Short answer: As of September 2026, the five highest-scoring roofing contractors in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score are Custom Home Improvement & Repairs, LLC (95.8), W.T. Anderson Roofing & Siding (90.8), Jayhawk Exteriors, Inc. (89.0), Gilpin Roofing & Siding, Inc. (88.9), Atlantic Craftsman, LLC (86.6). 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 10 certified roofing contractors serving the Virginia Beach metro on a published, reproducible formula, then researched each of the top five individually to confirm its record. Virginia licenses roofing properly. Any work above $1,000 requires a Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation licence carrying the ROC specialty, and the licence class caps what a contractor may legally take on: Class C under $30,000, Class B up to $150,000, Class A at $150,000 or more. A full Hampton Roads replacement frequently exceeds the Class C ceiling, so checking the class matters as much as checking the licence exists. This is also a coastal wind market rather than a hail one, which puts uplift rating and fastening pattern ahead of impact resistance.
Quick picks for Virginia Beach:
- Custom Home Improvement & Repairs, LLC: best overall (TRB Score 95.8). Verified services: windows, siding.
- W.T. Anderson Roofing & Siding: best for Norfolk homes (TRB Score 90.8). Verified services: siding, gutters.
- Jayhawk Exteriors, Inc.: best for Chesapeake and Suffolk (TRB Score 89.0). Verified services: siding, windows, gutters.
- Gilpin Roofing & Siding, Inc.: best for mixed-use properties (TRB Score 88.9). Verified services: commercial roofing, siding, windows, skylights.
- Atlantic Craftsman, LLC: longest accreditation record (TRB Score 86.6). Verified services: siding, windows, gutters.
What a Virginia Beach roof is up against
Virginia ties the licence to the value of the job, so ask for the class as well as the number. The Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation licenses contractors for any project over $1,000, and under Va. Code 54.1-1100 Class C covers a single contract over $1,000 and under $30,000, Class B from $30,000 to under $150,000, and Class A $150,000 or more. Virginia Beach permits re-roofing separately from other work, and the city enforces the current Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. Get the permit number, and check the DPOR licence class against the size of your contract before signing.
This is coastal construction, and the wind numbers drive the details. The Virginia Residential Code takes the design wind speed from its wind map, and the figure for a given house, and whether it falls in a wind-borne debris region, depends on where it sits and how close it is to the water, so get the number for your address rather than a regional rule of thumb. On fastening, the code (section R905.2.6) requires the number of nails the shingle manufacturer’s approved instructions call for and never fewer than four per strip shingle, and some manufacturers call for six in high-wind applications. Ask each contractor to state the design wind speed for your address and the nailing pattern the manufacturer requires to meet it, and have both written into the contract.
Tornadoes are more common here than the region’s reputation suggests. The metro recorded 35 tornadoes over the decade, including an EF3 that formed over the eastern branch of the Lynnhaven River on 30 April 2023 and tracked through Virginia Beach neighbourhoods. Straight-line winds do damage too: on 26 July 2022 gusts flipped five helicopters and damaged roofs near Norfolk Naval Air Station. Add 581 severe wind reports, 102 hail reports and $85.7 million in reported property damage, with June the peak month.
Salt air is the slow variable that inland metros do not have to price. Within a few miles of the water, fasteners, flashings and drip edge corrode faster, and the cheapest galvanised components fail first. Ask what metal is specified for flashings, valleys and edge, whether stainless or coated fasteners are used near the coast, and what the manufacturer’s warranty says about salt-water exposure. On a barrier-island or oceanfront house, those answers matter more than the shingle brand.
The 5 best roofers in Virginia Beach, VA
Scored 2026-09-15. The metro mean rating used as the Bayesian prior for Virginia Beach is 4.81, across a pool of 10 certified contractors.
