Board of Contractors for residential remodelling, including roofing, over $10,000. The Residential Roofer licence, limited to roofing, takes a roofing exam as well as the business and law exam; Residential Remodeler and Builder licences also cover roofing, and holders of a commercial general construction certificate are exempt. Unlicensed work is a misdemeanour with fines of $100 to $5,000 and up to 60 days in jail, and an unlicensed contractor cannot sue to enforce the contract. Building officials must refuse permits to unlicensed applicants.
Since 1 July 2024 Mississippi’s roofing consumer law bars a roofer from paying, rebating or promising any part of your deductible, and an insurance-funded residential roofing contract must give you three business days to cancel after your insurer says in writing that all or part of the claim is not covered, with no payment due until then. A roofer must also state on the contract whether it carries liability insurance.
Hattiesburg’s own code makes it an offence to do work requiring a state licence without one, and the city builds to the 2018 International Residential Code. In its historic districts a like-for-like reroof is handled by an administrative letter, but changing a roof’s design or materials needs a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Conservation Commission.
Across 2016 to 2025 Forrest, Lamar and Perry counties logged 46 hail reports, up to baseball size near Purvis in 2016, 237 thunderstorm wind reports and 36 tornadoes, two of them EF3, which account for $14.6 million of the $18.75 million recorded damage. Tropical storms Zeta, Ida and Francine add zone-filed damage. In the city 62.8 percent of homes are rented.
The 2 best roofers in Hattiesburg, MS
Scored 2026-10-08. The metro mean rating used as the Bayesian prior for Hattiesburg is 4.975, across a pool of 2 certified contractors.
| Rank | Company | TRB Score | Certification | Rating (reviews) | Adjusted | In business since | Based in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gable Roofing | 88.6 | Master Elite | 5.0 (92) | 4.991 | 2022 | Hattiesburg, MS |
| 2 | Southeast Roofing | 73.4 | Certified | 5.0 (36) | 4.985 | not published | Hattiesburg, MS |
1. Gable Roofing: TRB Score 88.6
Gable Roofing is based in Hattiesburg, MS, in business since 2022, led by Kimberly Drew, member and licence qualifier, BBB accredited since 11 May 2023, A+ rating, no complaints, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 24 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 39.6 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 15.0 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 88.6 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Gable Roofing LLC holds residential licence 21781 in the roofing classification, qualified by Kimberly Drew, first issued August 2023 and current to August 2027, with no complaints shown; it also holds a commercial building certificate from December 2025.. Mississippi State Board of Contractors register
- Accredited since May 2023 with an A+ rating; business started November 2022; principal Kimberly Drew; service area includes Hattiesburg, Collins and Wiggins.. BBB business profile
- Woman-owned, Mississippi-native roofing contractor founded in 2022.. Company website
What they actually do. Residential and commercial roofing, metal roofing, gutters and guards, repair and inspection, and insurance claim support.
Why it ranks here. The top-scoring firm in Hattiesburg, with a perfect 5.0 across 92 GAF reviews at Master Elite. A woman-owned roofer founded in 2022, BBB and its own site agreeing, it holds the state’s specific residential roofing licence, qualified by its owner, with no complaints on the register, and BBB has accredited it since 2023. It is one of only four Hattiesburg-based firms with an active residential roofing licence.
Best fit for: Hattiesburg and Petal homeowners who want a licensed local roofer with a perfect review record and metal options.
What we would want clarified. A young business, trading since 2022, with its residential licence issued in 2023; ask about its workmanship warranty and who backs it. 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 (601) 909-4004, 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. Southeast Roofing: TRB Score 73.4
Southeast Roofing is based in Hattiesburg, MS, led by Sean Ford, member and licence qualifier, BBB accredited, A+ rating, no complaints, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: Certified (GAF), CertainTeed 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 | 12 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 39.4 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 11.9 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 73.4 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Southeast Roofing LLC holds residential licence 22245 in the roofing classification, qualified by Sean Ford, first issued May 2024, and commercial roofing certificate 27720-SC from September 2026; both numbers match its website.. Mississippi State Board of Contractors register
- Accredited with an A+ rating; business started September 2023; principal Sean Ford; service area lists 12 south Mississippi counties.. BBB business profile
- Hattiesburg-based, serving a two-hour radius; residential shingle and metal plus commercial TPO, EPDM and modified bitumen.. Company website
What they actually do. Asphalt shingle and metal roofing, commercial low-slope systems and coatings, gutters, fascia, soffit and ventilation.
