T
he companies and projects reflected within this year’s list of Building Industry Hawaii’s Top 10 Roofers run the gamut from Kaua‘i to Hawai‘i island, from beachside homes to luxury resorts, and encompass projects in both the public and private sectors.
To compile Hawai‘i’s Top 10 Roofers 2024 list, Building Industry Hawaii distributed online surveys to over 200 roofing companies in the state. Participation in this survey was voluntary; companies who took part submitted responses electronically, with all information collected and sorted by magazine staff.
Participants are ranked by annual revenue, with the company reporting the highest earnings for 2023 receiving the No. 1 spot on the list.
One common theme we’ve discovered is the continued growth of Hawai‘i’s roofing industry. 2023’s Top 10 list showed a combined total revenue of $148.2 million among all companies listed.
In 2024, that number jumps to $168.3 million — a 13.6 percent increase — with several companies repeating on our list and showing impressive growth over 2023.
Congratulations to all of the companies that participated!
Honorable Mention
President/CEO: Davelyn Leong Martin
Specialties: Low-slope, fluid applied, tile roof
Hawaii state license: BC-19703
A family business that was founded in 1980, David’s Custom Roofing & Painting earns an honorable mention on this year’s list with $5.2 million in revenue for 2023. CEO Davelyn Leong Martin has been at the helm leading the company for 10 years.
The company focused primarily on the residential sector in 2023, with a few smaller commercial and park projects completed as well.
Their signature project of the year was the Mary Cooke Residence/Manoa Heritage Center project, for which they earned top honors in the residential category at the 2023 Roofing Contractors Association of Hawaii Awards. This challenging project, which was expansive and intricate, consisted of roofing, painting, carpentry, gutters and scaffolding.
Says Martin, “We started a few larger jobs consisting of six trades that are still in progress. We also are looking forward to starting on projects that have been waiting on permits since before 2023!”
#10
$5.3 million
KOKUA ROOFING
PHOTOS COURTESY KOKUA ROOFING
President/CEO: Ron Lloyd
Specialties: Low slope, fluid applied, single ply, modified bitumen, steep slope, metal roofing, tile roof, shingle roof
Hawaii state license: CT-31641
With 2023 revenue of $5.3 million, Kokua Roofing finds itself in the No. 10 position this year. According to Kokua Roofing President and CEO Ron Lloyd, 2023 was “a typical year,” but it was a jump from the previous year which saw $3.4 million in revenue, placing Kokua as an Honorable Mention.
Kokua’s slate of projects in 2023 did not include any public sector jobs, as they relied solely on residential and commercial projects. Among their notable works this year were the reroofing of three buildings at the Mauna Lani Beach Club along Hawai‘i’s Kohala Coast and the Knight Residence in Holualoa.
The Mauna Lani project required work be performed while the resort was still in operation, while the Knight Residence presented its own challenges with continued rains. Another challenging project done in conjunction with Schilling Construction involved a home by the ocean with a particularly steep pitch.
These challenges did not go unrecognized, however, as the company’s efforts won them a 2023 RCAH award in the residential steep slope / metal roofing category.
A Tahitian Bronze-patterned roof installed by Kokua Roofing and contractor Schilling Construction is pictured on a Hawai‘i island home.
Standing seam metal roof panels provided by HPM in Kailua-Kona are used on a residential project on Hawai‘i island.
#9
$6.7 million
BUCK ROOFING CO. INC.
PHOTO COURTESY BUCK ROOFING CO. INC.
President/CEO: Hina Schipa
Specialties: Low slope, fluid applied, single ply, metal roofing, synthetic thatch roofing
Hawaii state license: C-15
Buck Roofing Company, based in Honoka‘a on Hawai‘i island, is No. 9 in this year’s rankings, two notches below the position it held last year. The company posted $6.7 million in 2023 revenue, an increase of 9.8 percent over the $6.1 million the company earned in 2022.
Of the projects the company completed in 2023, perhaps the most significant for Buck Roofing President and CEO Hina Schipa is Kona Village Resort.
