Short answer: As of September 2026, the five highest-scoring roofing contractors in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score are Associate Roofing, Inc. (91.7), Connell Roofing, Inc. (89.0), DeCarney Roofing LLC (83.5), Mario’s Roofing, Inc. (80.8), Action Construction Inc., trading as Action Roofing (80.8). 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 8 certified roofing contractors serving the Boston metro on a published, reproducible formula, then researched each of the top five individually to confirm its record. Massachusetts requires two separate credentials, and the distinction catches homeowners out constantly. A Home Improvement Contractor registration covers replacing roof covering. A Construction Supervisor Licence is required the moment the job touches sheathing, rafters or framing. Since a New England tear-off frequently exposes rotten sheathing, a contractor holding only an HIC registration can be legally unable to finish the job they started. Every company below was checked for both credentials.
Wind, terrain and the Boston housing stock
Massachusetts is one of the few states that separates the paperwork from the competence. A Home Improvement Contractor registration is mandatory above $1,000 and is a consumer-protection filing; a Construction Supervisor Licence is the one that tests technical knowledge and is required for structural work. A tear-off routinely exposes rotten sheathing or a bad rafter tail, and a contractor holding only the registration cannot legally repair it. Ask which credentials the company holds before the job starts, not when the deck is open. The registration is also what gives you access to the state’s Guaranty Fund if the contractor takes your money and fails to perform.
Ice is the design case here, and the code is specific. Massachusetts requires an ice barrier running from the lowest roof edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line, and on roofs pitched 8:12 or steeper it must also extend at least 36 inches measured along the slope. That membrane is the difference between a February thaw draining away and water backing up under the shingles into the ceiling below. The durable fix sits above it: attic air sealing, insulation and ventilation, so the roof deck stays cold and the snow stops melting from underneath in the first place.
Inside the city, two approvals can apply rather than one. Boston’s Inspectional Services Department issues the roofing permit, and if the house sits in one of the city’s landmark or architectural conservation districts, Beacon Hill, Back Bay, the South End and others, the relevant commission reviews exterior work that is visible from a public way, including roof material, colour and profile. That review has its own meeting calendar. If your building is in one of those districts, ask the contractor whether they have taken an application through that commission before, and add the approval time to the schedule.
The storm record is a summer thunderstorm record: 831 severe wind reports against 111 hail reports over the decade, peaking hard in July, with only one hailstone reaching two inches, at West Medway on 28 June 2020. Tornadoes are rare but not unknown, nine in ten years, including EF1s at Concord in August 2016 and Weymouth in August 2023. The most damaging single event was a microburst on 15 May 2020 that the National Weather Service estimated at 90 to 100 mph over Pepperell. Wind uplift at rakes and ridges, not impact resistance, is what to specify against.
The 5 best roofers in Boston, MA
Scored 2026-09-12. The metro mean rating used as the Bayesian prior for Boston is 4.956, across a pool of 8 certified contractors.
| Rank | Company | TRB Score | Certification | Rating (reviews) | Adjusted | In business since | Based in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Associate Roofing, Inc. | 91.7 | President’s Club | 4.9 (186) | 4.912 | 1932 | Braintree, MA |
| 2 | Connell Roofing, Inc. | 89.0 | President’s Club | 4.9 (324) | 4.907 | 1956 | Wrentham, MA |
| 3 | DeCarney Roofing LLC | 83.5 | Master Elite | 5.0 (367) | 4.995 | 2017 | Beverly, MA |
| 4 | Mario’s Roofing, Inc. | 80.8 | Master Elite | 4.9 (532) | 4.905 | not published | Stoughton, MA |
| 5 | Action Construction Inc., trading as Action Roofing | 80.8 | Master Elite | 5.0 (98) | 4.985 | not published | Billerica, MA |
1. Associate Roofing, Inc. — TRB Score 91.7
Associate Roofing, Inc. is based in Braintree, MA, in business since 1932, BBB a+ rated, not BBB accredited, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 35 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 36.5 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 12.5 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 7.7 | 10 |
| Total | 91.7 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- A+ rated, with 94 years in business from a 1932 start. BBB
- 69% of surveyed customers rated the company superior overall. Consumers’ Checkbook
What they actually do. Residential roofing across the South Shore and greater Boston.