Why it ranks here. A Hattiesburg roofer on US 98 with a perfect 5.0 across 36 GAF reviews, holding both the state’s residential roofing licence and a commercial roofing certificate, each qualified by its owner, with licence numbers on its site that match the register. BBB rates it A+ with no complaints. It does metal and low-slope work as well as shingles. BBB is the only source for its 2023 start, so we give no founding year.
Best fit for: Homeowners who want a licensed local firm that can handle a metal or low-slope section as well as shingles.
What we would want clarified. A short track record, trading since 2023, and it holds GAF’s entry Certified tier; BBB’s service area oddly omits Forrest County, so confirm it covers your address. 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 (601) 549-3783, 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.
Other roofers serving Hattiesburg
Two certified firms are ranked here. These three hold a valid state licence or certificate covering residential roofing and have a Hattiesburg office. They are not scored and we are not recommending them. We left out a firm with an eight-month gap in its licence and others that are commercial-only or missing from the register.
| Company | Verified credential |
|---|---|
| Watkins Construction & Roofing | Owens Corning Platinum Preferred with a Hattiesburg branch on Wrangler Dr; holds a general construction certificate, which is exempt from the residential licence; headquartered in Ridgeland. |
| Best Choice Roofing & Home Improvement | Owens Corning Platinum Preferred with an office on N 40th Ave; holds a general construction certificate; a branch of a national company headquartered in Tennessee. |
| Helping Hands Roofing & Construction LLC | Residential roofing licence 23119, issued only in May 2026; BBB accredited at A+, trading since 2021. |
The 39 inch-plus hail reports behind a Hattiesburg 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 Hattiesburg, MS statistical area over ten years, with the dates, the stone sizes and the towns they landed on. Over that decade the metro logged 46 hail reports, 237 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports and 36 tornadoes. Reported property damage from hail, severe wind and tornado over that decade totalled $18.8 million; flood and winter-storm losses are counted separately and are not included.
The biggest hail to fall on Hattiesburg in a decade
| Date | Stone size | Reported near | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 March 2016 | 2.75 in | Tatums Camps | Lamar |
| 16 June 2023 | 2.5 in | Richton | Perry |
| 16 June 2023 | 2.5 in | Hintonville | Perry |
| 15 April 2022 | 2.0 in | Tatums Camps | Lamar |
| 8 January 2024 | 1.75 in | Brooklyn | Forrest |
| 16 December 2019 | 1.75 in | Hickory Grove | Lamar |
The largest stone on record for this metro fell on 17 March 2016 near Tatums Camps, measured at 2.75 inches. That is baseball sized, comfortably past the point where a roof is written off rather than repaired.
Wind. The strongest thunderstorm gust logged in the metro was 78 knots, about 90 mph, near Dragon on 13 May 2024. Asphalt shingles begin lifting at roughly 67 mph when they are correctly nailed, and considerably below that when they are not.
Tornadoes. 36 tornadoes touched down in these counties over the decade, the strongest rated EF3 near Bonhomie on 21 January 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 13 May 2024 event near Dragon, reproduced verbatim:
This swath of significant straight line winds started near the Leaf River and moved generally ESE. Heaviest damage was along Highway 11 and then again along Leeville near the intersections of Miller and Deermont. Numerous trees were uprooted, snapped or had large sections broken out of them. Several powerlines were downed as well. A few homes had shingle damage or roof damage from large limbs along with some fences damaged. One shed had the roof blown off. The tree fall pattern was to the SE. Peak winds in this swath are around 90 mph. Swath length was almost 3 miles and about a mile wide.
