Short answer: As of September 2026, the five highest-scoring roofing contractors in the Ocala, FL metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score are The Roof Guys (94.6), Certified Roofing Solutions (93.6), Next Dimension Roofing & Solar (90.5), Ocala Roofing (74.5), Big D Roofing (74.0). All of them carry a verifiable manufacturer certification, every rating here was cross-checked against an independent record, and no money changed hands for any placement.
The Roofing Brief scored 13 certified roofing contractors serving the Ocala metro on a published, reproducible formula, then researched each of the top five individually to confirm its record. Marion County is horse country, and its storm record reads like it: an EF1 near Martel in May 2019 that shoved a horse trailer 30 to 40 yards, and thunderstorm winds near Martin in April 2024 that lifted a roof clean over a building, flipped a horse trailer and heavily damaged a horse barn. Inland from both coasts, Ocala escapes the surge but not the wind, with six tornadoes and 144 severe wind reports in ten years, and on 26 April 2023 hail of two to three inches fell at Anthony. The contractor field is strong, four President’s Club firms among thirteen, and the top three are separated by 4.1 points. Two of those three also carry this page’s main caveat, a combined 17 BBB complaints over three years. Florida’s roofing licence is the real check: every roofer must hold one, and it can be searched by name.
What an Ocala roof is up against
Start with the licence. Florida requires a state roofing licence for any roof installation, repair or replacement, and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s public search shows who holds each one: the Certified Roofing Contractor licence behind Certified Roofing Solutions is held by Titus Randall Lea, and Ocala Roofing’s by Wayne Cortland Smith. The person named on the licence is the one accountable to the state, so check that the licence on your contract is current and matches the company you are dealing with. Permitting is split by address: property inside Ocala city limits goes through the City of Ocala’s building department, while the many Ocala-postcode addresses in unincorporated Marion County permit through the county.
Two state laws decide what a re-roof must include. Florida Statute 553.844 requires hurricane mitigation when the roof on a site-built single-family home is replaced, including a secondary water barrier and, where the home’s value and the cost thresholds are met, strengthened roof-to-wall connections. Senate Bill 4-D, signed in May 2022, means that if your existing roof was built or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, repairing a quarter or more of it no longer forces a full replacement; only the repaired section must meet the current code. Your permit history proves which code your roof was built to, so find it before anyone tells you the whole roof has to go.
The storm record rewards attention to wind at the edges. Marion County’s 144 severe wind reports peak in April and July, and the tornado record includes the EF1 of 12 March 2022, which crossed Dunnellon and then the south and east sides of Ocala with winds near 110 mph, left extensive roof damage at the Paddock Park Apartments and sent displaced residents to an emergency shelter. Hail is rare but not trivial: 16 reports, nine of an inch or more, and the April 2023 storm damaged about 50 vehicles and four homes around the county’s public safety complex. For wind-mitigation roof work on a homesteaded house, check the state’s My Safe Florida Home programme, which offers matching grants of up to $10,000 when a funding round is open; past rounds have run out quickly.
The top three are close, and they are also large. Certified Roofing Solutions and Next Dimension each carry more than 640 registry reviews, and both have grown fast enough to appear on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies. Scale brings complaints: BBB shows 11 over the past three years for Certified Roofing Solutions and six for Next Dimension, while both hold A+ ratings. Big D Roofing, in Ocala since 1981, and Ocala Roofing, whose owner has been installing roofs since 1983, are the long-tenure alternatives in fourth and fifth, half a point apart.
The 5 best roofers in Ocala, FL
Scored 2026-09-25. The metro mean rating used as the Bayesian prior for Ocala is 4.715, across a pool of 13 certified contractors.
