Short answer: As of October 2026, the four highest-scoring roofing contractors in the Winchester, VA-WV metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score are Roofsimple (87.9), Ashburn Roofing LLC (73.3), Elite Roofing & Restoration LLC (66.7), GNS Roofing Corporation (55.9). Each holds a certification we verified on the manufacturer’s own register, every rating was corroborated elsewhere, and placement on this page is not for sale.
The Roofing Brief scored 4 certified roofing contractors serving the Winchester metro on a published, reproducible formula, then researched each of the top four individually to confirm its record. Winchester’s roofs are old by Virginia standards: the city’s median home was built in 1968 and nearly one in five predates 1940, many of them under slate or standing seam metal in a historic district where replacing a roof can need a permit and design review that the rest of the metro never sees. Storms here are wind and snow more than hail; the January 2016 blizzard buried Frederick County under up to 38 inches. Six certified firms appear in the directory for the area; two publish service areas outside the metro and hold no Virginia licence, so four are ranked.
Quick picks for Winchester:
- Roofsimple: best overall (TRB Score 87.9). Verified services: roof replacement, storm damage work, gutters, siding, windows, skylights.
- Ashburn Roofing LLC: highest-rated local firm (TRB Score 73.3).
- Elite Roofing & Restoration LLC: best for a typical shingle reroof (TRB Score 66.7).
- GNS Roofing Corporation: best for smaller metal reroofs (TRB Score 55.9). Verified services: metal roofing, gutters, chimney work, skylights.
Wind, terrain and the Winchester housing stock
Virginia licenses contractors through the Board for Contractors at DPOR, by job size rather than trade: Class C covers a single job over $1,000 and under $30,000, Class B up to $150,000 and Class A anything larger. Roofing has its own specialty (ROC), but residential building (RBC) and home improvement (HIC) licences also cover a reroof, so a firm without ROC can be fully legal. What matters is that the class fits the price. Contracting without the right licence is a Class 1 misdemeanour, and the state recovery fund pays at most $30,000 per transaction, only against licensees.
A like-for-like house reroof needs no permit in most of the metro. The statewide building code exempts unlimited roof covering replacement on houses where the nominal design wind speed is 100 mph or less, and Frederick County’s published 115 mph ultimate speed converts to 89 mph nominal. The exception is a locally designated historic district: there the building official may require a permit for replacement roofing, and Winchester’s guidelines say roof material replacement needs one. Where Frederick County does issue a reroof permit the fee is $75, plus the 2% state levy.
Virginia’s new Residential Property Owners Protection Act takes effect on 1 January 2027. From then a contractor may not pay, waive or rebate an insurance deductible on an owner-occupied home, must give a written notice in the contract, and a homeowner who signs within 180 days of a state of emergency declaration can cancel within 10 days or before work starts. Hampshire County, West Virginia, already has a storm scammer law: five business days to cancel after a claim denial, no deductible rebates, and a state licence on residential jobs of $5,000 or more.
Across 2016 to 2025 Frederick County, Winchester and Hampshire County logged 236 thunderstorm wind reports, 28 hail reports and two tornadoes, both EF0, with $1.85 million of recorded damage. Winter weighs as heavily: Winchester averages 23.1 inches of snow a year, ice storms struck in 2016 and 2022, and a 65 mph gust hit Stephens City in February 2025. More than half of Winchester city’s homes are rented, against one in five in Frederick County, and a fifth of Hampshire County’s homes are seasonal cabins.