That is the kind of damage a roof in this metro has to be specified against, described by the agency that recorded it rather than by a contractor selling the repair.
When it happens. Severe weather reports cluster in April (73), June (62), May (45). The worst years on record were 2017 (44), 2022 (40), 2023 (37). If you are scheduling non-urgent work in Hattiesburg, 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 Hattiesburg. Weight your decision toward wind rating, ventilation and flashing detail rather than paying extra for impact-rated shingles.
Two violent tornadoes on one track
On 10 February 2013 a tornado peaked at 170 mph, EF4, near Oak Grove High School in Lamar County, levelling a brick home, then crossed the corner of the University of Southern Mississippi campus and into Petal, where it did high-end EF3 damage. Lamar and Forrest counties counted 184 homes destroyed and 377 with major damage, 71 injuries and $38.5 million of damage. NOAA calls it only the second violent tornado in the counties’ recorded history, after the Purvis tornado of 1908 that killed 143 people.
Four years later, on 21 January 2017, an EF3 of 145 mph followed almost the same course from west of Purvis through Hattiesburg into Petal, intensifying near William Carey University and reaching 900 yards wide. Along its 31-mile path 531 homes were destroyed or badly damaged and 689 more damaged, 499 of the worst in Forrest County; four people died in Hattiesburg and more than 50 were injured. NOAA’s coordinates put the two tracks about three miles apart at the western end and a mile apart at the eastern end.
Two days after the 2017 storm the city told residents never to pay up front and to insist that the contractor obtain a building permit and inspections, adding that most storm-repair permits could be issued within 24 hours. The 2017 Forrest County segment alone carries $9 million of recorded damage, almost half of all county-recorded severe weather damage in the three counties in the decade.
The state register shows how storms reshape the trade. Of 20 Hattiesburg-addressed records in the residential roofing class, 14 were first issued in the seven months after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, several qualified by people with out-of-state notes on file, and all 14 had expired by 2007. Today only four Hattiesburg-based firms hold an active residential roofing licence, two of them ranked below.
For a Hattiesburg homeowner the check is specific: ask which state licence the roofer holds and confirm on the Board’s search that it covers residential roofing, because a commercial specialty certificate does not, as the Board’s own rules read. Then ask about wind fastening on a corridor that has seen two violent tornadoes in four years, and make sure the roofer pulls the permit.
Hattiesburg’s tornado record and the rules on a reroof
| Item | Figure or rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tornado of 10 February 2013 | EF4, 170 mph; 184 homes destroyed in two counties | NWS Jackson via NOAA NCEI |
| Tornado of 21 January 2017 | EF3, 145 mph; 531 homes destroyed or badly damaged; 4 deaths | NWS Jackson via NOAA NCEI |
| Tornadoes, 2016 to 2025 | 36: two EF3, ten EF2 | NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
| Tornado share of recorded damage | $14.6 million of $18.75 million | NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
| State licence | Residential licence over $10,000; roofer exam | Miss. Code Ann. 73-59; MSBOC |
| Deductible rebate | Banned since 1 July 2024 | Miss. Code Ann. 75-24-307 |
| Cancellation after a claim denial | Three business days; no payment until then | Miss. Code Ann. 75-24-307 |
| Unlicensed work | Fine of $100 to $5,000; up to 60 days | Miss. Code Ann. 73-59-9 |
| Active residential roofing licences, Hattiesburg addresses | 4 of 20 records | MSBOC register |
| Renter-occupied homes, Hattiesburg | 62.8 percent | ACS 2024 5-year, B25003 |
Source: NWS Jackson survey narratives and NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (Forrest, Lamar and Perry counties and zone rows); Miss. Code Ann. 73-59 and 75-24-301 to 311 as amended by House Bill 1408 (2024); Mississippi State Board of Contractors register, rules, classifications and FAQ; City of Hattiesburg Code 10-20 and 10-44 and historic district guidance; Owens Corning contractor locator; BBB business profiles; US Census Bureau ACS 2024.