| Rank | Company | TRB Score | Certification | Rating (reviews) | Adjusted | In business since | Based in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Roof Guys | 94.6 | President’s Club | 5.0 (278) | 4.957 | 2001 | Ocala, FL |
| 2 | Certified Roofing Solutions | 93.6 | President’s Club | 4.9 (645) | 4.887 | 2018 | Ocala, FL |
| 3 | Next Dimension Roofing & Solar | 90.5 | President’s Club | 4.9 (661) | 4.887 | 2015 | Summerfield, FL |
| 4 | Ocala Roofing | 74.5 | Master Elite | 4.8 (110) | 4.774 | not published | Ocala, FL |
| 5 | Big D Roofing | 74.0 | Master Elite | 4.7 (366) | 4.702 | 1981 | Ocala, FL |
1. The Roof Guys — TRB Score 94.6
The Roof Guys is based in Ocala, FL, in business since 2001, led by Chris Teel, BBB accredited since 7 August 2026, A+, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: President’s Club (GAF), VELUX skylight installer listing. 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 | 38.3 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 11.4 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 94.6 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Accredited since 7 August 2026, rated A+. BBB
- Listed skylight installer as The Roof Guys of Florida, LLC, Ocala. VELUX
What they actually do. Roof replacement and repair across Ocala and The Villages; the company reports more than 40,000 customers since 2001.
Why it ranks here. President’s Club with a perfect 5.0 across 278 reviews, scoring 94.6, one point ahead of Certified Roofing Solutions.
Best fit for: Southern Marion County homeowners along the County Road 484 corridor and toward The Villages.
What we would want clarified. BBB accreditation is only weeks old. Some platforms list the business as The Roof Guys of Florida, LLC, so make sure the licence and entity on your contract match. 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 (352) 553-2798, 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. Certified Roofing Solutions — TRB Score 93.6
Trades as Certified Roofing Solutions; listed on the GAF registry as Certified Roofing Solutions LLC.
Certified Roofing Solutions is based in Ocala, FL, in business since 2018, led by Titus Lea, BBB accredited since 22 December 2021, A+; 11 complaints in the last three years, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: President’s Club (GAF), Florida Certified Roofing Contractor, Inc. 5000 honoree, 2023. 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 | 13.1 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 93.6 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Accredited since 22 December 2021, rated A+, with 11 complaints closed in the last three years. BBB
- 2023 Inc. 5000 honoree. Inc.
- Certified Roofing Contractor licence held by Titus Randall Lea, doing business as Certified Roofing Solutions, LLC. Florida DBPR
What they actually do. Residential and commercial roofing from six locations, headquartered in downtown Ocala.
Why it ranks here. President’s Club, 4.9 across 645 reviews, scoring 93.6.
Best fit for: Homeowners who want a large operation with capacity after a storm.
What we would want clarified. Eleven BBB complaints in three years is the highest count among the ranked contractors in this metro. Read how they were resolved on the BBB profile, and with six locations, ask which office and crew will handle 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 (352) 304-6441, 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. Next Dimension Roofing & Solar — TRB Score 90.5
Next Dimension Roofing & Solar is based in Summerfield, FL, in business since 2015, led by Blaine Villarreal, BBB accredited since 1 July 2020, A+; 6 complaints in the last three years, and holds President’s Club standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: President’s Club (GAF), Inc. 5000 honoree, 2024. 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 | 13.1 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 6.9 | 10 |
| Total | 90.5 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Accredited since 1 July 2020, rated A+, with 6 complaints in the last three years. BBB
- 2024 Inc. 5000 honoree as Next Dimension Construction & Roofing. Inc.
What they actually do. Roofing and solar from a Summerfield base between Ocala and The Villages; founded by a father and his three sons who moved from Illinois.
Why it ranks here. President’s Club, 4.9 across 661 reviews, the largest review base in the top five, scoring 90.5. Being 12 miles from the centre costs it 3.1 proximity points, exactly the gap to second place.
Best fit for: Summerfield, Belleview and The Villages-area homeowners.
What we would want clarified. Six BBB complaints in three years, so read the responses. It also sells solar; ask for the roofing quote on its own. 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 (813) 755-8685, 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. Ocala Roofing — TRB Score 74.5
Trades as Ocala Roofing; listed on the GAF registry as Ocala Roofing Inc.
Ocala Roofing is based in Ocala, FL, led by Wayne Smith, BBB accredited since 21 May 2019, A+, and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
Certifications held: Master Elite (GAF), Florida Certified Roofing Contractor, Ocala CEP member. 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 | 24 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 30.9 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 9.5 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 74.5 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Accredited since 21 May 2019, rated A+. BBB
- Certified Roofing Contractor licence held by Wayne Cortland Smith, doing business as Ocala Roofing, Inc. Florida DBPR
- Member directory listing. Ocala CEP
What they actually do. Residential re-roofing, shingle and metal roofs, repairs and commercial work.
