Same disclosure I lead with every time: I run a roofing company that works Minneapolis, and it's on this list. Read everything below with that in mind.
Here's why I write these anyway. Search "best roofing companies Minneapolis" and most of what comes back was assembled by lead-resale sites and out-of-state marketing firms, ranking companies by who paid for the slot. Minneapolis deserves better than that, because it's genuinely the hardest roofing city in the metro. The housing stock runs from 1900s foursquares and bungalows to brand-new builds, and our Minneapolis work has put us on nearly every roofing system there is — slate, tile, asphalt, metal, EPDM, modified bitumen, and combinations of several on one house. Some neighborhoods sit in designated historic districts where exterior work needs Heritage Preservation Commission review before a single shingle comes off. And almost everywhere in the city, the lots are tight: narrow side yards, houses an arm's length apart, nowhere obvious to stage material or drop a dumpster. A crew that's only ever worked wide-open suburban subdivisions finds out about all of that the hard way — usually on your house.
This is my honest read on who's good in Minneapolis — including where my own company isn't the right fit.
How I Graded (So You Can Check My Work)
Before any names, the criteria. The same five things I'd tell my own sister to check before hiring anyone, me included:
- A current MN Department of Labor & Industry license. Non-negotiable. Look it up at dli.mn.gov — two minutes.
- Manufacturer certifications you can verify on the manufacturer's own dealer locator, not just a logo on a website.
- Real, recent, local reviews. Read the last ten, don't count them. Do the same crew names recur? Do they describe how problems got fixed?
- Who answers in year six. Warranty paper is only worth the company still being around and picking up the phone.
- Insurance-claim behavior. Anyone offering to "waive your deductible" is describing insurance fraud — illegal in Minnesota.
For Minneapolis, I add a sixth: has the company actually worked houses like yours? A 1920s hip roof with a flat porch section over a three-foot side yard is a different job than a 2015 infill build, and the contractor should be able to show you both.
1. Modern Exterior Systems — Minneapolis & the Twin Cities
Yes, my company. Here's the case, and the honest catch.
Minneapolis is where our range gets used, not just advertised. Between the city's 1900s housing stock and its new construction, we've installed or replaced close to every system a roof can be: slate, tile, asphalt, metal, EPDM, and modified bitumen — often two or three of them on the same house, because a lot of Minneapolis homes carry a flat porch or addition roof right next to the steep main roof. We also know the parts of the job that never show up in a suburban bid. On a tight city lot, staging changes, tear-off changes, and material handling changes — you can't back a truck up to the eave when the neighbor's house is ten feet away, so the plan for protecting siding, gardens, fences, and the neighbor's property has to exist before the first shingle moves. And if your home sits in one of the city's designated historic districts, we'll tell you up front that Heritage Preservation Commission review may need to happen before work starts, instead of you finding out from a stop-work notice.
We're women-owned and family-operated, we carry five manufacturer certifications (CertainTeed ShingleMaster, Malarkey Emerald Pro, Atlas Pro+ Silver Select, LP SmartSide Preferred, James Hardie Preferred — verify them here), we're BBB A+ accredited, and every residential roof gets a lifetime workmanship warranty for as long as you own the home. On Minneapolis homes we'll quote what the house actually calls for: standard architectural asphalt, the impact-resistant Class 4 upgrade, flat and low-slope membrane for that porch or addition section, and DaVinci synthetic slate or cedar shake where the architecture earns it. I personally review every project over $40,000.
Best for: Minneapolis homeowners with older, mixed-material, or tight-lot homes who want one contractor who can handle the steep roof, the flat section, and the siding and windows under one warranty — with an honest condition assessment first.
The honest catch: we're not the cheapest bid and we're not a volume shop. A typical asphalt replacement runs $14,000–$28,000; slate, tile, metal, and combination roofs run well higher. You can get a ballpark in about 60 seconds without talking to anyone, or book an inspection if you just want to know where your roof actually stands.
2. Garlock-French Roofing — Minneapolis
I'll say this plainly: if you have a slate or tile roof in Minneapolis and you don't call Garlock-French for one of your bids, you're doing it wrong. They've been roofing out of the same part of south Minneapolis since 1932, and their scope reads like the city's housing stock: slate, tile, cedar, asphalt, EPDM, and custom metal work, plus chimney and masonry repair — which matters more than people think, because on a 1920s house the chimney flashing and crumbling crown are half the leak calls. They specifically do historic restoration work, and their crews are based in the city.
Best for: slate, tile, and historic-home roofing, and any project where the chimney needs real masonry work at the same time as the roof.
Trade-off to weigh: a 90-plus-year institution runs on established systems and premium pricing. For a straightforward asphalt reroof, get their bid alongside others and compare scope line by line.
3. Sela Roofing & Remodeling — Twin Cities Metro
One of the oldest and biggest roofing names in the Twin Cities — they've been at it since 1982 — with the infrastructure to match: large crews, established systems, and 24/7 emergency service. When a Minneapolis homeowner mentions a Sela bid, I never have to explain who that is.
Best for: homeowners who want big-company depth — scheduling capacity and a brand that's weathered every Minnesota storm season since the '80s.
Trade-off to weigh: with any large operation, the person who sells your job, runs it, and handles your year-three callback are usually three different people. Some homeowners prefer that; some don't.
4. Minnesota Exteriors (MEI) — Osseo / Twin Cities Metro
My respect for this one is on the record: Minnesota Exteriors is where I got my start in this trade. Family-owned since 1947 — third generation now — and based in Osseo, MEI built its name installing for home builders and earning referrals off that work, which tells you something about the quality of the install. They handle the full exterior: roofing, siding, windows, doors, and gutters, on both residential and multifamily projects.