“Kona Village was a special project for us to get since it is on Big Island and the opportunity to be involved with the construction of a whole new resort doesn’t present itself often,” Schipa says. “We hear stories from our community about their memories staying in the original thatch bungalows at Kona Village. So to be the roofer for the new thatch bungalows was meaningful.”
The resort’s original authentic thatch roofing was replicated with Endureed synthetic shingles — “simulated reeds bound by a metal binder strip which we installed over self-adhering sheet underlayment,” Schipa says. “[Working with] the material is similar to installing asphalt shingles, except they need to be hand-nailed. The high pitch of the roofs added an element of difficulty.”
In addition to completing Kona Village and Laiopua Phase 2 last year, Buck Roofing also began three new projects — Kaloko, Koa Ridge and Alii Palms Cottages. At Kaloko, a new affordable housing development in Kona, the company is installing asphalt shingles on six buildings and a community center.
#8
$7 million
PACIFIC ISLANDS GROUP LLC
PHOTOS COURTESY PACIFIC ISLANDS GROUP LLC
President/CEO: Danny E. Teffera
Specialties: Low-slope, fluid applied, single ply, modified bitumen, steep slope, metal roofing, tile roof, shingle roof, entire building envelope
Hawaii state license: C-26375
Though 2023 saw Pacific Islands Group’s earnings grow to $7 million from the previous year’s $6.7 million, they slipped slightly in the rankings to No. 8, down from No. 6 last year. About half of that revenue came from public sector projects like the Board of Water Supply, the Pacific Training Center, DLNR Hilo and the Hawai‘i Convention Center. Non-public sector projects included Disney Aulani, Straub Medical Center and Pono Kai Resort Phase 2. Pacific Islands Group also counts a number of LDS church projects in their portfolio, including LDS Church ‘Ewa Beach, LDS Church Kāne‘ohe and LDS Church Hawai‘i Kai.
“LDS Church in ‘Ewa Beach was our highlighted project for 2023 for its size and complexity in a new standing seam metal roofing and wall application,” says Danny E. Teffera, Pacific Island Group president and CEO. “The new insulated assembly was unique and challenging with many intricate details.”
Pacific Islands Group was also the proud recipient of the Roofing Contractors Association of Hawaii award in the commercial metal roofing category in 2023.
Pictured above is the finished roof at the LDS Church in Hawai‘i Kai following completion of Pacific Island Group’s replacement project in 2023.
Danny E. Teffera, president and CEO of Pacific Islands Group, says work at LDS Church ‘Ewa Beach included many details that made the project challenging.
#7
$7.1 million
HONOLULU ROOFING INC.
Surrounding towers limited the options for staging areas to service Honolulu Roofing’s project at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Tapa Ballroom.
New roofing installed by Honolulu Roofing Inc. at the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Tapa Ballroom had to match the existing roof’s precise design.
PHOTOS COURTESY HONOLULU ROOFING INC.
President/CEO: Dan Jaeger
Specialties: Low slope, fluid applied, single ply, modified bitumen, steep slope, metal roofing, tile roof, shingle roof
Hawaii state license: C-23799
Honolulu Roofing is No. 7 in this year’s standings, moving up two points from its ranking last year. Honolulu Roofing’s revenue has also increased by 51 percent — from $4.7 million in 2022 to $7.1 million in 2023.
Honolulu’s completed 2023 projects include the Hilton Hawaiian Village Tapa Ballroom, Tripler VA Parking Garage Elevator, Tripler East Wing Reroof, Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) Building 7000 Tile Repair, Grand Wailea Cistern Waterproofing, MCBH Hangers 102 & 105 Roofing, Turtle Bay Vegetable Garden Roof and 803 Waimanu Solar Install.
At the Hilton Hawaiian Village Tapa Ballroom Reroof project, scope of work, location and timing all presented significant challenges. Honolulu’s team removed the existing roofing and installed new insulation, cover board and a two-ply torch down base and cap. The new design on the finished roof also had to match the existing design, says Honolulu Roofing Vice President Dan Jaeger.