The 4 best roofers in Winchester, VA
Scored 2026-10-09. The metro mean rating used as the Bayesian prior for Winchester is 4.867, across a pool of 4 certified contractors.
| Rank | Company | TRB Score | Certification | Rating (reviews) | Adjusted | In business since | Based in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roofsimple | 87.9 | President’s Club | 4.8 (597) | 4.805 | 2014 | Front Royal, VA |
| 2 | Ashburn Roofing LLC | 73.3 | Certified | 5.0 (197) | 4.973 | 2019 | Winchester, VA |
| 3 | Elite Roofing & Restoration LLC | 66.7 | Certified | 4.9 (52) | 4.884 | not published | Winchester, VA |
| 4 | GNS Roofing Corporation | 55.9 | Certified | 4.5 (103) | 4.62 | 2012 | White Post, VA |
1. Roofsimple: best overall (TRB Score 87.9)
Roofsimple is based in Front Royal, VA, in business since 2014, led by Mark McShurley, Marty McMahon and Chris McMahon, co-owners, BBB accredited since 31 May 2017, A+ rating, one complaint in three years, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: President’s Club (GAF), Owens Corning Preferred Contractor, 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 | 32.2 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 15.0 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 5.7 | 10 |
| Total | 87.9 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- ROOFSIMPLE INC holds Class A licence 2705174685 with the roofing (ROC) and electrical specialties, first certified 13 August 2020 and current to 31 August 2028.. Virginia DPOR regulant list
- Accredited since May 2017 with an A+ rating; business started 2014; three co-owners named; one complaint in the last three years.. BBB business profile
- Listed as an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor in Front Royal, about 18 miles from Winchester.. Owens Corning contractor locator
- Names Winchester, Stephens City, Clear Brook, Cross Junction and Middletown among its service towns and says it installs roofs throughout Frederick County.. Company website
What they actually do. Residential reroofing, storm and insurance work, gutters, siding, windows and skylights; solar through a sister company.
Services we could verify: roof replacement, storm damage work, gutters, siding, windows, skylights.
Why it ranks here. The only President’s Club firm in the pool, with 597 GAF reviews averaging 4.8. It is based in Front Royal, just south of the metro, but its own site lists Winchester and Frederick County towns. It holds a Class A licence with the roofing specialty, so no job size is beyond it, and it is also in Owens Corning’s contractor network. BBB has dated its business to 2014; its current DPOR record dates from 2020, and an earlier licence could not be checked.
Best fit for: Frederick County homeowners with a large or insurance-funded reroof who want the most-reviewed firm with no licence size cap.
What we would want clarified. It is based outside the metro, and its site promotes help filing and negotiating claims; from January 2027 Virginia requires roofers to tell you in writing that they cannot act as your public adjuster. 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 (540) 288-4708, 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. Ashburn Roofing LLC: highest-rated local firm (TRB Score 73.3)
Ashburn Roofing LLC is based in Winchester, VA, in business since 2019, led by Danny Martinez, owner, BBB accredited since 5 May 2021, A+ rating, no complaints in three years, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: Certified (GAF), Owens Corning Preferred 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 | 12 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 38.9 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 12.4 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 73.3 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- ASHBURN ROOFING LLC holds Class A licence 2705171105 with the home improvement and commercial improvement specialties, both of which cover roofing; first certified 25 April 2019, current to 29 February 2028.. Virginia DPOR regulant list
- Accredited since May 2021 with an A+ rating; business started 28 February 2019; owner Danny Martinez; no complaints in three years.. BBB business profile
- Listed as an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor on Valley Pike, about 4 miles from central Winchester.. Owens Corning contractor locator
What they actually do. Residential roofing.
Why it ranks here. Despite the Loudoun County place name, a Winchester firm on Valley Pike, with 197 GAF reviews averaging a perfect 5.0. Its Class A licence carries the home improvement and commercial improvement specialties, which Virginia’s rules say also cover roofing. BBB and DPOR agree on a 2019 start, and the BBB file shows no complaints.
Best fit for: Winchester and Frederick County homeowners who want a local firm with a clean record and the highest review average in the pool.