Why it ranks here. Master Elite, 4.8 across 110 reviews, scoring 74.5, half a point ahead of Big D Roofing. Its owner has installed roofs since 1983.
Best fit for: Northeast Ocala homeowners who want an owner-led, mid-sized firm.
What we would want clarified. The top three all hold a higher certification tier. Ask whether the owner is involved in estimating and inspecting your job, the main advantage of a firm this size. 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 (352) 622-5235, 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. Big D Roofing — TRB Score 74.0
Trades as Big D Roofing; listed on the GAF registry as Big D Roofing Inc.
Big D Roofing is based in Ocala, FL, in business since 1981, led by Don Stauss Jr., BBB accredited since 26 September 2016, A+ (as Big D Residential Roofing, Inc.), and holds Master Elite standing on the GAF certification registry.
| Score component | Points | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Certification tier | 24 | 35 |
| Adjusted rating | 28.1 | 40 |
| Review corpus depth | 11.9 | 15 |
| Metro proximity | 10.0 | 10 |
| Total | 74.0 | 100 |
Independently corroborated:
- Accredited since 26 September 2016 as Big D Residential Roofing, Inc., rated A+. BBB
What they actually do. Residential and commercial roofing, new construction and re-roofs in shingle and metal, across Ocala and The Villages; family owned.
Why it ranks here. Master Elite, 4.7 across 366 reviews, scoring 74.0. In Ocala since 1981, the longest-established firm in this top five.
Best fit for: Homeowners who put a 45-year local track record first.
What we would want clarified. Its 4.7 is fractionally below the metro mean, and BBB lists more than one Big D entity, Big D Roofing, Inc. and Big D Residential Roofing, Inc., so confirm which one signs your contract. 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 (352) 236-2959, 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 9 hail reports behind an Ocala 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 1 county of the Ocala, FL statistical area over ten years, with the dates, the stone sizes and the towns they landed on. Over that decade the metro logged 16 hail reports, 144 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports and 6 tornadoes. The database’s property-damage fields are left blank for most of these reports, so it carries no usable loss total for this metro and we do not quote one.
The biggest hail to fall on Ocala in a decade
| Date | Stone size | Reported near | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 April 2023 | 3.0 in | Anthony | Marion |
| 26 April 2023 | 1.75 in | West End | Marion |
| 26 April 2023 | 1.75 in | West End | Marion |
| 26 April 2023 | 1.25 in | West End | Marion |
| 3 June 2018 | 1.0 in | Flemington | Marion |
| 3 June 2018 | 1.0 in | Flemington | Marion |
The largest stone on record for this metro fell on 26 April 2023 near Anthony, measured at 3.0 inches. That is baseball sized, comfortably past the point where a roof is written off rather than repaired.
Wind. The strongest thunderstorm gust logged in the metro was 65 knots, about 75 mph, near Martin on 3 April 2024. Asphalt shingles begin lifting at roughly 67 mph when they are correctly nailed, and considerably below that when they are not.
Tornadoes. 6 tornadoes touched down in these counties over the decade, the strongest rated EF1 near Martel on 5 May 2019.
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 3 April 2024 event near Martin, reproduced verbatim:
The EM relayed widespread wind damage along NW 80th Ave near NW Highway 225A including a snapped water oak tree and a flipped horse trailer. Severe thunderstorm winds of 70-80 mph removed a roof and lofted it onto the other side of the building. There was also a lot of structure damage to a horse barn. The time of damage was based on radar.
That is the kind of damage a roof in this metro has to be specified against, described by the agency that recorded it rather than by a contractor selling the repair.
When it happens. Severe weather reports cluster in April (40), July (34), June (32). The worst years on record were 2017 (35), 2019 (21), 2022 (19). If you are scheduling non-urgent work in Ocala, 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 Ocala. Weight your decision toward wind rating, ventilation and flashing detail rather than paying extra for impact-rated shingles.
How to tell an Ocala roofer’s claims from their record
Licensing is required in FL. Florida requires a roofing contractor licence to install, repair, or replace any roofing system. A Certified Roofing Contractor licence is issued by the state and valid statewide; a Registered Roofing Contractor licence is issued locally and valid only in the issuing county or municipality.
A general contractor licence does not cover roofing in Florida. The licence must specifically read Certified Roofing Contractor or Registered Roofing Contractor.