“Tapa Ballroom is surrounded by hotel towers, making it very difficult for roof removal and installation. … [and] all this needed to be done before the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
“Another challenge was that noise was an issue, and meeting rooms were always full. In some cases, we had to halt work until meeting room occupants were finished before resuming work,” Jaeger says.
Honolulu’s new 2023 projects include Schofield Pet Care Facility, Hilton Hawaiian Village Executive Office Reroof, Hale Koa Maile Tower, Tripler Building 4 Reroof, Building 2 Pearl Harbor, Camp Smith Telephone Exchange Building and Punchbowl Restroom Standing Seam Metal Roofing.
Honolulu Roofing typically draws 15 percent of its work from the public sector, as shown by its projects at Tripler, Pearl Harbor, Camp Smith, Schofield and MCBH.
#6
$9.2 million
TRUE HOME HAWAII ROOFING
Pictured above is one of True Home Hawaii’s commercial projects in 2023, the Outrigger Reef Hotel in Waikīkī, where applying silicone provided a seamless and watertight finish.
PHOTO COURTESY TRUE HOME HAWAII ROOFING
President/CEO: Michael Colosimo
Specialties: Low slope, fluid applied, single ply, modified bitumen, steep slope, metal roofing, shingle roof
Hawaii state license: C-36274
Ranked in the No. 6 position this year, True Home Hawaii Roofing brought in $9.2 million in revenue while focusing on private and commercial projects. This year marks True Home Hawaii’s first appearance on our list.
True Home Hawaii completed over 300 residential roofing projects across O‘ahu in 2023, including Na Pali Gardens, Waipio Acres, Ono Vista and Mokuleia Hale. Servco Auto Parts, Ohana Waikiki East Hotel and the Outrigger Hotel in Waikīkī can also be counted among True Home Hawaii’s commercial roofing projects that were completed last year.
True Home Hawaii is a proud sponsor of the Sunset Beach Elementary School Art Festival as well as sponsoring a beach cleanup and a free annual giveaway, which rewards an O‘ahu household with a new roof.
Additionally, True Home Hawaii can claim bragging rights as a recipient of the Spark Award from the Better Business Bureau of Hawaii, which honors local businesses and nonprofits who cultivate the “three Cs” of character, culture and community.
#5
$12.6 million
TORY’S ROOFING & WATERPROOFING INC.
The Terraces at Launani, pictured above, is one of the projects completed by Tory’s Roofing in 2023.
PHOTO COURTESY TORY’S ROOFING & WATERPROOFING INC.
Work completed at Valley of the Temples includes flat roofs and sheer elevations.
PHOTO COURTESY TORY’S ROOFING & WATERPROOFING INC.
President/CEO: Louis Tory Jr.
Vice President: Mike Tory
Specialties: Low-slope, fluid applied, single ply, modified bitumen, steep slope, metal roofing, shingle roof
Hawaii state license: BC-8576
Tory’s Roofing drops one spot to No. 5 among Hawai‘i’s top roofers following a decline in revenue from $16.6 million in 2022 to $12.6 million in 2023.
Completed 2023 projects include the Valley of the Temples and the Terraces at Launani Valley in Mililani. Project starts in 2023 include Temple View Apartments in Lāi‘e; Brigham Young University-Hawai‘i; The Fishman Warehouse; DLS Central; and Timbers Kaua‘i.
“We didn’t have any specific challenging projects [in 2023], but our challenges came from operations in general,” says Sandra GT Tory, the company’s administration manager. “We began work on Timbers, which is another multi-million-dollar luxury apartment complex on Kaua‘i.
“Keeping and finding quality employees continued to be a challenge. Another issue was the state of Hawai‘i cancelling millions of dollars’ worth of contracts a month before they were to break. Cost escalations continued to be a variable that made things interesting.
“Overall, the challenges we faced were more administrative and we had the opportunity to continue reanalyzing our procedures and adapt to the changing market, which we are used to and thrive in,” Tory says.
In 2023, Tory’s Roofing also became a certified installer of Tesla roof products. Public sector work represents 20 percent of Tory’s overall business.