| Rank | Company | TRB Score | Certification | Rating (reviews) | Adjusted | In business since | Based in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Custom Home Improvement & Repairs, LLC | 95.8 | President’s Club | 4.9 (1,078) | 4.896 | 2004 | Virginia Beach, VA |
| 2 | W.T. Anderson Roofing & Siding | 90.8 | President’s Club | 4.9 (649) | 4.894 | not published | Norfolk, VA |
| 3 | Jayhawk Exteriors, Inc. | 89.0 | President’s Club | 4.9 (349) | 4.889 | 2003 | Chesapeake, VA |
| 4 | Gilpin Roofing & Siding, Inc. | 88.9 | President’s Club | 4.8 (241) | 4.802 | 1997 | Virginia Beach, VA |
| 5 | Atlantic Craftsman, LLC | 86.6 | President’s Club | 4.8 (593) | 4.801 | not published | Chesapeake, VA |
1. Custom Home Improvement & Repairs, LLC: best overall (TRB Score 95.8)
Custom Home Improvement & Repairs, LLC is based in Virginia Beach, VA, in business since 2004, BBB accredited, A+ rating, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: President’s Club (GAF), VSI certified, NRCA member, EPA certified. Certification by more than one manufacturer is uncommon and requires meeting each programme’s separate standards for insurance, training and track record.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 35 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 35.8 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 15.0 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 95.8 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Accredited with an A+ rating. BBB
- Class A licensed contractor, licence 2705 135338A, with a Builders specialty. Virginia DPOR
- EPA certified NAT-78215-1, Vinyl Siding Institute certified, and a National Roofing Contractors Association member. Certifications
What they actually do. Window, trim, siding and roof installation across Hampton Roads since 2004.
Services we could verify: windows, siding.
Why it ranks here. Holds a Class A Virginia licence, the highest class with no monetary ceiling, plus NRCA membership and EPA certification. The EPA certification matters specifically on pre-1978 housing, where lead-safe work practices are legally required during exterior work.
Best fit for: Older Hampton Roads homes subject to lead-safe rules, and larger-value projects.
What we would want clarified. The 4.6 rating on Angi sits below the 4.9 registry figure. Read the lower-rated platform before signing. We publish this because a ranking that only prints the flattering findings is an advertisement, not an assessment.
Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (757) 689-2734, 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. W.T. Anderson Roofing & Siding: best for Norfolk homes (TRB Score 90.8)
W.T. Anderson Roofing & Siding is based in Norfolk, VA, BBB accredited since 13 September 2010, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 35 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 35.7 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 13.9 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 6.1 | 10 |
| Total | 90.8 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Accredited since 13 September 2010, with DPOR licence 2705137326 on the BBB record. BBB
- Class A contractor specialising in roofing, siding and gutters across Hampton Roads. Company
What they actually do. Roofing, siding and gutters across Norfolk and the wider Hampton Roads area.
Services we could verify: siding, gutters.
Why it ranks here. A Class A licence with no monetary ceiling, and 649 registry reviews, the second-deepest evidence base in the Virginia Beach pool.
Best fit for: Norfolk and inner Hampton Roads homeowners.
What we would want clarified. The DPOR licence number on the BBB record carries an expiry date of 30 November 2024, which suggests the third-party record is stale rather than that the licence has lapsed. Verify current status directly on the DPOR licence lookup before signing. We publish this because a ranking that only prints the flattering findings is an advertisement, not an assessment.
Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (757) 816-9203, 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. Jayhawk Exteriors, Inc.: best for Chesapeake and Suffolk (TRB Score 89.0)
Jayhawk Exteriors, Inc. is based in Chesapeake, VA, in business since 2003, BBB accredited since 2 February 2004, A+ rating, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: President’s Club (GAF), CertainTeed 5-Star vinyl siding contractor. 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 | 35.5 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 12.6 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 5.8 | 10 |
| Total | 89.0 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- A+ rated and accredited since 2 February 2004, 22 years in business. BBB
- Class A licensed and fully insured Virginia general contractor, licence 2705-084170. Virginia DPOR
- 4.9 across 318 Google reviews. Google
What they actually do. Roofing, siding, windows, soffit, trim and gutters across Chesapeake and Hampton Roads.
Services we could verify: siding, windows, gutters.
Why it ranks here. Twenty-two years of unbroken A+ accreditation from within a year of founding, a published Class A licence number, and dual certification with CertainTeed. Reviews specifically cite upfront honesty on pricing.
Best fit for: Chesapeake and Suffolk homeowners wanting a long, clean accreditation record.
Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (757) 963-6559, 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. Gilpin Roofing & Siding, Inc.: best for mixed-use properties (TRB Score 88.9)
Gilpin Roofing & Siding, Inc. is based in Virginia Beach, VA, in business since 1997, BBB accredited since 1 December 1999, A+ rating, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 35 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 32.1 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 11.8 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 88.9 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- A+ rated and accredited since 1 December 1999. BBB
- Trading since 1997 with 30 years of commercial, residential and industrial roofing experience and more than 5,000 services delivered. Company
- Voted Gold in the Virginian-Pilot Reader’s Choice Awards Best of 2018 for Virginia Beach. Awards
What they actually do. Full service roofing and siding plus windows and skylights, residential, commercial and industrial.
Services we could verify: commercial roofing, siding, windows, skylights.
Why it ranks here. Accredited since 1999 and trading since 1997, with a Reader’s Choice Gold award that is publicly voted rather than purchased. The industrial capability is uncommon among residential roofers in this market.
Best fit for: Virginia Beach homeowners, and mixed residential-commercial properties.
Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (757) 363-8802, 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. Atlantic Craftsman, LLC: longest accreditation record (TRB Score 86.6)
Atlantic Craftsman, LLC is based in Chesapeake, VA, BBB accredited since 23 February 2000, A+ rating, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 35 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 32.0 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 13.7 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 5.8 | 10 |
| Total | 86.6 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- A+ rated and accredited since 23 February 2000, with one settled complaint in three years, and DPOR licence 2701027580 valid to 31 March 2028. BBB
- 4.8 across 623 reviews. Birdeye
- Family and veteran owned, trading in Chesapeake for over 50 years. Company
What they actually do. Roofing, siding, windows, trim and gutters across Hampton Roads.
Services we could verify: siding, windows, gutters.
Why it ranks here. Twenty-six years of unbroken accreditation, the longest in the Virginia Beach top five, with a DPOR licence number carrying a verifiable 2028 expiry. Family and veteran owned with over 50 years of local trading.
Best fit for: Homeowners weighting the longest verifiable record with a currently-valid licence.
What we would want clarified. Ratings diverge sharply by platform. Google sits at 4.8 across 547 reviews but Yelp at 3.3 across 27, with communication the recurring theme. Agree a single named point of contact before work starts. 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 (757) 485-4871, 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.
Roof replacement and repair in Virginia Beach, VA
Short answer: In Virginia Beach, start with Custom Home Improvement & Repairs for older homes and larger projects, W.T. Anderson Roofing & Siding for Norfolk, Jayhawk Exteriors for Chesapeake and Suffolk, Gilpin Roofing & Siding for mixed residential and commercial properties, and Atlantic Craftsman for the longest accreditation record. The rule that matters most: Virginia requires a DPOR licence for work over $1,000, and the class caps the contract value, so check it matches your job.
This is a coastal wind market rather than a hail one. Over the decade the metro recorded 581 severe wind reports, 102 hail reports and 35 tornadoes, with $85.7 million in reported property damage and June the peak month. An EF3 formed over the eastern branch of the Lynnhaven River on 30 April 2023 and tracked through Virginia Beach neighbourhoods, and on 26 July 2022 straight-line gusts flipped five helicopters and damaged roofs near Norfolk Naval Air Station. That puts uplift rating and fastening pattern ahead of impact resistance. Salt air adds slow damage: within a few miles of the water, fasteners, flashings and drip edge corrode faster, so ask what metal is specified for them.
The Virginia Residential Code takes the design wind speed from its wind map, and the figure for a given house depends on where it sits and how close it is to the water. Section R905.2.6 requires the number of nails the shingle manufacturer’s instructions call for and never fewer than four per strip shingle, and some manufacturers call for six in high-wind applications; have the design wind speed and nailing pattern written into the contract. Under the Virginia Existing Building Code, there is no recover over a water soaked or deteriorated roof, over slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, or where two or more layers already exist. Virginia has no 25 percent roof rule.
On permits, the statewide code treats replacing roof covering on a one or two family home as an ordinary repair needing no permit unless the nominal design wind speed exceeds 100 mph, and localities may still require permits in historic districts and flood hazard areas. Virginia Beach permits re-roofing separately from other work, so get the permit number. Licensing is strict: DPOR licenses contractors for any project over $1,000, with Class C under $30,000, Class B from $30,000 to under $150,000 and Class A at $150,000 or more. From 1 January 2027 a new Virginia law bars a contractor from paying, waiving or rebating an insurance deductible on an owner-occupied home.