What we would want clarified. It holds GAF’s entry Certified tier, and its listed website did not resolve, so we found no published service area or warranty terms; ask for both in writing. 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 (703) 899-2967, 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. Elite Roofing & Restoration LLC: best for a typical shingle reroof (TRB Score 66.7)
Elite Roofing & Restoration LLC is based in Winchester, VA, Not accredited, A- rating, no complaints in three years, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 12 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 35.3 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 9.3 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 66.7 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- ELITE ROOFING & RESTORATION LLC holds Class B licence 2705176569 in residential building (RBC), which covers roofing, at a Winchester address; first certified 30 September 2020, current to 30 September 2028.. Virginia DPOR regulant list
- Elite Roofing and Restoration on Greenwood Rd, Winchester: not accredited, rated A-, no complaints in three years; no principal or start date shown.. BBB business profile
What they actually do. Residential roofing and exterior restoration, including insurance claim work.
Why it ranks here. A Winchester firm with 52 GAF reviews averaging 4.9 and a current Class B residential building licence, which lets it sign roofing jobs up to $150,000. Little else is on the public record: the BBB file names no owner or start date and gives a different street address from DPOR, and we found no website of its own. Several unrelated firms share the name, including one in Maryland, so check reviews refer to this one.
Best fit for: Winchester homeowners with a typical shingle reroof who want a local firm.
What we would want clarified. We could not confirm who owns it or how long it has traded, and its Class B licence caps a single job below $150,000. 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 (540) 303-9356, 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. GNS Roofing Corporation: best for smaller metal reroofs (TRB Score 55.9)
GNS Roofing Corporation is based in White Post, VA, in business since 2012, led by Mauriciao Sobalvarro, owner (as spelled by BBB), BBB accredited since 30 March 2026, A+ rating, no complaints, and holds Certified standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 12 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 24.8 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 10.9 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 8.2 | 10 |
| Total | 55.9 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- GNS ROOFING CORPORATION holds Class C licence 2705147089 in the roofing specialty, first certified 8 June 2012, current to 30 June 2028.. Virginia DPOR regulant list
- Accredited since March 2026 with an A+ rating; business started 8 June 2012; no complaints.. BBB business profile
- Trades as GNS Roofing of Winchester; says it serves Northern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, with metal and shingle roofing and bilingual service.. Directory listing
What they actually do. Shingle and metal roofing, gutters, chimney flashing and skylights.
Services we could verify: metal roofing, gutters, chimney work, skylights.
Why it ranks here. A roofing-only firm that has held the Virginia roofing specialty since 2012, the longest licence record in the pool, with 103 GAF reviews averaging 4.5. It sits in White Post, Clarke County, just outside the metro and about 7 miles from Winchester, and trades locally as GNS Roofing of Winchester. Its licence is Class C, so it cannot lawfully sign a single job of $30,000 or more.
Best fit for: Homeowners with a smaller shingle or metal reroof who want a roofing specialist with a long licence record.
What we would want clarified. Its Class C licence caps a job below $30,000, its BBB accreditation is only months old, and its own website was not live, so ask for its service area and warranty in writing. 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 (540) 773-4727, 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 licensed roofers serving Winchester
Four certified firms are ranked here. These four are based in Winchester and hold a current Virginia Class A licence that includes the roofing specialty, checked on DPOR’s current regulant lists. They are not scored and we are not recommending them.
| Company | Verified credential |
|---|---|
| Modern Renovations LLC | DPOR Class A licence 2705167869 with the roofing specialty, on Valley Ave in Winchester, since 2018; Owens Corning Platinum Preferred; BBB accredited since 2017 at A+, with one complaint in three years. Also has offices in Martinsburg, Frederick and Greencastle. |
| Black Stone Roofing LLC | DPOR Class A licence 2705173444 with the roofing specialty, on Airport Rd in Winchester, since 2021; BBB A+, trading since 2016, no complaints in three years. |
| Alamo Roofing LLC | DPOR Class A licence 2705180676, roofing and home improvement specialties, in Winchester since 2022; Owens Corning Preferred; BBB A+, no complaints in three years. |
| Russell Roofing Company Inc | Class A licence 2705141339 with the roofing specialty since 2011, held by LORLOV L.C. at the same Papermill Rd address; BBB A+. Ask which entity signs the contract. |
Roof replacement and repair in Winchester, VA
Short answer: In Winchester, start with Roofsimple for a large reroof with no licence size cap, Ashburn Roofing for a local firm with a perfect 5.0 average, Elite Roofing & Restoration for a typical shingle reroof, and GNS Roofing for smaller shingle or metal jobs. The rule that matters most: Virginia licenses by job size, so check the DPOR class fits the price; a Class C firm cannot lawfully sign a job of $30,000 or more.