Check here: Florida DBPR licence search. The DBPR record shows status, expiry and full disciplinary history. Anything other than Current, Active means the contractor cannot legally roof in Florida.
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 Ocala certified market really is
13 certified roofing contractors serve the principal cities of the Ocala, FL statistical area, of which 4 hold the top President’s Club tier. The pool carries 4,159 customer reviews between them at a mean rating of 4.715. The statistical area had a 2024 population of 428,905, a change of 14.1% against the 2020 census base, per the U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
How these Ocala rankings were produced
Every contractor in the Ocala, FL 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 13 certified contractors, of whom 4 hold President’s Club standing and 2 Master Elite, against a metro mean rating of 4.715. The top five were then researched individually against Better Business Bureau records, state licence registers and manufacturer directories. Good and bad findings are published together, and no contractor paid for a place here.
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: 2026-09-25. Corrections go to the editor and are actioned on verification.
The questions that come up most in Ocala
Who is the best roofer in Ocala, FL?
The Roof Guys of Ocala, FL scores highest in the Ocala metro on The Roofing Brief Contractor Score, at 94.6 out of 100 as of September 2026. It holds President’s Club certification with a 5.0 rating across 278 reviews. Highest-scoring is not the same as best fit for your specific job, and the four companies behind it score within 20.6 points.
How many certified roofing contractors serve Ocala?
13 contractors on the GAF certification registry serve the principal cities of the Ocala, FL statistical area as of September 2026, of which 4 hold President’s Club status.
How much damaging hail does Ocala get?
The Ocala, FL statistical area recorded 9 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 3.0 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 Ocala in the last ten years?
The largest hailstone logged by the National Weather Service in the Ocala, FL statistical area between 2016 and 2025 measured 3.0 inches, reported near Anthony on 26 April 2023. That is baseball sized, comfortably past the point where a roof is written off rather than repaired. Across the decade the metro recorded 16 hail reports. The database’s property-damage fields are left blank for most of these reports, so it carries no usable loss total for this metro and we do not quote one.
When is the worst time of year for roof damage in Ocala?
Severe-weather reports in the Ocala, FL statistical area cluster in April, July, June, on the NOAA record for 2016 to 2025. Scheduling discretionary work away from that window tends to get you a better crew and a faster start, because nobody is juggling emergency callouts.
Do roofers need a licence in FL?
Florida requires a roofing contractor licence to install, repair, or replace any roofing system. A Certified Roofing Contractor licence is issued by the state and valid statewide; a Registered Roofing Contractor licence is issued locally and valid only in the issuing county or municipality. A general contractor licence does not cover roofing in Florida. The licence must specifically read Certified Roofing Contractor or Registered Roofing Contractor.
What should I check before hiring a roofer in Ocala?
The DBPR record shows status, expiry and full disciplinary history. Anything other than Current, Active means the contractor cannot legally roof in Florida.
Is Ocala a hard market to find a good roofer in?
Marion County is horse country, and its storm record reads like it: an EF1 near Martel in May 2019 that shoved a horse trailer 30 to 40 yards, and thunderstorm winds near Martin in April 2024 that lifted a roof clean over a building, flipped a horse trailer and heavily damaged a horse barn. Inland from both coasts, Ocala escapes the surge but not the wind, with six tornadoes and 144 severe wind reports in ten years, and on 26 April 2023 hail of two to three inches fell at Anthony. The contractor field is strong, four President’s Club firms among thirteen, and the top three are separated by 4.1 points. Two of those three also carry this page’s main caveat, a combined 17 BBB complaints over three years. Florida’s roofing licence is the real check: every roofer must hold one, and it can be searched by name.
Is wind or hail the bigger risk to a roof in Ocala?
Wind, by a wide margin. The Ocala, FL statistical area logged 144 severe thunderstorm and high wind reports against 9 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 the 400 largest U.S. metropolitan and micropolitan areas on the same formula.
- Best roofers in Gainesville, FL, about 37 miles from Ocala
- Best roofers in Deltona, FL, about 60 miles from Ocala
- Best roofers in Orlando, FL, another FL metro on the same formula
- Best roofers in Lakeland, FL, another FL metro on the same formula
- Best roofers in Gulfport, MS, a metro of comparable size
- Best roofers in Manchester, NH, a metro of comparable size
- Best roofers in Jacksonville, FL, also scored, about 85 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 Ocala, FL: 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.