Custom Home Improvement & Repairs, trading since 2004 with a Class A licence, NRCA membership and EPA certification, does window, trim, siding and roof installation and suits pre-1978 homes where lead-safe work practices apply. W.T. Anderson in Norfolk does roofing, siding and gutters; verify its licence status directly on DPOR, as its BBB record shows a 2024 expiry. Jayhawk Exteriors in Chesapeake has been accredited since 2004. Gilpin Roofing & Siding in Virginia Beach does residential, commercial and industrial roofing plus windows and skylights. Atlantic Craftsman in Chesapeake, accredited since 2000 with a licence valid to 31 March 2028, has a lower Yelp rating, so agree a single named point of contact.
| Rule | What applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor licence | DPOR licence for any contract over $1,000; roofing is covered by the ROC specialty and by the building and home improvement classifications. | Virginia Board for Contractors, DPOR |
| Licence class | Class C over $1,000 and under $30,000; Class B $30,000 to under $150,000; Class A $150,000 or more. | Va. Code 54.1-1100 |
| Reroof permit | Replacing roof covering on a one or two family home is an ordinary repair needing no permit unless the nominal design wind speed exceeds 100 mph; localities may require permits in historic districts and flood hazard areas. Virginia Beach permits re-roofing separately from other work. | USBC 108.2 item 14.5; City of Virginia Beach |
| Shingle fastening | Nails per the manufacturer’s approved instructions and never fewer than four per strip shingle. | Virginia Residential Code R905.2.6 |
| Recover limits | No recover over a water soaked or deteriorated roof, over slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, or where two or more layers already exist. | Virginia Existing Building Code 602.3.2.1 |
| 25 percent rule | Virginia has no 25 percent roof rule. | 2021 Uniform Statewide Building Code (13VAC5-63) |
| Deductibles and emergency cancellation, from 1 January 2027 | No paying, waiving or rebating a deductible on an owner-occupied home; deductible-practices and bold insurance notices required; cancel a contract signed within 180 days of a declared emergency within 10 days or before work starts. | Va. Code 59.1-617 to 59.1-620 |
Related guides: roof replacement cost in Virginia; the 25% roofing rule in Virginia 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.
35 tornadoes in ten years, and what they did to Virginia Beach roofs
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 18 counties of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC statistical area over ten years, with the dates, the stone sizes and the towns they landed on. Over that decade the metro logged 102 hail reports, 581 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports and 35 tornadoes. Reported property damage from hail, severe wind and tornado over that decade totalled $85.7 million; flood and winter-storm losses are counted separately and are not included.
The biggest hail to fall on Virginia Beach in a decade
| Date | Stone size | Reported near | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 June 2023 | 2.0 in | Ingersoll | Surry |
| 22 May 2025 | 2.0 in | Grassfield | Chesapeake (C) |
| 18 March 2021 | 1.75 in | Hampton | Hampton (C) |
| 25 February 2017 | 1.75 in | Ft Monroe | Hampton (C) |
| 25 February 2017 | 1.75 in | Smithfield | Isle Of Wight |
| 31 March 2017 | 1.75 in | Deep Creek | Chesapeake (C) |
The largest stone on record for this metro fell on 16 June 2023 near Ingersoll, measured at 2.0 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 80 knots, about 92 mph, near Hampton Rds on 26 July 2022. Asphalt shingles begin lifting at roughly 67 mph when they are correctly nailed, and considerably below that when they are not.
Tornadoes. 35 tornadoes touched down in these counties over the decade, the strongest rated EF3 near Ocean Park on 30 April 2023.
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 26 July 2022 event near Hampton Rds, reproduced verbatim:
Five helicopters where flipped on their side with propeller and roof damage near Norfolk Naval Air Station. This was likely caused by a gustnado with winds estimated to be between 90 to 95 miles per hour.
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 June (138), May (125), April (105). The worst years on record were 2019 (143), 2025 (101), 2021 (80). If you are scheduling non-urgent work in Virginia Beach, 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. Virginia Beach sees enough damaging hail that a Class 4 impact-rated shingle is worth pricing, though not automatically worth buying. Get both quotes and weigh the premium against any insurance discount.
