When an Orlando roof reaches the end of its run, a replacement is a 20-to-50-year decision — and ours is the family whose headquarters is right here on Carder Road. We take the old roof down to the deck, bring it up to current Florida code, and hand you a written price that holds. Free inspection first, honest answer always.
What does your roof need? Pick one to start.
Get a Free Roof InspectionSchedule Free InspectionGet My Free InspectionBook Free InspectionNo obligation. We'll tell you if your roof doesn't need work.
Universal Roofing just installed my new roof. Mike, the project manager, was on site during the install, gave me progress updates, answered my questions and gave me confidence my job would be done to my satisfaction. The crew was so conscientious and my roof was done in one day. I heartily recommend Universal.
I used URC on several projects over the past 20 years, so it was natural to use them again for roof replacement. Obtaining a quote was easy, the price was reasonable, and communication was excellent. The team arrived when expected and finished the majority of the work on the first day. Will use again.
Hands down the best roofing company I have ever worked with. My neighbors and I were amazed that they completed the roof from start to finish in only 3 days. They also replaced damaged fascia that I did not even ask them to, at no additional charge.
Just had my home reroofed by Universal Roof and Contracting — Mike Ramos the project manager and all the guys were excellent. They are really hard working and thorough, completed quality work in a timely fashion. The whole process went much easier than I expected.
The PM, Michael Ramos, was thorough, communicative and helpful. Andy Sims and Olga Campos were also very helpful. The roof replacement and gutter installation were excellent.
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68.6% of Orlando's homes were built after 1980 and 40.9% in 2000 or later, per the 2023 American Community Survey — and an asphalt shingle roof is commonly expected to last around 20 years, and Florida heat, UV and storms can shorten that. Do that math and you land on today: the roofs from Orlando's 2000s building boom are hitting their replacement window right now.
That's why so many replacement calls in this metro aren't about one storm — they're about a roof that has simply run out of runway. The sun, the afternoon storm bands, and the lightning-capital weather here age a roof faster than the calendar suggests, which pulls that window forward a few years.
Our headquarters is on Carder Road in Orlando, so the crews, the office, and the family that owns the company are all local to this market. When you call about a replacement, the decision-makers are minutes away — not in another state.
After Central Florida storms, the roof gets harder to read as weather and repairs work on it — so we document first. Every free inspection produces photos and a written report of exactly what the storm did, made before anything changes on the roof.
A replacement is the one time you get to change what's over your head — so choose it on purpose. Here's every system an Orlando home can wear, side by side on lifespan, wind rating, and real installed cost.
Popular choiceA common choice across Orlando's 2000s-boom subdivisions — the lightest hit to the budget, fast to install, and available in a color for any elevation. Re-roof with Owens Corning shingles through us and the new roof can carry the Platinum Protection limited lifetime warranty: full coverage on materials for the first 50 years, and workmanship coverage that reduces after 25 years.
How it holds up here: Orlando sun and afternoon storm bands retire shingles early — how long your replacement lasts comes down to attic ventilation and how carefully it went on.
Longest-livedThe silhouette of Central Florida's established neighborhoods — concrete and clay turn away wind, rain, and sun (the EPA lists terra cotta tile as naturally cool), and a tile re-roof can last 50 years or more.
How it holds up here: Tile ignores the sun that bakes lighter materials; on an Orlando replacement it's often a tear-off-and-relay of the same tile over fresh underlayment.
Storm armorThe replacement Orlando homeowners choose when they're done doing it again — standing-seam reflects heat in lighter colors, resists uplift, and is built to last for decades.
How it holds up here: Aluminum and coated steel stand up to Orlando heat; installed right, a metal roof is built to last for decades.
We make it ourselvesWhen we couldn't find a system that survived Florida the way we wanted, we built one. Metlok is our own pressed-steel roof — researched, engineered, and made in our own factory over 30-plus years of replacements. If you want it on your home, we're the only ones who can put it there.
How it holds up here: Metal-class strength in a pressed-steel panel, designed for the exact heat, wind, and rain Florida throws at a roof.