Why it ranks here. Founded in 1932, this is the oldest continuously trading business in either batch of metros published so far, at 94 years. Boston Consumers’ Checkbook is a subscriber-funded survey organisation that takes no advertising, so its superior rating cannot be bought.
Best fit for: South Shore homeowners who weight a multi-generation track record above everything else.
What we would want clarified. A+ rated but not BBB accredited, so there is no BBB accreditation record, though the rating itself stands. 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 (781) 848-4222, 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. Connell Roofing, Inc. — TRB Score 89.0
Connell Roofing, Inc. is based in Wrentham, MA, in business since 1956, BBB profile on record, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 35 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 36.3 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 13.8 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 3.9 | 10 |
| Total | 89.0 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Home Improvement Contractor registration 197031 valid to 21 October 2027, and Construction Supervisor Licence CS-104803 valid to 20 November 2027, both on the BBB record. Massachusetts licences
- Established 1956, serving the area for more than 60 years, insured and bonded. Company
- BuildZoom score 89, above 30% of 139,240 Massachusetts contractors. BuildZoom
What they actually do. Roofing and remodelling across Norfolk County and the south-western Boston suburbs.
Why it ranks here. The only contractor in the Boston top five with both required Massachusetts credentials documented with numbers and expiry dates on the public record, both valid into late 2027. That is exactly the dual-credential position this state demands.
Best fit for: Jobs likely to expose structural decking damage, where the Construction Supervisor Licence is legally required.
What we would want clarified. A published complaint states the company has been reported to the BBB, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and its shingle manufacturer over alleged false and deceptive business practices. We found no corresponding regulatory action, and both licences remain current and valid. Read the BBB complaint record directly before deciding, and get every promise 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 (781) 444-7577, 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. DeCarney Roofing LLC — TRB Score 83.5
DeCarney Roofing LLC is based in Beverly, MA, in business since 2017, led by Mario DeCarney, BBB profile on record, featured by BBB, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 24 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 39.8 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 14.1 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 5.6 | 10 |
| Total | 83.5 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Profiled by the Better Business Bureau in its Behind the Business series as a third-generation roofing family business. BBB
- Third-generation roofer Mario DeCarney founded the current business in 2017 after years working with his father, with over 100 five-star reviews. Company
What they actually do. Roof repair and replacement across the North Shore.
Why it ranks here. Being profiled by the BBB itself, rather than merely rated by it, is unusual. The trade knowledge is third-generation even though the registered company dates from 2017.
Best fit for: North Shore homeowners from Beverly through Gloucester and Salem.
Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (978) 304-6147, 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. Mario’s Roofing, Inc. — TRB Score 80.8
Mario’s Roofing, Inc. is based in Stoughton, MA, Not accredited, A+ rating, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 24 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 36.2 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 15.0 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 5.6 | 10 |
| Total | 80.8 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- A+ rated though not BBB accredited. BBB
- 498 reviews on Birdeye. Birdeye
- Listed with GuildQuality, which surveys customers directly rather than collecting volunteered reviews. GuildQuality
What they actually do. Roofing, siding and windows across the South Shore and greater Boston.
Why it ranks here. 532 registry reviews at 4.9, corroborated by 498 on a second platform, with GuildQuality participation so feedback is solicited from every customer rather than volunteered.
Best fit for: Stoughton, Canton and South Shore homeowners.
What we would want clarified. Not BBB accredited, so there is no complaint record to read. Confirm the Massachusetts HIC registration; without it the state Guaranty Fund does not apply to your job. 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 (781) 344-2420, 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. Action Construction Inc., trading as Action Roofing — TRB Score 80.8
Action Construction Inc., trading as Action Roofing is based in Billerica, MA, led by Milan Kucik, BBB accredited since 28 December 2009, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 24 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 39.4 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 11.0 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 6.4 | 10 |
| Total | 80.8 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Accredited since 28 December 2009. BBB
- Holds Building Licenses and a CSSL RF Roofing licence plus nine others on the state board record, with Massachusetts HIC registration 188705. Massachusetts licences
- BuildZoom score 108, in the top 5% of 139,240 Massachusetts licensed contractors, with at least 84 projects permitted in the last three years. BuildZoom
What they actually do. Roof replacement, inspection, reroofing, storm damage repair and emergency roofing across New England.