How to check a Hattiesburg roofer in ten minutes
Licensing is required in MS. Mississippi requires a licence from the Mississippi State Board of Contractors for residential remodelling, including roofing, worth more than $10,000 (Miss. Code Ann. 73-59-1 and 73-59-3). A Residential Roofer licence, a subclass of the Remodeler licence limited to roofing, covers it, and the Board’s classifications say the Residential Builder and Residential Remodeler licences also include roofing. Holders of a commercial general construction certificate are exempt.
Every applicant passes a Business and Law Management exam, and the Residential Roofer licence requires a roofing trade exam, though trade exams can be waived under reciprocity and the state’s occupational recognition laws. Since 1 July 2024 (House Bill 1408, Miss. Code Ann. 75-24-307) a roofer may not advertise, promise, pay or rebate any part of your insurance deductible, and an insurance-funded residential roofing contract must give you three business days to cancel after your insurer tells you in writing that all or part of the claim is not covered, with no payment due until that period ends.
Check here: Mississippi State Board of Contractors licence search. Ask which classification the contractor holds and check it on the Board’s search: a Residential Roofer, Remodeler or Builder licence covers roofing, but a contractor with none of them cannot legally take a residential roofing job over $10,000. Most full replacements on a typical house will cross that line.
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 Hattiesburg market behind this ranking
2 certified roofing contractors serve the principal cities of the Hattiesburg, MS statistical area, of which 0 hold the top President’s Club tier. The pool carries 128 customer reviews between them at a mean rating of 4.975. The statistical area had a 2024 population of 156,575, a change of 1.73% against the 2020 census base, per the U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
How these Hattiesburg rankings were produced
Every contractor in the Hattiesburg, MS 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 2 certified contractors, of whom 0 hold President’s Club standing and 1 Master Elite, against a metro mean rating of 4.975. The top two were then researched individually against Better Business Bureau records, state licence registers and manufacturer directories. Good and bad findings are published together, and no contractor paid for a place here.
Set aside in Hattiesburg. Contractors that would otherwise have scored into the top two 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.
- Eddie Pearson Roofing LLC, which scored 83.2: Excluded on licence. A long-established Hattiesburg roofer whose state licence is a commercial certificate for roofing, sheet metal and siding; we found no residential licence on the State Board of Contractors register. Mississippi requires a residential licence for residential roofing over $10,000 and exempts only general construction certificates, so whether its certificate covers a home reroof is a question for the Board. We will reconsider if it supplies a residential licence number.
- Brad Baggett Homes LLC, which scored 66.6: Excluded on core trade. It is a custom home and office builder whose website lists no roofing service; its Residential Builder licence would legally cover roofing, but it is not a roofing firm.
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: 2026-10-08. Corrections go to the editor and are actioned on verification.
What Hattiesburg homeowners want to know
Who is the best roofer in Hattiesburg, MS?
Gable Roofing of Hattiesburg, MS scores highest in the Hattiesburg metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score, at 88.6 out of 100 as of October 2026. It holds Master Elite certification with a 5.0 rating across 92 reviews. Highest-scoring is not the same as best fit for your specific job, and the company behind it scores within 15.2 points.
How many certified roofing contractors serve Hattiesburg?
2 contractors on the GAF certification registry serve the principal cities of the Hattiesburg, MS statistical area as of October 2026, of which 0 hold President’s Club status.
How much damaging hail does Hattiesburg get?
The Hattiesburg, MS statistical area recorded 39 hail reports of 1 inch or larger and 4 of 2 inches or larger between 2016 and 2025 in the NOAA Storm Events Database. The largest hailstone reported measured 2.75 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 two.
What was the worst hailstorm in Hattiesburg in the last ten years?