CommercialReplacing a flat or low-slope roof is its own discipline, and it's one of ours. A white TPO membrane is a cool roof: its reflective surface cuts the heat the roof passes into the building, which the EPA says can reduce peak cooling demand by 11–27% in air-conditioned buildings. It also takes Florida's UV and storm beating — on homes with flat sections and on commercial buildings alike.
How it holds up here: The reflective skin fights the heat gain that punishes flat roofs, and the heat-welded seams keep out UV, chemicals, and standing water long after a rolled-asphalt roof would have failed.
| System | Typical lifespan | Wind rating |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt Shingle | ~20 yrs | Up to 160 mph (OC Duration) |
| Tile | 50+ yrs | Varies by system |
| Metal | Decades | Varies by system |
| Metlok | 50-yr warranty | 180+ mph |
| Low-Slope / Flat | System-dependent | Uplift-rated (psf) |
Wind ratings are product- and installation-specific — a rating is earned by a particular system installed to spec, not by a material in general. For example, Owens Corning's Duration shingle carries a wind warranty of up to 160 mph when installed with the required Owens Corning components, and Metlok is rated 180+ mph. Ask us for the rating of the exact system we quote. For context, the Florida Building Code sets a minimum design wind speed for every address, and your permit lists the one that applies to your home. Sources: Owens Corning (TruDefinition Duration shingle) · Metlok.
Because a real replacement takes the old roof off down to the deck, you're not locked into what you had. This is the moment to upgrade — or simplify. Two common moves:
A popular replacement upgrade in Orlando is asphalt shingle to metal or tile. You trade a roof commonly expected to last around 20 years for one built to last for decades (metal) or 50 years or more (tile), and it lifts the home's whole look. We confirm your home can carry tile's weight before we quote it; metal and shingle go on almost any home.
Some homeowners go the other way — off tile and onto metal or shingle — usually to cut the weight, lower the cost, or simplify future repairs. There's no wrong answer; the right material fits your budget, your home, and how long you plan to stay. We lay out the trade-offs at the inspection.
Want a metal roof that wears the look of slate or tile? Meet Metlok — the pressed-steel system we engineer ourselves.
A roof replacement is a real number — and many homeowners don't pay it in one check. Most projects are paid with some mix of cash, financing, insurance or a grant. Here are the ways it gets paid:
Some homeowners pay outright; most don't. We offer multiple financing options sized to the job, so a replacement becomes a manageable monthly payment instead of a lump sum. Your Project Manager lays out cash vs. financing side by side at the free inspection — no pressure either way.
The state's My Safe Florida Home program offers free wind-mitigation inspections and grants up to $10,000 for approved hurricane-strengthening upgrades — roof-to-deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, and secondary water resistance. Grant work requires a licensed contractor (we're CCC057165).
Status per mysafeflhome.com, October 2026: inspections and grants available.
After a storm, the equation can flip: damage that is widespread rather than isolated moves the honest answer from repair to replacement — and age compounds it, because an aging Orlando roof gets progressively more expensive to keep patching while the next season lines up.
Every free inspection produces photos and a written report of exactly what the storm did, made before repairs change the roof — and it's yours to keep whatever you decide. See how we handle storm damage.
A dated inspection with photos of the actual damage
A written, itemized report of exactly what we found
The line between storm damage and normal wear, documented
A licensed contractor (CCC057165) on record for the work
A real replacement isn't a new surface over old problems. Here's what's in your Orlando quote, every time:
The old roof comes off down to the deck — layers included — and leaves with it. We protect your landscaping and magnet-sweep the yard for nails.
With the roof off, we find and replace soft or rotted decking — the part a recover-over job hides. Florida law also requires strengthened deck attachment (re-nailing) on a site-built home's roof replacement.
A secondary water barrier over the deck — the layer that keeps wind-driven rain out if the roof surface is ever breached. Newer code; older roofs never had it.
Your chosen material installed to manufacturer spec, then the city's final inspection and your registered manufacturer warranty. Cleanup before we leave, every time.