Three things to confirm before work starts in Virginia Beach
Licensing is required in VA. Virginia requires a licence from the Board for Contractors, under the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, for any contract over $1,000 to repair or improve a building, roofing included. Roofing is covered by the ROC roofing specialty, and also by the residential and commercial building classifications and the home improvement specialties, so a firm holding any of those may lawfully reroof a house.
Virginia issues three classes by project value under Va. Code 54.1-1100. Class C covers single projects over $1,000 and under $30,000 (and under $250,000 of work a year), Class B covers $30,000 up to $150,000 (or $250,000 to $1 million a year), and Class A covers $150,000 or more (or $1 million a year), with qualifying-individual experience of one, three and five years respectively. The firm’s qualified individual must pass a board-approved trade exam, and Class A and B firms also need a designated employee who has passed the business exam. A six-hour board-approved pre-licence business course (six hours since 1 September 2025) is completed by a member of management, or for Class A and B by the designated employee. From 1 January 2027 the Residential Property Owners Protection Act (Va. Code 59.1-617 to 59.1-620) bars a contractor from paying, waiving or rebating an insurance deductible on an owner-occupied home, requires every roofing contract to carry a deductible-practices notice (without it the owner may void the contract within 10 days) and a bold insurance notice, and lets an owner cancel a roofing contract signed within 180 days of a declared emergency covering the property within 10 days or before work starts, whichever is sooner.
Check here: Virginia DPOR licence lookup. The class caps the contract value. A Class C licensee cannot legally take a project of $30,000 or more, so confirm the class matches the size of your job before signing.
For what a full replacement costs across Virginia, including state labor rates and permit rules, see our Virginia roof replacement cost guide.
Four checks to run before you sign anything, in any state.
- Verify certification at the source. Use the GAF verification tool rather than trusting a badge image on a company website.
- Get the certificate of insurance from the insurer, not the contractor, and confirm general liability and workers compensation are both active on the day work starts.
- Confirm who pulls the permit. If a contractor asks you to pull it as the homeowner, that moves liability onto you. Decline.
- Get warranty terms in writing before any deposit, and check the manufacturer warranty being promised actually requires the certification tier the contractor holds.
How deep the Virginia Beach certified market really is
10 certified roofing contractors serve the principal cities of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC statistical area, of which 6 hold the top President’s Club tier. The pool carries 5,579 customer reviews between them at a mean rating of 4.81. The statistical area had a 2024 population of 1,794,278, a change of 0.8% against the 2020 census base, per the U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
How these Virginia Beach rankings were produced
Every contractor in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC 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 6 hold President’s Club standing and 4 Master Elite, against a metro mean rating of 4.81. The top five 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.
The full method, the weightings, what the GAF certification tiers actually mean, who is eligible to be ranked and what we do not claim are all set out on our roofer ranking methodology page. Last updated: September 2026. Scoring run: 2026-09-15. Corrections go to the editor and are actioned on verification.
Virginia Beach roofing questions, answered
Who is the best roofer in Virginia Beach, VA?
Custom Home Improvement & Repairs, LLC of Virginia Beach, VA scores highest in the Virginia Beach metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score, at 95.8 out of 100 as of September 2026. It holds President’s Club certification with a 4.9 rating across 1,078 reviews. Highest-scoring is not the same as best fit for your specific job, and the four companies behind it score within 9.2 points.
What is the 25% rule for roofing in Virginia?
Virginia has no 25 percent roof rule. The Virginia Existing Building Code governs reroofing and bars a recover over a water soaked or deteriorated roof, over slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, or where two or more layers already exist. The statewide code treats replacing any amount of roof covering on a one or two family home as an ordinary repair, unless the nominal design wind speed exceeds 100 mph.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Virginia Beach?
Virginia Beach permits re-roofing separately from other work, so get the permit number from your contractor. Statewide, a reroof of a one or two family home needs no permit unless the nominal design wind speed exceeds 100 mph, and localities may still require permits in historic districts and flood hazard areas, so confirm with the city for your address.
What licence class does a Virginia Beach roofer need?
It depends on the contract value. Class C covers a single contract over $1,000 and under $30,000, Class B from $30,000 to under $150,000, and Class A $150,000 or more, so a Class C licensee cannot legally take a project of $30,000 or more. Check the class on the DPOR licence lookup.
How should a roof be fastened in Virginia Beach?