The largest hailstone logged by the National Weather Service in the Hattiesburg, MS statistical area between 2016 and 2025 measured 2.75 inches, reported near Tatums Camps on 17 March 2016. That is baseball sized, comfortably past the point where a roof is written off rather than repaired. Across the decade the metro recorded 46 hail reports. Reported property damage from hail, severe wind and tornado over that decade totalled $18.8 million; flood and winter-storm losses are counted separately and are not included.
When is the worst time of year for roof damage in Hattiesburg?
Severe-weather reports in the Hattiesburg, MS statistical area cluster in April, June, May, on the NOAA record for 2016 to 2025. Scheduling discretionary work away from that window tends to get you a better crew and a faster start, because nobody is juggling emergency callouts.
Do roofers need a licence in MS?
Mississippi requires a licence from the Mississippi State Board of Contractors for residential remodelling, including roofing, worth more than $10,000 (Miss. Code Ann. 73-59-1 and 73-59-3). A Residential Roofer licence, a subclass of the Remodeler licence limited to roofing, covers it, and the Board’s classifications say the Residential Builder and Residential Remodeler licences also include roofing. Holders of a commercial general construction certificate are exempt. Every applicant passes a Business and Law Management exam, and the Residential Roofer licence requires a roofing trade exam, though trade exams can be waived under reciprocity and the state’s occupational recognition laws. Since 1 July 2024 (House Bill 1408, Miss. Code Ann. 75-24-307) a roofer may not advertise, promise, pay or rebate any part of your insurance deductible, and an insurance-funded residential roofing contract must give you three business days to cancel after your insurer tells you in writing that all or part of the claim is not covered, with no payment due until that period ends.
What should I check before hiring a roofer in Hattiesburg?
Ask which classification the contractor holds and check it on the Board’s search: a Residential Roofer, Remodeler or Builder licence covers roofing, but a contractor with none of them cannot legally take a residential roofing job over $10,000. Most full replacements on a typical house will cross that line.
Two violent tornadoes on one track?
On 10 February 2013 a tornado peaked at 170 mph, EF4, near Oak Grove High School in Lamar County, levelling a brick home, then crossed the corner of the University of Southern Mississippi campus and into Petal, where it did high-end EF3 damage. Lamar and Forrest counties counted 184 homes destroyed and 377 with major damage, 71 injuries and $38.5 million of damage. NOAA calls it only the second violent tornado in the counties’ recorded history, after the Purvis tornado of 1908 that killed 143 people.
Is Hattiesburg a hard market to find a good roofer in?
Hattiesburg and Petal have been crossed by two violent tornadoes four years apart on almost the same track: an EF4 in February 2013 and an EF3 in January 2017 that killed four people and destroyed or badly damaged 531 homes. Mississippi licenses residential roofers by exam, and since 2024 bans deductible deals. Four certified firms appear in the directory for Hattiesburg; one holds only a commercial certificate and one is a home builder, both excluded, and two firms holding the state’s residential roofing licence are ranked.
Is wind or hail the bigger risk to a roof in Hattiesburg?
Wind, by a wide margin. The Hattiesburg, MS statistical area logged 237 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports against 39 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 Eddie Pearson Roofing LLC not on this list?
Excluded on licence. A long-established Hattiesburg roofer whose state licence is a commercial certificate for roofing, sheet metal and siding; we found no residential licence on the State Board of Contractors register. Mississippi requires a residential licence for residential roofing over $10,000 and exempts only general construction certificates, so whether its certificate covers a home reroof is a question for the Board. We will reconsider if it supplies a residential licence number..
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 Gulfport, MS, about 63 miles from Hattiesburg
- Best roofers in Slidell, LA, about 76 miles from Hattiesburg
- Best roofers in Mobile, AL, about 84 miles from Hattiesburg
- Best roofers in Jackson, MS, about 87 miles from Hattiesburg
- Best roofers in Traverse City, MI, a metro of comparable size
- Best roofers in Bangor, ME, 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 Hattiesburg, MS: 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.