Same disclosure I lead with every time: I run a roofing company that works St. Paul, and it's on this list. Read everything below with that in mind.
Here's why I write these anyway. Search "best roofing companies St. Paul" and most of what comes back is from lead-resale sites and out-of-state marketing firms, ranking companies by who paid for the slot. St. Paul deserves a straighter answer, because it's the hardest roofing city in the metro to generalize about. This is the oldest housing stock in Minnesota — Victorian-era homes on Summit Hill, 1920s bungalows in Mac-Groveland and the East Side, mid-century ramblers in Highland Park, new construction along the river. In one city I've put on slate, tile, asphalt, standing seam metal, EPDM, and modified bitumen. Almost no contractor is genuinely good at all of that, which is exactly why the right match matters more here than anywhere else I work.
This is my honest read on who's good in St. Paul — 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 St. Paul specifically, I added a sixth: has the company actually worked old, tight-lot city housing? A crew that's only ever done suburban subdivisions will learn some expensive lessons on a 1905 four-square with eight feet between it and the neighbor's house.
1. Modern Exterior Systems — St. Paul & the East Metro
Yes, my company. Here's the case, and the honest catch.
St. Paul is where our range gets used. Across the city we've installed just about every roofing system a house can carry — asphalt, cedar, synthetic slate, standing seam metal, and the flat systems — EPDM and modified bitumen — that show up on St. Paul's older additions, porch roofs, and duplexes. The part I'm proudest of, though, is the paperwork nobody sees: we've taken projects in the Summit Avenue area through Heritage Preservation Commission review. If your home sits in one of St. Paul's designated heritage-preservation districts — the Historic Hill District around Summit is the big one — the city can require HPC approval before your roofing permit is issued, and a contractor who's never done that process will stall your project for weeks while they figure it out. We've been through it. We know what the commission wants to see.
The other thing St. Paul teaches you is logistics. Tight lots, narrow gaps between houses, no place to stage a dumpster except the street — tear-off and material handling work completely differently here than on a suburban cul-de-sac, and we plan for that instead of discovering it on day one with a boom truck that doesn't fit.
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 St. Paul's older homes we'll quote the period-appropriate material next to standard asphalt so you can see the real trade-off, instead of being steered to whatever installs fastest. I personally review every project over $40,000.
Best for: St. Paul homeowners with older, complex, or historic-district homes who want one contractor comfortable across roofing, flat systems, siding, windows, and gutters — with the owner reachable by phone.
The honest catch: we're not the cheapest bid and we're not a volume shop. And I'll be straight about one more thing: we install synthetic slate, but if you own true natural slate or clay tile that needs restoration rather than replacement, there's a specialist further down this list I'd send you to. A typical asphalt replacement runs $14,000–$28,000; premium and historic-appropriate materials run $35,000–$90,000+. 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 stands.
2. Garlock-French Roofing — Twin Cities Metro
The specialist I just mentioned. Garlock-French has been roofing the Twin Cities since 1932, and they're the name that comes up when the conversation turns to natural slate, clay tile, and custom metal work on historic homes — they hold Ludowici tile credentials, which very few companies anywhere carry. When a Summit Hill homeowner asks me about restoring original slate instead of replacing it, this is who I mention.
Best for: true slate and tile restoration, custom sheet-metal detail, and historic homes where preserving the original roof system is the goal.
Trade-off to weigh: specialist restoration work commands specialist pricing, and it should. If your project is a straightforward asphalt replacement, get a couple of general-market bids alongside theirs and compare scope line by line.
3. Sela Roofing & Remodeling — Twin Cities Metro
One of the oldest and biggest roofing names in the metro — family-owned since the early 1980s, with the infrastructure to match: large crews, a showroom, established systems, and a long history on both sides of the river. When a St. Paul 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 four decades of Minnesota storm seasons.
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. Berwald Roofing & Sheet Metal — North St. Paul
You can't write an honest St. Paul roofing list without Berwald. Founded in 1936 and based in North St. Paul, they're one of the oldest roofing and sheet-metal contractors in the state, with a practice that leans heavily commercial — built-up, flat, and metal systems on the kind of buildings St. Paul is full of.
Best for: commercial and institutional roofing, large flat systems, and serious sheet-metal work.
Trade-off to weigh: their center of gravity is commercial. For a standard residential asphalt replacement, confirm what their residential process and crew look like — or hire a residential-first company.
5. Quarve Contracting — North Metro
A locally owned exteriors company that's been at it since 1983, based in Mounds View — just up the road from St. Paul's north side — with a genuine specialty in residential metal roofing. Metal is a legitimate lifetime answer on a lot of St. Paul homes, and Quarve does it every day rather than as a sideline.
Best for: homeowners who've decided on metal and want a contractor that installs it constantly, not occasionally.
Trade-off to weigh: if you're still deciding between metal and other systems, a specialist will naturally see your roof through their specialty. Get an asphalt or premium-shingle bid too, so you're comparing the actual options.
6. Capital Siding, Windows & Roofing — Twin Cities Metro
An established multi-trade exterior company that's been at it since the late 1980s, handling siding and windows alongside roofing. On a St. Paul house where the roof, siding, and windows are all original and all tired, 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 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, St. Paul 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.
And one St. Paul-specific tell: a contractor who shrugs off the permit-and-preservation question. Roofing permits here run through the City of Saint Paul Department of Safety & Inspections, and designated historic properties can require Heritage Preservation Commission review first. "We'll figure that out later" is not an answer — it's a stalled project waiting to happen.
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 St. Paul, add two more: "Have you roofed a house like mine — same era, same material, same tight lot?" and, if you're anywhere near Summit Avenue, "Have you taken a project through HPC review?" The answers tell you more than any ranking, including this one.
FAQ
Who is the best roofing company in St. Paul, MN?
There's no single answer — it depends on your house. For older, complex, or historic-district homes with the full range of systems (asphalt, metal, synthetic slate, flat) under one warranty, Modern Exterior Systems, with Heritage Preservation Commission experience in the Summit Avenue area. For natural slate and tile restoration, Garlock-French. For big-company infrastructure, Sela. For commercial and flat systems, Berwald. For metal, 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 St. Paul?
Standard architectural asphalt runs roughly $14,000–$28,000 for most St. Paul homes, depending on size, pitch, layers, and access — and access matters here, because tight lots and street-only staging add real labor. Steep Victorian rooflines, synthetic slate, cedar, and standing seam metal run $35,000–$90,000+. A number far below the range for your roof usually means something's being cut.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in St. Paul?
Yes. Roofing permits run through the City of Saint Paul Department of Safety & Inspections (DSI). If your home is a designated historic property or sits in a heritage-preservation district — the Historic Hill District around Summit Avenue is the largest — exterior changes like a roof replacement can also require Heritage Preservation Commission review before the permit is issued. A contractor who's been through that process will save you weeks.
My St. Paul home has a flat or low-slope section — who handles that?
A lot of St. Paul housing does: porch roofs, additions, duplexes, and story-and-a-half homes often carry a flat EPDM or modified bitumen section alongside the shingled main roof. Make sure your contractor installs flat systems themselves rather than subbing them out — the tie-in between the flat section and the shingles is where these roofs leak. We install both, so the whole roof is under one warranty.
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 — especially important on an older St. Paul home, where "replace the roof" can mean very different things depending on decking condition and what's under the existing layers.
Ready for real pricing on your St. Paul 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 St. Paul 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.