Wind and snow do more roof damage here than hail. Frederick County, Winchester and Hampshire County logged 236 thunderstorm wind reports from 2016 to 2025 against 28 hail reports. On 17 July 2021 a 65 knot gust blew the roof off a Winchester townhome, and on 12 July 2022 a storm with winds of 60 to 105 mph and two EF0 tornadoes peeled up a farmhouse roof near Glebe. The January 2016 blizzard left up to 38 inches near Gainesboro. Age matters too: the city’s median home was built in 1968, 18.5 percent predate 1940, and many old roofs are slate or standing seam metal. Buckingham slate should last about 175 years and can often be repaired.
Virginia has no 25 percent roof rule. The statewide building code treats replacing any amount of roof covering on a one or two family home as an ordinary repair needing no permit where the nominal design wind speed is 100 mph or less, and Frederick County’s 115 mph ultimate speed converts to 89 mph nominal. The exception is a local historic district: Winchester’s guidelines say roof material replacement needs a building permit there, and they ask owners not to replace slate or standing seam metal with asphalt shingles. Under the Virginia Existing Building Code, no recover is allowed over a water soaked or deteriorated roof, slate or tile, or two or more layers.
A contractor needs a Board for Contractors licence for any job over $1,000: Class C under $30,000, Class B up to $150,000 and Class A above that. The roofing specialty, residential building and home improvement licences all cover a reroof. Contracting without the right licence is a Class 1 misdemeanour, and the recovery fund pays at most $30,000 per transaction, only against licensees. From 1 January 2027 the Residential Property Owners Protection Act bars paying, waiving or rebating a deductible on an owner-occupied home, and a contract signed within 180 days of a state of emergency can be cancelled within 10 days or before work starts.
Roofsimple, based in Front Royal about 18 miles away, has 597 GAF reviews averaging 4.8 and a Class A licence with the roofing specialty, and handles reroofing, storm work, gutters, siding, windows and skylights. Ashburn Roofing, on Valley Pike in Winchester, holds a Class A licence and a perfect 5.0 across 197 reviews. Elite Roofing & Restoration holds a Class B licence, capping a job below $150,000, and little else is on its public record. GNS Roofing of White Post does shingle and metal roofing, gutters, chimney flashing and skylights and has held the roofing specialty since 2012, but its Class C licence caps a job below $30,000.
| Rule | What applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor licence | Required for any job over $1,000: Class C over $1,000 and under $30,000, Class B up to $150,000, Class A anything larger; ROC, RBC and HIC licences all cover a reroof. | Va. Code 54.1-1100; Virginia DPOR Board for Contractors |
| Reroof permit | Replacing any amount of roof covering on a one or two family home needs no permit where the nominal design wind speed is 100 mph or less; Frederick County converts to 89 mph nominal. | USBC 108.2, 13VAC5-63-80 |
| Historic district permit | In the Historic Winchester district, roof material replacement needs a building permit and design review before exterior work. | City of Winchester historic district guidance |
| 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 |
| Frederick County permit fee | Where a reroof permit is issued, the fee is $75 plus the 2% state levy. | Frederick County |
| Deductible and emergency cancellation | From 1 January 2027, no paying, waiving or rebating a deductible on an owner-occupied home; a roofing contract signed within 180 days of a declared emergency can be cancelled within 10 days or before work starts. | Va. Code 59.1-617 to 59.1-620 |
| 25 percent rule | Virginia has no 25 percent roof rule. | 2021 Uniform Statewide Building Code (13VAC5-63) |
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.