Why it ranks here. Promoted into the top five after the exclusion documented below. Holds both the roofing Construction Supervisor class and an HIC registration, a BuildZoom score in the state’s top 5%, and 84 permitted projects in three years, which is verifiable activity rather than self-reported volume.
Best fit for: Merrimack Valley and north-west suburban homeowners, and emergency or storm work.
Verify the certification yourself on the GAF registry listing. The number carried on that listing is (978) 726-9709, which is the registry’s contact line and is often a directory tracking number rather than the contractor’s own: take the number from the company’s own website and compare the two.
The 831 wind reports that shape a Boston 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 7 counties of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH statistical area over ten years, with the dates, the stone sizes and the towns they landed on. Over that decade the metro logged 111 hail reports, 831 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports and 9 tornadoes. Reported property damage from hail, severe wind and tornado over that decade totalled $4.7 million; flood and winter-storm losses are counted separately and are not included.
The biggest hail to fall on Boston in a decade
| Date | Stone size | Reported near | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 June 2020 | 2.0 in | West Medway | Norfolk |
| 13 August 2023 | 1.75 in | Rollinsford | Strafford |
| 15 August 2024 | 1.75 in | Chester | Rockingham |
| 22 August 2020 | 1.75 in | Middleboro | Plymouth |
| 23 June 2024 | 1.75 in | Greenland | Rockingham |
| 23 June 2024 | 1.75 in | Raymond | Rockingham |
The largest stone on record for this metro fell on 28 June 2020 near West Medway, 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 87 knots, about 100 mph, near Hovey Corner on 15 May 2020. Asphalt shingles begin lifting at roughly 67 mph when they are correctly nailed, and considerably below that when they are not.
Tornadoes. 9 tornadoes touched down in these counties over the decade, the strongest rated EF1 near Concord on 22 August 2016.
What the National Weather Service wrote about it
The NWS logs a written account of each severe-weather episode. This is its description of the 15 May 2020 event near Hovey Corner, reproduced verbatim:
A microburst with estimated winds of 90-100 mph produced significant damage to trees and homes in a small part of Pepperell. Several large trees were uprooted near Brookline Street and Cheyenne Road, some onto houses. Trees were snapped about two to three feet from their bases farther down on Cheyenne Road near Algonquin Road. A couple of trees were also downed on Gosselin Drive and Seminole Drive. According to the Emergency Management Director, four telephone poles were snapped and seven homes had damage, six of which were significant with roofs penetrated and garages destroyed by falling trees. Miraculously, there were no injuries.
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 July (357), June (215), August (159). The worst years on record were 2016 (176), 2020 (167), 2021 (106). If you are scheduling non-urgent work in Boston, 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. Boston 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 Boston
Licensing is required in MA. Massachusetts requires two credentials for most roofing. Anyone contracting to alter or repair an owner-occupied home of one to four units must hold a Home Improvement Contractor registration with the Office of Consumer Affairs under M.G.L. c. 142A, and anyone supervising work regulated by the building code must hold an examined Construction Supervisor Licence under 780 CMR 110.R5, issued unrestricted or in specialty classes including roofing.
The supervisor licence requires three years of experience in the past ten and a passed exam; the HIC registration is a consumer-protection filing with no exam. Any home improvement contract over $1,000 must be in writing with the registration number, and the deposit may not exceed the greater of one third of the price or the cost of special-order materials. The Residential Contractor’s Guaranty Fund pays up to $25,000 per claim, raised from $10,000 on 20 November 2024, but only against registered contractors.
Check here: Massachusetts HIC registration check. Check both registers: the HIC record shows complaints, arbitration and guaranty fund history, and the supervisor licence shows whether the person running your job passed the exam and in which class.
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 Boston contractor market
8 certified roofing contractors serve the principal cities of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH statistical area, of which 2 hold the top President’s Club tier. The pool carries 1,871 customer reviews between them at a mean rating of 4.956. The statistical area had a 2024 population of 5,025,517, a change of 1.63% against the 2020 census base, per the U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
How these Boston rankings were produced
Every contractor in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 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 8 certified contractors, of whom 2 hold President’s Club standing and 6 Master Elite, against a metro mean rating of 4.956. The top five 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 Boston. A contractor that would otherwise have scored into the top five was 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.