Section R905.2.6 of the Virginia Residential Code requires the number of nails the shingle manufacturer’s instructions call for and never fewer than four per strip shingle, and some manufacturers call for six in high-wind applications. Ask each contractor to state the design wind speed for your address and the nailing pattern needed to meet it, and write both into the contract.
How many certified roofing contractors serve Virginia Beach?
10 contractors on the GAF certification registry serve the principal cities of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC statistical area as of September 2026, of which 6 hold President’s Club status.
How much damaging hail does Virginia Beach get?
The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC statistical area recorded 103 hail reports of 1 inch or larger and 2 of 2 inches or larger between 2016 and 2025 in the NOAA Storm Events Database. The largest hailstone reported measured 2.0 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 Virginia Beach in the last ten years?
The largest hailstone logged by the National Weather Service in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC statistical area between 2016 and 2025 measured 2.0 inches, reported near Ingersoll on 16 June 2023. 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 102 hail reports. Reported property damage from hail, severe wind and tornado over that decade totalled $85.7 million; flood and winter-storm losses are counted separately and are not included.
When is the worst time of year for roof damage in Virginia Beach?
Severe-weather reports in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC statistical area cluster in June, May, April, 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 VA?
Virginia requires a licence from the Board for Contractors, under the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, for any contract over $1,000 to repair or improve a building, roofing included. Roofing is covered by the ROC roofing specialty, and also by the residential and commercial building classifications and the home improvement specialties, so a firm holding any of those may lawfully reroof a house. Virginia issues three classes by project value under Va. Code 54.1-1100. Class C covers single projects over $1,000 and under $30,000 (and under $250,000 of work a year), Class B covers $30,000 up to $150,000 (or $250,000 to $1 million a year), and Class A covers $150,000 or more (or $1 million a year), with qualifying-individual experience of one, three and five years respectively. The firm’s qualified individual must pass a board-approved trade exam, and Class A and B firms also need a designated employee who has passed the business exam. A six-hour board-approved pre-licence business course (six hours since 1 September 2025) is completed by a member of management, or for Class A and B by the designated employee. From 1 January 2027 the Residential Property Owners Protection Act (Va. Code 59.1-617 to 59.1-620) bars a contractor from paying, waiving or rebating an insurance deductible on an owner-occupied home, requires every roofing contract to carry a deductible-practices notice (without it the owner may void the contract within 10 days) and a bold insurance notice, and lets an owner cancel a roofing contract signed within 180 days of a declared emergency covering the property within 10 days or before work starts, whichever is sooner.
What should I check before hiring a roofer in Virginia Beach?
The class caps the contract value. A Class C licensee cannot legally take a project of $30,000 or more, so confirm the class matches the size of your job before signing.
Is Virginia Beach a hard market to find a good roofer in?
Virginia licenses roofing properly. Any work above $1,000 requires a Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation licence carrying the ROC specialty, and the licence class caps what a contractor may legally take on: Class C under $30,000, Class B up to $150,000, Class A at $150,000 or more. A full Hampton Roads replacement frequently exceeds the Class C ceiling, so checking the class matters as much as checking the licence exists. This is also a coastal wind market rather than a hail one, which puts uplift rating and fastening pattern ahead of impact resistance.
Is wind or hail the bigger risk to a roof in Virginia Beach?
Wind, by a wide margin. The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC statistical area logged 581 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports against 102 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 U.S. metropolitan and micropolitan areas on the same formula.
- Best roofers in Richmond, VA, about 95 miles from Virginia Beach
- Best roofers in Lexington Park, MD, about 104 miles from Virginia Beach
- Best roofers in Greenville, NC, about 111 miles from Virginia Beach
- Best roofers in Salisbury, MD, about 113 miles from Virginia Beach
- Best roofers in Charlottesville, VA, another VA metro on the same formula
- Best roofers in Lynchburg, VA, another VA metro on the same formula
- Best roofers in Providence, RI, a metro of comparable size
- Best roofers in Jacksonville, FL, a metro of comparable size
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 Virginia Beach, VA: The Roofing Brief Contractor Score.” Published September 2026. Inputs: GAF certification registry; NOAA Storm Events Database 2016-2025; U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates; Better Business Bureau and independent review-platform records for each ranked contractor.