#4
$13.3 million
SURFACE SHIELD ROOFING CO. LLC
Mililani Uka is one of the many school roofing projects in Surface Shield’s public sector portfolio.
PHOTOS COURTESY SURFACE SHIELD ROOFING CO. LLC
President/CEO: Shon Gregory
Specialties: Low slope, fluid applied, single ply, modified bitumen, steep slope, metal roofing, tile roof, shingle roof
Hawaii state license: BC-37430
Surface Shield Roofing stands at No. 4 among Hawai‘i’s top roofers in 2024, moving one position from its No. 5 spot last year. Company revenue declined by 16.3 percent from $15.9 million in 2022 to $13.3 million in 2023.
Surface Shield’s completed 2023 projects include the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Bilger Hall, 755 Kapahulu, over 40 projects with the Hawai‘i Department of Education and roughly 125 private sector projects.
The company tackled many formidable challenges at its 2023 jobsites, says Shon Gregory, Surface Shield president and CEO.
Work on a shed roof at Mauna Loa with Solar Help Hawaii “required us to access the site via helicopter,” Gregory says.
Surface Shield’s work at UH-Mānoa’s Bilger Hall earned the company the
2023 Roofing Contractors Association of Hawaii’s People’s Choice Top Project of the Year award.
Seventy percent of Surface Shield’s projects are in the public sector, most notably at Hawai‘i’s public schools. At Dole Middle School, Building A’s intricate roof slope and tapered design required Gregory’s team to build walls and install extensive custom flashing.
At Farrington High School, more than 400 solar panels were removed from the roof of Building H while battling wind and rain. At Moanalua High School, Gregory’s team used a crane to complete work at Building R, where there was virtually no access to load and remove material.
And a walkway project at Kauluwela Elementary required “abatement, lots of welding, and repair and replacement of structural members,” according to Gregory.
New 2023 projects include Surface Shield starting work on a reroof at Kalihi Elementary School and a coating project at Newtown Business Park.
The company also found time to celebrate its recent awards and industry accolades, including being named one of Inc. 5000’s “Top 250 Fastest Growing Companies in the Pacific” and “Fastest Growing Companies in America,” and RCAH awards for “People’s Choice Top Project of the Year” and “Top Modified Bitumen Project of the Year” in honor of the company’s work on Bilger Hall.
#3
$28.5 million
COMMERCIAL ROOFING &
WATERPROOFING HAWAII INC.
The innovative 7-foot clearance of the Greenwood AOAO’s PV racking system allows access to all sections of the roof for maintenance and cleaning.
PHOTOS COURTESY COMMERCIAL ROOFING & WATERPROOFING HAWAII INC.
The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association honored Commercial Roofing with its 2024 Excellence in Asphalt Roofing Award for work at Kapi‘olani Medical Center.
President/CEO: Guy Akasaki
Specialties: Low slope, fluid applied, single ply, modified bitumen, steep slope, metal roofing, tile roof, shingle roof
Hawaii state license: BC-18179
Ranked No.3 among Hawai‘i’s Top 10 Roofers this year, Commercial Roofing & Waterproofing Hawaii Inc. reports $28.5 million in 2023 revenue, a gain of 2.8 percent over 2022’s $27.7 million in receipts.
Commercial Roofing also gained national industry recognition in February when the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association awarded the company its 2024 Excellence in Asphalt Roofing Best-In-Class Award for a reroof of the Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children.
In addition to Kapi‘olani, completed 2023 projects include Mercedes Benz, Kahului; Waipouli Town Center, Kaua‘i; The Greenwood AOAO; Kaiser High School; Mililani Elementary School; and the Honolulu Police Department Training Center.
Commerical Roofing’s 2023 Greenwood project advances the company’s PV turnkey expertise. Collaborating with renewable energy contractor Greenpath Technologies, the company installed a brand-new GAF EverGuard 80-millimeter TPO membrane roof system, along with a 200kW elevated PV system atop the 18-story apartment building in Salt Lake.