A replacement is a 20-, 30-, sometimes 50-year decision — and a warranty is only worth as much as the company still around to honor it. We've held BBB accreditation and an A+ rating since 2007, and we're still here, still family-run, still answering for what we install across Central Florida.
That matters most on the jobs where fly-by-night crews vanish — paid, gone, unreachable the day a warranty question comes up. Our crews are ours rather than day-labor subs, and the estimate you sign is the scope we build. If tear-off uncovers concealed damage no one could see, we document it and you approve any change first. Comparing quotes? Our roof buyer's checklist lists five questions to ask any roofer before you sign.
The Mellick family
Ken, Jade & Jared · Family-owned since 1993
A roof replacement is exactly where anonymous contractors disappear. Universal is the opposite: founder Ken Mellick started the company in Orlando in 1993, his son Jared took it over in 2015, and his daughter Jade runs it today. Three generations of one family, one address on Carder Road, and every roof they've ever installed still traceable to a name that answers the phone — including when a Orlando homeowner calls.
5655 Carder Road, Orlando, FL 32810
Meet the family
Developed & made by UniversalAfter 30-plus years of watching Florida punish every other material, we engineered our own pressed-steel roof — Metlok — and manufacture it in our own factory. It's rated 180+ mph, carries a 50-year limited lifetime warranty, and you can only get it through us. If your Orlando replacement is the last roof you want to think about, it's worth a look.
See the Metlok systemOn a roof meant to last decades, who installs it matters more than the material. More than half of new construction businesses close within ten years, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — a warranty that leans on your contractor alone is worth less than one the manufacturer stands behind. Here's what stands behind ours:
Top tier — under 1% of roofing contractors, per Owens Corning. It's what lets us offer the limited lifetime, transferable Platinum warranty.
A+ rating and accreditation with the Better Business Bureau.
Awarded annually to home-improvement companies with top ratings and real value.
Members statewide (FRSA, the Florida roofing trade association) and in Central Florida (CFRSA).
Licensed & insured — CCC057165 & CBC1258484 · family-owned in Florida since 1993 · see all our certifications.
The same streamlined process on every roof — from an accurate quote to an impeccable installation.
Book online or call — we arrive on time, ready to listen.
Your goals, your budget, and the right materials for you.
Photos, a written report, and a transparent quote that holds.
The install lands on your calendar, not ours. No surprises.
A trained crew, a clean yard, and a roof installation done right.
The questions Central Florida homeowners ask before a replacement. Want the full breakdown of cost, Florida roof law, and financing? Read the statewide replacement guide.
It depends on the roof. Size, pitch, material, and what the tear-off finds under the old roof all move the number. We quote from a written, itemized figure after a free inspection, and financing is available.
If the damage is isolated and the roof has years left, it's a repair. If leaks are showing in multiple rooms, granule loss covers whole slopes, you're patching the same roof again and again, or it's simply past the roughly 20 years a shingle roof is commonly expected to last, replacement is usually the honest call. We'll tell you which — even if the answer is that your roof is fine.
Most homes are re-roofed in one to three days, weather permitting — many in a single day. Many of our Orlando customers mention a start-to-finish job in a single day, with the deck inspection, tear-off, new system, and cleanup all handled by our own crews.
Not always. Under Fla. Stat. § 553.844(5), as reformed by SB 4-D in 2022, a roof built or replaced in compliance with the 2007 Florida Building Code or later gets a carve-out: repair 25% or more, and only the repaired portion must meet current code. Roofs that predate the 2007 code don't get that protection, so extensive damage can require bringing the whole roof to code. Your roof's permit date decides which side you're on; the full breakdown is on our statewide replacement guide.
Literally. Our headquarters is at 5655 Carder Road, Orlando, and the Mellick family that owns the company works out of it. Founder Ken Mellick started here in 1993; his children Jared and Jade run it today.
It starts with a free inspection — photos, a written report, and an honest recommendation, even if the answer is that your roof still has life left in it.