The 236 wind reports that shape a Winchester 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 Winchester, VA-WV statistical area over ten years, with the dates, the stone sizes and the towns they landed on. Over that decade the metro logged 28 hail reports, 236 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports and 2 tornadoes. Reported property damage from hail, severe wind and tornado over that decade totalled $1.9 million; flood and winter-storm losses are counted separately and are not included.
The biggest hail to fall on Winchester in a decade
| Date | Stone size | Reported near | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 July 2022 | 2.0 in | Kirby | Hampshire |
| 12 July 2022 | 2.0 in | Delray | Hampshire |
| 3 May 2019 | 1.75 in | Caunterburg | Frederick |
| 12 July 2022 | 1.75 in | Kirby | Hampshire |
| 3 May 2019 | 1.5 in | Armel | Frederick |
| 30 April 2017 | 1.5 in | Hoy | Hampshire |
The largest stone on record for this metro fell on 12 July 2022 near Kirby, 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 89 knots, about 102 mph, near Kirby on 12 July 2022. Asphalt shingles begin lifting at roughly 67 mph when they are correctly nailed, and considerably below that when they are not.
Tornadoes. 2 tornadoes touched down in these counties over the decade, the strongest rated EF0 near Glebe on 12 July 2022.
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 12 July 2022 event near Kirby, reproduced verbatim:
A powerful storm tracked across southern Hampshire County on July 12th, 2022, producing a 23-mile long by 9-mile wide swath of extensive tree and property damage. The vast majority of this damage was associated with a macroburst as a bowing storm and associated rear-inflow jet tracked across the county. Winds within this 9-mile wide swath were estimated to be between 60 and 105 MPH. The storm progressed into the valley between Nathaniel Mountain and Short Mountain between about 3:43 and 3:53 PM EDT. Extensive tree damage was observed throughout this valley over a several mile long swath extending from north to south. The most extensive damage was observed just north of Kirby. Hundreds of…
That is what the specification has to anticipate here, written up by the agency that recorded it rather than by a contractor selling the repair.
When it happens. Severe weather reports cluster in June (68), July (60), August (47). The worst years on record were 2025 (43), 2017 (37), 2022 (37). If you are scheduling non-urgent work in Winchester, 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 Winchester. Weight your decision toward wind rating, ventilation and flashing detail rather than paying extra for impact-rated shingles.
Old Town Winchester: slate, standing seam and a reroof that can need a permit
Winchester created its first local historic district in 1967 and widened it in 1976. Owners in the Historic Winchester district go through design review before exterior work, although city staff can approve a certificate of appropriateness administratively. The city’s own guidance is blunt: roof material replacement is among the jobs that require a building permit there, which matches the exception in the statewide code that lets a building official require a permit for replacement roofing in a locally designated district. A separate National Register district, designated in 1980, carries no local review.
The stock explains why this matters. Winchester city’s median home was built in 1968 and 18.5 percent of its homes predate 1940; in surrounding Frederick County the median is 1996 and only 3.5 percent are that old. Many of the old roofs are slate or standing seam metal, and the city’s guidelines ask owners not to replace either with asphalt shingles because it would dramatically alter the building, though artificial slate is acceptable.
Before you agree to a tear off, the guidelines make a point worth paying for: Buckingham slate, used on many local buildings, should last about 175 years and can often be repaired, while Pennsylvania slate lasts about 75 years before it delaminates. They advise checking that the slate itself is failing and not just the flashing. When a roof is replaced they ask owners to match or reuse the original materials, gutters and downspouts included, and to put solar panels on a secondary slope away from the street.
Wind is the live risk in the city. On 17 July 2021 a 65 knot thunderstorm gust brought down trees across Winchester and blew the roof off a townhome, a $100,000 record. The worst storm of the decade fell outside town: on 12 July 2022 a storm cut a 23 mile swath through southern Hampshire County with winds of 60 to 105 mph, two EF0 tornadoes and 2 inch hail, and one tornado peeled up a farmhouse roof near Glebe.
For an Old Town owner, that makes the first question whether the house is in the local district, and the second whether the roofer has worked on slate or metal and will handle the permit and design review. Anywhere in the metro, check the DPOR licence class against the contract price: a Class C firm cannot lawfully sign a job of $30,000 or more.