- H&R Roofing, which scored 93.8: would have ranked first on score, but the Massachusetts roofer licence on the public contractor-board record, number 172671, is shown as having expired on 11 September 2025, and the company is not BBB accredited. Massachusetts requires current registration for this work. The licence may since have been renewed and the public record may simply be stale, and The Roofing Brief makes no finding about the quality of the company’s roofing work, but a page built on verifiable credentials cannot rank a contractor first when the credential cannot be verified as current
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: 2026-09-12. Corrections go to the editor and are actioned on verification.
The questions that come up most in Boston
Who is the best roofer in Boston, MA?
Associate Roofing, Inc. of Braintree, MA scores highest in the Boston metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score, at 91.7 out of 100 as of September 2026. It holds President’s Club certification with a 4.9 rating across 186 reviews. Highest-scoring is not the same as best fit for your specific job, and the four companies behind it score within 10.9 points.
How many certified roofing contractors serve Boston?
8 contractors on the GAF certification registry serve the principal cities of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH statistical area as of September 2026, of which 2 hold President’s Club status.
How much damaging hail does Boston get?
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH statistical area recorded 72 hail reports of 1 inch or larger and 1 of 2 inches or larger between 2016 and 2025 in the NOAA Storm Events Database. The largest hailstone reported measured 2.0 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 Boston in the last ten years?
The largest hailstone logged by the National Weather Service in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH statistical area between 2016 and 2025 measured 2.0 inches, reported near West Medway on 28 June 2020. 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 111 hail reports. Reported property damage from hail, severe wind and tornado over that decade totalled $4.7 million; flood and winter-storm losses are counted separately and are not included.
When is the worst time of year for roof damage in Boston?
Severe-weather reports in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH statistical area cluster in July, June, 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 MA?
Massachusetts requires two credentials for most roofing. Anyone contracting to alter or repair an owner-occupied home of one to four units must hold a Home Improvement Contractor registration with the Office of Consumer Affairs under M.G.L. c. 142A, and anyone supervising work regulated by the building code must hold an examined Construction Supervisor Licence under 780 CMR 110.R5, issued unrestricted or in specialty classes including roofing. The supervisor licence requires three years of experience in the past ten and a passed exam; the HIC registration is a consumer-protection filing with no exam. Any home improvement contract over $1,000 must be in writing with the registration number, and the deposit may not exceed the greater of one third of the price or the cost of special-order materials. The Residential Contractor’s Guaranty Fund pays up to $25,000 per claim, raised from $10,000 on 20 November 2024, but only against registered contractors.
What should I check before hiring a roofer in Boston?
Check both registers: the HIC record shows complaints, arbitration and guaranty fund history, and the supervisor licence shows whether the person running your job passed the exam and in which class.
Is Boston a hard market to find a good roofer in?
Massachusetts requires two separate credentials, and the distinction catches homeowners out constantly. A Home Improvement Contractor registration covers replacing roof covering. A Construction Supervisor Licence is required the moment the job touches sheathing, rafters or framing. Since a New England tear-off frequently exposes rotten sheathing, a contractor holding only an HIC registration can be legally unable to finish the job they started. Every company below was checked for both credentials.
Is wind or hail the bigger risk to a roof in Boston?
Wind, by a wide margin. The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH statistical area logged 831 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports against 72 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 H&R Roofing not on this list?
Would have ranked first on score, but the Massachusetts roofer licence on the public contractor-board record, number 172671, is shown as having expired on 11 September 2025, and the company is not BBB accredited. Massachusetts requires current registration for this work. The licence may since have been renewed and the public record may simply be stale, and The Roofing Brief makes no finding about the quality of the company’s roofing work, but a page built on verifiable credentials cannot rank a contractor first when the credential cannot be verified as current.
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 Worcester, MA, about 41 miles from Boston
- Best roofers in Providence, RI, about 41 miles from Boston
- Best roofers in Manchester, NH, about 50 miles from Boston
- Best roofers in Barnstable Town, MA, about 58 miles from Boston
- Best roofers in Springfield, MA, another MA metro on the same formula
- Best roofers in Phoenix, AZ, a metro of comparable size
- Best roofers in Riverside, CA, a metro of comparable size
- Best roofers in Portland, ME, also scored, about 99 miles away
See the full index of all 400 metro roofer rankings, or read how to find and vet a roofing contractor anywhere in the country.
Cite this analysis
The Roofing Brief. “Best Roofers in Boston, MA: 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.