“A unique aspect to this particular project was the integration of this particular PV system installed,” says Guy Akasaki, Commercial Roofing president and CEO. “It was an elevated racking system that had a 7-foot elevation from the roof surface that allowed the system to be installed above obstacles and all the way to the edges of the roof, allowing 50 percent more capacity.”
2024 projects include the Pearl City Business Plaza, Hokuloa AOAO, Hilton Waikoloa, Kaua‘i Macy’s and the J. Walter Cameron Center. The company performs 15 percent of its work in the public sector.
#2
$34.5 million
BEACHSIDE ROOFING LLC
Beachside installed a 96,500-square-foot TPO roof at the new Daniel K. Akaka Community-Based Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Kalaeloa.
PHOTO COURTESY NAN INC.
President/CEO: Scot Jimenez
Specialties: Single ply, modified bitumen, metal roofing, tile roof, shingle roof, waterproofing
Hawaii state license: BC-22075
Beachside Roofing is ranked No. 2 in this year’s standings, with $34.5 million in 2023 revenue posted, an increase of 2 percent over $33.8 million earned in 2022.
Beachside completed many notable roofing projects in 2023, including Sky Ala Moana, the Daniel K. Akaka Community-Based Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic, the Residences for Innovative Student Entrepreneurs at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and Halewai‘olu Senior Residences.
“Sky Ala Moana was unique in that the project encompassed two high-rises built simultaneously over a common podium in the busy Ala Moana and Kapi‘olani Boulevard corridor,” says Scot Jimenez, Beachside president and CEO.
Supply chain issues last year didn’t impact Beachside projects, “but we did order and store the materials earlier than normal to mitigate long lead times,” he says.
Beachside started work in 2023 at Maui Bay Villas, Punahou School, Hilton Grand Vacations Club Ocean Tower at Waikoloa Village and the Ka‘anapali Beach Club, as well as projects at Honouliuli and Sand Island Wastewater Treatment plants.
The wastewater projects are also an example of the company’s work in the public sector, which generates approximately 20 percent of overall revenue.
“The commercial roofing and waterproofing sector looks very strong for 2024 and the foreseeable future,” Jimenez says.
Tight quarters were the order of the day at Beachside’s Halewai‘olu Senior Residences project, completed last year.
PHOTO COURTESY UNLIMITED CONSTRUCTION SERVICES INC.
#1
$38.9 million
KAPILI SOLAR ROOFING & PAINTING
About half of Kapili Roofing’s projects in 2023 were for the public sector, including a reroof at Kapolei High School.
Leeward Community College Wai‘anae Moku is a Kapili project, serving a vital educational need for the west side of O‘ahu.
President/CEO: Scot Jimenez
Specialties: Single ply, modified bitumen, metal roofing, tile roof, shingle roof, waterproofing
Hawaii state license: BC-22075
Beachside Roofing is ranked No. 2 in this year’s standings, with $34.5 million in 2023 revenue posted, an increase of 2 percent over $33.8 million earned in 2022.
Beachside completed many notable roofing projects in 2023, including Sky Ala Moana, the Daniel K. Akaka Community-Based Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic, the Residences for Innovative Student Entrepreneurs at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and Halewai‘olu Senior Residences.
“Sky Ala Moana was unique in that the project encompassed two high-rises built simultaneously over a common podium in the busy Ala Moana and Kapi‘olani Boulevard corridor,” says Scot Jimenez, Beachside president and CEO.
Supply chain issues last year didn’t impact Beachside projects, “but we did order and store the materials earlier than normal to mitigate long lead times,” he says.
Beachside started work in 2023 at Maui Bay Villas, Punahou School, Hilton Grand Vacations Club Ocean Tower at Waikoloa Village and the Ka‘anapali Beach Club, as well as projects at Honouliuli and Sand Island Wastewater Treatment plants.
The wastewater projects are also an example of the company’s work in the public sector, which generates approximately 20 percent of overall revenue.
“The commercial roofing and waterproofing sector looks very strong for 2024 and the foreseeable future,” Jimenez says.
