In Tampa Bay, a lot of roof replacements start with a storm — and the roof that replaces yours should be built for the next one. We take it down to the deck, bring the secondary water barrier and tie-downs up to current code, and document everything with photos and a written report. Free inspection first.
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We recently determined we needed a new roof and reached out to five companies. David stood out with his product knowledge and patience answering every question about our Owens Corning shingles. Our project manager Yordanis gave us peace of mind — he was our contact through the entire project and inspected every step. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.
I had a roof long due for replacement and contacted several companies. David was extremely thorough, even using a drone to show me the issues. He offered three different estimates. The company handled everything — permits, hauling debris, cleanup — and the crew completed the entire job in one day. I'd highly recommend them.
After damage from Milton I met with 4 roofing companies and went with Universal. Richard laid out clearly what was needed and explained the warranty. Yordanis had the crew there at sun-up and they were done by mid-afternoon — one would be hard pressed to know they'd just replaced my roof. Two days later the county inspector gave the all-clear.
Gene was the first and only estimator to respond, and gave us 3 different plans with the benefits of each. The financing process was super easy, and our roof was done before we went out of state the following week. Top-notch communication, a PM on site, and everything done on time.
They did an amazing and totally professional job — so impressed. They left the place cleaner than it was. So glad we picked Universal Roofing and Contracting to replace our roof.
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Tampa Bay's replacement season has a schedule, and so do its storms. After Hurricane Milton in 2024, homeowners across the Bay went from a roof that was 'fine' to one that needed replacing — and the difference between a roof that survives the next hurricane and one that doesn't is usually in the parts you can't see from the street.
A real replacement here isn't just new shingles. It's a fresh secondary water barrier sealed to the deck, tie-downs and fasteners brought to current wind code, and flashing details rebuilt to keep wind-driven rain out. That's what earns the wind rating — and what an insurer and a Hillsborough or Pasco inspector actually check.
Tile is also a popular look across Tampa Bay, and tile replacement is its own craft. Whether you're staying in tile, moving to standing-seam metal, or simplifying to shingle, we lay out the trade-offs — cost, weight, and lifespan — before you commit.
After a storm, the record matters: photos and a written report of exactly what the storm did, made before repairs change the roof. Our Milton customers remember that we kept communicating the whole way through, even out-of-state homeowners.
A replacement is the one time you get to change what's over your head — and in hurricane country that choice matters. Here's every system a Tampa Bay home can wear, side by side on lifespan, wind rating, and real installed cost.
Popular choiceA common re-roof across the Bay — affordable, quick, and made in a color for any elevation. Owens Corning shingles through us 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: Bay heat and wind-driven rain are what age a shingle roof here; how long a replacement lasts comes down to ventilation and a clean, sealed install.
Longest-livedTile is a popular look across Tampa Bay: concrete and clay shrug off salt air and stay cool, and a tile re-roof set right is a multi-generational roof.
How it holds up here: The tile itself can last 50 years or more; it's the underlayment beneath that ages, so a Bay tile replacement is often a tear-off-and-relay rather than all-new tile.
Storm armorAfter a hurricane season or two, standing-seam metal is worth a look — reflective in lighter colors, wind-rated, and built to last for decades.
How it holds up here: Coated steel and aluminum handle Tampa heat and coastal air; installed to spec, 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 Tampa 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 Tampa 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 Tampa 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 Tampa Bay.
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 Tampa 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 Tampa 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 Tampa Bay 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 — tile and larger roofs run higher. The final figure depends on size, pitch, material, and what tear-off uncovers. We quote from a written, itemized number after a free inspection, and financing is available.
Document it first — permanent work erases the evidence of what the storm actually did. Our free inspection photographs everything, separates storm damage from normal wear in a written report, and gives you an itemized scope. That record is made before anything changes on the roof, and it's yours to keep whatever you decide.
Yes. Tile replacement is its own craft, and flat and low-slope work is something we do in-house. We handle tile, metal, shingle, and flat membrane, and we'll help you decide whether to stay in your material or change it.
Most homes are re-roofed in one to three days, weather permitting. Many of our customers describe a single-day tear-off and install, followed by the county inspection and, where included, gutters a couple of days later.
The rating is earned by the whole system installed to spec — not the shingle alone. That means a secondary water barrier, deck re-nailing and tie-downs to current code, and rebuilt flashing. We install to those standards and document it for your inspector and insurer.
Start with a free inspection — photos, a written report, and an honest recommendation, whether that's a repair or a full replacement.