Winchester’s historic roofs and the rules that apply
| Item | Figure or rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Local historic district | Created 1967, expanded 1976; design review before exterior work | City of Winchester historic district guidance |
| Permit for a reroof | Exempt statewide at 100 mph nominal or less; may be required in a local historic district | USBC 108.2, 13VAC5-63-80 |
| Design wind speed, Frederick County | 115 mph ultimate, about 89 mph nominal | Frederick County design criteria; VRC Table R301.2.1.3 |
| Buckingham slate life | About 175 years; often repairable | Winchester design guidelines |
| Pennsylvania slate life | About 75 years before delaminating | Winchester design guidelines |
| Homes built before 1940 | 18.5% in the city; 3.5% in Frederick County | ACS 2020 to 2024 |
| Median year built | 1968 city; 1996 Frederick County | ACS 2020 to 2024, B25035 |
| Townhome roof blown off | 17 July 2021, 65 knot gust; $100,000 | NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
| Hampshire County storm, 12 July 2022 | 60 to 105 mph swath; two EF0 tornadoes; 2 inch hail | NWS via NOAA NCEI |
| January 2016 blizzard | Up to 38 inches near Gainesboro | NOAA NCEI, zone rows |
Source: City of Winchester historic district brochures and residential rehabilitation guidelines (2026); Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code 13VAC5-63-80; Code of Virginia 54.1-1100, 54.1-1115, 54.1-1123 and 59.1-617 to 59.1-620; 18VAC50-22; Frederick County local design criteria and fee schedule; W. Va. Code 30-42 and 46A-6M; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database and 1991 to 2020 normals; Virginia DPOR regulant lists; Owens Corning contractor locator; BBB business profiles; US Census Bureau ACS 2020 to 2024.
What to verify before a Winchester contractor starts
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.
The shape of the Winchester contractor market
4 certified roofing contractors serve the principal cities of the Winchester, VA-WV statistical area, of which 1 hold the top President’s Club tier. The pool carries 949 customer reviews between them at a mean rating of 4.867. The statistical area had a 2024 population of 149,702, a change of 4.95% against the 2020 census base, per the U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
How these Winchester rankings were produced
Every contractor in the Winchester, VA-WV 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 0 Master Elite, against a metro mean rating of 4.867. The top four were then researched individually against Better Business Bureau records, state licence registers and manufacturer directories. The findings are printed above whether they flatter the contractor or not, and nobody paid to appear.
Set aside in Winchester. 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.
- Jade Roofing & Construction LLC, which scored 63.1: Excluded on service area and licence. A Martinsburg, West Virginia firm whose website lists Berkeley and Jefferson counties in West Virginia, Frederick and Washington counties in Maryland and Franklin County, Pennsylvania, none of them in this metro, and which holds no current Virginia contractor licence on DPOR’s lists.
- Hans & Company LLC, which scored 60.2: Excluded on service area and licence. A Harpers Ferry firm whose site names Jefferson and Berkeley counties in West Virginia, Franklin County in Pennsylvania and Frederick and Montgomery counties in Maryland; its Frederick County is Maryland’s. It says it is licensed in Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and DPOR lists no Virginia licence for it.
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: 2026-10-09. Corrections go to the editor and are actioned on verification.
Common questions about roofers in Winchester
Who is the best roofer in Winchester, VA?
Roofsimple of Front Royal, VA scores highest in the Winchester metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score, at 87.9 out of 100 as of October 2026. It holds President’s Club certification with a 4.8 rating across 597 reviews. Highest-scoring is not the same as best fit for your specific job, and the three companies behind it score within 32.0 points.
What is the 25% rule for roofing in Virginia?
Virginia has no 25 percent roof rule. The Uniform Statewide Building Code treats replacing any amount of roof covering on a one or two family home as an ordinary repair that needs no permit, unless the nominal design wind speed exceeds 100 mph. Localities may still require permits in historic districts and flood hazard areas.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Winchester?
