Replacing or repairing a roof is one of the biggest home-maintenance decisions a homeowner can make.
Get it right, and you’re protected for decades.
Get it wrong, and you’re looking at leaks, disputes, and bills you never planned for.
Not many companies understand that better than O’Donnell Roofing Co.
The Havertown-based company has been protecting homes and businesses across the Greater Philadelphia region and tri-state area for more than a century, building a reputation that now spans four generations of the O’Donnell family.
Since Clement Aloysius O’Donnell founded the company in 1924, it has grown from a small repair operation into a full-service exterior remodeling firm offering residential and commercial roofing, siding, gutters, skylights, windows, solar, and storm-damage work from Philadelphia to the Main Line and well beyond.
That depth of experience shapes how owner Kevin O’Donnell thinks about the hiring process.
When a homeowner gets it wrong, he’s often the one called in to fix someone else’s mistakes.
Start with Track Record and Transparency
Before anything else, homeowners should ask how long a roofing company has been in business, whether it has handled roofs similar to theirs, and whether it can point to recent local projects.
A long track record is not just a marketing point. It’s evidence that a company has weathered economic downturns, material changes, and evolving building codes and still kept customers coming back.
Reviews matter too, but look past the star rating.
The most useful feedback comes from comments about communication, cleanup, timeline management, pricing transparency, and how the contractor handled surprises once the job was underway.
Every roofing project has the potential for the unexpected. The question is how a company responds when it finds something it didn’t anticipate.
Insurance is Non-Negotiable
Any reputable roofer should be able to hand over proof of liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage before work begins.
This protects homeowners if property is damaged or a worker is injured on the job.
It’s also worth asking directly who will be doing the work.
If subcontractors are involved, that’s not automatically a problem, but homeowners should know this beforehand.
Red Flags to Look Out For
The warning signs are consistent across the industry: vague estimates with no itemized detail, pressure to sign quickly, no written contract, no online presence, and requests for full payment before any work starts.
O’Donnell Roofing recommends getting at least three quotes.
That exercise helps homeowners understand what the market actually looks like and makes it easier to spot a bid that seems too low to be real.
Dramatically cheap quotes usually signal cheap materials, rushed labor, or scope that quietly leaves out key work.
What a Strong Contract Looks Like
A properly written roofing contract should spell out the full scope of work, the specific materials being used, the project timeline, total cost, warranty details, payment schedule, and the contractor’s license and insurance information.
If anything is missing or vague, ask before signing.
A contractor who pushes back on that request is telling you something important.
The Bottom Line
Hiring a roofer is ultimately about protecting your home and your financial investment in it.
Companies like O’Donnell Roofing have spent generations building the kind of trust that makes that decision easier for homeowners across Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, and Bucks counties and throughout the broader Philadelphia region.
But wherever you are and whoever you hire, the checklist is the same: experience, proper credentials, honest communication, and everything in writing before the first shingle comes off.
For the right contractor, check out O’Donnell Roofing Co., a fourth-generation, family-owned company that has been protecting Greater Philadelphia homes and businesses for more than 100 years, at odonnellroofingco.com.