Best for: homeowners who want a deeply established, referral-built company — especially for planned, new-construction-grade work rather than a storm claim.
Trade-off to weigh: their home base and heaviest track record are in the northwest metro. If you're deep in south Minneapolis on a tight 1915 lot, ask to see recent projects on houses like yours.
5. Quarve Contracting — Spring Lake Park / Minneapolis-St. Paul
A long-established specialist — 40-plus years in the metro — known particularly for metal roofing and steel siding, with a deep bench of metal brands most contractors don't carry. They also install asphalt and flat roofing, but metal is the reason to call them. On the right Minneapolis home, a standing seam or stone-coated steel roof is a legitimate lifetime play, and a dedicated specialist is the right kind of company to price it.
Best for: homeowners specifically weighing a metal roof or steel siding who want a contractor focused on those systems.
Trade-off to weigh: a specialist is built around its specialty — if your project is a straightforward asphalt reroof, make sure that's squarely in their lane and priced competitively.
6. Capital Siding, Windows & Roofing — Twin Cities Metro
A family-owned multi-trade exterior company that's been at it since 1987, handling roofing, siding, windows, patio doors, gutters, and insulation across the Twin Cities and into western Wisconsin. For a Minneapolis home where the roof, siding, and windows are all aging out together — common on the city's 1900s-to-1950s housing stock — a true multi-trade shop can do the whole envelope on one timeline.
Best for: homeowners bundling roofing with siding and windows who want one established, family-run company for the whole exterior.
Trade-off to weigh: any company spanning several trades should still show you specific recent roofing projects — ask to see roofs, not just siding, and confirm who self-performs the work.
Who's NOT on This List — and Why
After every hailstorm, Minneapolis driveways fill with yard signs from companies you've never heard of and won't hear from again. Some are legitimate; many are out-of-state storm chasers gone before your shingles' first winter. Three tells:
- They knocked within 48 hours of a storm and want you to sign an "inspection agreement" on the spot. Don't sign anything that assigns your claim.
- They offer to cover or waive your deductible. In Minnesota, that's illegal — walk away.
- Their address is a PO box or an out-of-state suite. Check the MN DLI license database before anyone gets on your roof.
In Minneapolis I'd add a fourth: anyone who quotes your 1920s house sight-unseen off an aerial photo. The aerial doesn't show the rotted plank decking, the flat porch tie-in, or the three feet of working room on the north side — and those are exactly the things that blow up a lowball bid mid-project.
The Bottom Line From a Guy Who Competes With These Companies
Get two or three bids — even if one is mine. Read the last ten reviews on each, verify the license at dli.mn.gov, and ask every bidder the same question: "Who specifically answers the phone if this roof has a problem in year six?" In Minneapolis, add one more: "Have you done a house like mine — same era, same roof system, same tight lot — and can I see it?" The contractor who can answer that with an address instead of a brochure is the one I'd trust with the rest of it.
FAQ
Who is the best roofing company in Minneapolis, MN?
There's no single answer — it depends on your house and your project. For older, mixed-material, or tight-lot Minneapolis homes with steep and flat sections under one warranty, Modern Exterior Systems. For slate, tile, and historic restoration, Garlock-French — a Minneapolis institution since 1932. For big-company infrastructure, Sela. For a referral-built, builder-grade installer, Minnesota Exteriors. For metal roofing specifically, Quarve. For bundling the whole exterior, Capital. Match the company to your house, then verify license and reviews.
How much does a roof replacement cost in Minneapolis?
Standard architectural asphalt runs roughly $14,000–$28,000 for most Minneapolis homes, depending on size, pitch, access, and how many layers come off. Tight city lots can add real cost — staging, protection, and hand-carrying material all take labor. Slate, tile, cedar, standing seam metal, and combination steep-plus-flat roofs run well higher. A number far below the range for your roof usually means something's being cut.
Do I need city approval to replace my roof in Minneapolis?
A roofing permit, yes — any legitimate contractor pulls one. And if your home is a designated landmark or sits in one of Minneapolis's designated historic districts, exterior changes like a roof replacement may also need Heritage Preservation Commission review before work starts, especially if you're changing the visible material. A contractor who's worked those neighborhoods will flag this in the first conversation, not after the dumpster shows up.
My Minneapolis house has a flat roof section over the porch or addition — who handles that?
You want one contractor who self-performs both the steep and flat portions, because the tie-in between them is where these roofs leak. A lot of Minneapolis homes carry EPDM or modified bitumen on a porch, addition, or garage right next to asphalt on the main roof. We install both — flat and low-slope membrane and every common steep-slope system — so the transition gets built as one detail instead of two contractors pointing at each other.
How do I verify a Minnesota roofing contractor's license?
Search the contractor's name in the Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry license lookup at dli.mn.gov. Every legitimate residential contractor has a BC license number — ours is BC762305, in the footer of every page on this site.
How many bids should I get for a roof replacement?
Two or three. One gives you no reference point; five wastes everyone's time. Make sure every bid specifies the same materials and scope so you're comparing apples to apples — and on an older Minneapolis house, make sure every bid addresses decking condition, the flat section if you have one, and how the crew will stage on your lot.
Ready for real pricing on your Minneapolis project? Call Modern Exterior Systems at 952-206-6339 or get an instant online roof estimate. Free measurement, honest numbers, no pressure.
Modern Exterior Systems is a women-owned, family-operated roofing and exterior contractor based in Eden Prairie, MN, serving Minneapolis and the Twin Cities metro. Owner Joe Dvorak brings 20+ years of hands-on construction experience, CertainTeed ShingleMaster, Malarkey Emerald Pro, and Atlas Pro+ Silver Select certifications, and a LIFETIME workmanship warranty to every residential project. BBB Accredited with an A+ rating.