In most of the metro a like-for-like house reroof needs no permit, because Frederick County’s design wind speed converts to 89 mph nominal, under the 100 mph limit. Inside the Historic Winchester district, the city’s guidelines say roof material replacement needs a building permit, and exterior work goes through design review.
Can I replace a slate roof with shingles in Old Town Winchester?
Winchester’s guidelines ask owners not to replace slate or standing seam metal with asphalt shingles because it would dramatically alter the building, though artificial slate is acceptable. They also advise checking that the slate itself is failing and not just the flashing, since Buckingham slate should last about 175 years and can often be repaired.
What licence class does a roofer need in Virginia?
It depends on the contract price: Class C covers a single job over $1,000 and under $30,000, Class B up to $150,000 and Class A anything larger. Check the class on the Virginia DPOR licence lookup before signing, because a Class C firm cannot lawfully sign a job of $30,000 or more.
How many certified roofing contractors serve Winchester?
4 contractors on the GAF certification registry serve the principal cities of the Winchester, VA-WV statistical area as of October 2026, of which 1 hold President’s Club status.
How much damaging hail does Winchester get?
The Winchester, VA-WV statistical area recorded 24 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 four.
What was the worst hailstorm in Winchester in the last ten years?
The largest hailstone logged by the National Weather Service in the Winchester, VA-WV statistical area between 2016 and 2025 measured 2.0 inches, reported near Kirby on 12 July 2022. That is hen-egg sized. Two inches is the threshold at which insurers expect functional damage and full replacement claims. Across the decade the metro recorded 28 hail reports. Reported property damage from hail, severe wind and tornado over that decade totalled $1.9 million; flood and winter-storm losses are counted separately and are not included.
When is the worst time of year for roof damage in Winchester?
Severe-weather reports in the Winchester, VA-WV statistical area cluster in June, July, August, on the NOAA record for 2016 to 2025. If the work can wait, booking outside that window usually buys you shorter lead times and more of the contractor’s attention.
Do roofers need a licence in 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 Winchester?
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.
Old Town Winchester: slate, standing seam and a reroof that can need a permit?
Winchester created its first local historic district in 1967 and widened it in 1976. Owners in the Historic Winchester district go through design review before exterior work, although city staff can approve a certificate of appropriateness administratively. The city’s own guidance is blunt: roof material replacement is among the jobs that require a building permit there, which matches the exception in the statewide code that lets a building official require a permit for replacement roofing in a locally designated district. A separate National Register district, designated in 1980, carries no local review.
Is Winchester a hard market to find a good roofer in?
Winchester’s roofs are old by Virginia standards: the city’s median home was built in 1968 and nearly one in five predates 1940, many of them under slate or standing seam metal in a historic district where replacing a roof can need a permit and design review that the rest of the metro never sees. Storms here are wind and snow more than hail; the January 2016 blizzard buried Frederick County under up to 38 inches. Six certified firms appear in the directory for the area; two publish service areas outside the metro and hold no Virginia licence, so four are ranked.
Is wind or hail the bigger risk to a roof in Winchester?
Wind, by a wide margin. The Winchester, VA-WV statistical area logged 236 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports against 24 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 Jade Roofing & Construction LLC not on this list?
Excluded on service area and licence. A Martinsburg, West Virginia firm whose website lists Berkeley and Jefferson counties in West Virginia, Frederick and Washington counties in Maryland and Franklin County, Pennsylvania, none of them in this metro, and which holds no current Virginia contractor licence on DPOR’s lists..
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 Hagerstown, MD, about 40 miles from Winchester
- Best roofers in Chambersburg, PA, about 59 miles from Winchester
- Best roofers in Harrisonburg, VA, about 63 miles from Winchester
- Best roofers in Washington, DC, about 65 miles from Winchester
- Best roofers in Charlottesville, VA, another VA metro on the same formula
- Best roofers in Staunton, VA, another VA metro on the same formula
- Best roofers in Wichita Falls, TX, 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 Winchester, VA: 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.