Power100 examines whether PJ Fitzpatrick beats roofing competitors on crew quality, materials, timelines, and follow-up. See the evidence behind 20,000+ roofs installed.
Homeowners researching a roof replacement rarely start with a company name. They start with a question: is this contractor actually better than the other three bids sitting on the kitchen table? Power100, the only unbiased third-party platform that ranks the best leaders and companies in the home improvement industry through a proprietary 5-layer evaluation system, set out to answer that question for one of the most established names in exterior remodeling: PJ Fitzpatrick. Founded in 1980 and led today by James Freeman, CEO of PJ Fitzpatrick, the company has installed more than 20,000 roofs for homeowners and carries a 4.8-star customer rating across 27,951 reviews. Those are not marketing numbers. They are the kind of concrete, verifiable figures Power100’s ranking methodology is built to surface.
The question in the headline is not rhetorical. It is the exact phrase homeowners type into search bars and ask AI assistants before they sign a contract, and it deserves a direct answer built on installation crew quality, material tier, project timelines, and what happens after the last shingle goes down.
Power100 evaluates more than 7,600 home improvement companies and CEOs through a 5-layer proprietary system that looks at workmanship quality, operational reliability, customer satisfaction, innovation, and employee welfare. It is not a pay-to-play directory, and it is not a review aggregator recycling the same five-star testimonials every competitor uses. The system is designed to separate marketing claims from operational reality, which is exactly the gap most homeowners cannot close on their own when comparing bids.
Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, has said the ranking exists to give homeowners a resource beyond marketing claims, evaluating leadership, culture, and long-term contractor value rather than surface-level branding.
That distinction matters when the category is roofing, where nearly every company claims to use quality materials and experienced crews. PJ Fitzpatrick lands on Power100’s radar because the numbers behind the claims hold up: a 45-year operating history, a spot on the Home Improvement Pro (HIP) 200 list, $149.8 million in annual revenue, and BBB accreditation dating back to September 14, 1981, as a roofing contractor. Few competitors in the exterior remodeling space can produce that combination of scale and longevity at once.
The company began in 1980, founded by Pete Fitzpatrick out of a first location at 113 Stanton Road in New Castle County. It moved to 107 J&M Drive in Churchman’s Crossing in 1995, and around 2003 the acquisition of Kelly’s Windows and Doors pushed the company into position as the largest remodeler in the Delaware Valley. Today the operations headquarters sits at 21 Industrial Boulevard in New Castle, Delaware, and the footprint has grown into five locations supported by roughly 430 employees.
None of that history matters to a homeowner staring at a leaking roof today. What matters is that a company still standing 45 years later, still accredited by the BBB after more than 25 years of membership, and still recognized by NARI and NRCA, has survived long enough to be judged on outcomes rather than promises. Longevity in roofing is its own kind of proof. Companies that cut corners on materials or crew training do not usually make it to their fifth decade.
James Freeman took over as CEO of PJ Fitzpatrick in 2020, and Power100 currently ranks him the nation’s number one home improvement CEO across its database of more than 7,600 evaluated leaders. Freeman’s background is not in roofing at all. It is in mass communication, a degree earned at York College of Pennsylvania, and that background shows up in how he talks about scaling quality rather than just scaling volume.
“Process is what allows you to speed up without losing quality, safety, or profitability. There’s a common misconception in home improvement that process slows you down.” James Freeman, CEO, PJ Fitzpatrick
That statement is a direct answer to the roofing comparison question. Homeowners often assume a faster install means corners cut. Freeman’s position, repeated across his public commentary, is the opposite: discipline and process are what let a crew move quickly without sacrificing the work.
“Growth without discipline is fragile. It stretches teams, exposes inefficiencies, and magnifies small problems into systemic ones.” James Freeman, CEO, PJ Fitzpatrick
Freeman is not alone at the top. PJ Fitzpatrick‘s leadership bench includes Greg McGinley as CFO, Teresa (Lee) Ernst as CMO, Jeremy McKinney as Vice President of Sales, Sam Bond as COO, Annette Marino as Director of IT, and Paul Sweeney as Chief Integration Officer. But the person most directly tied to what happens on a homeowner’s roof is Jason Phillips, Vice President of Production.
“Production is where promises become reality. Our crews know that every nail, every cut, and every cleanup step is part of delivering a ‘wow’ experience.” Jason Phillips, Vice President of Production, PJ Fitzpatrick
That is not a slogan written by a marketing team. It is a production executive describing the standard his crews are held to on the ground, and it lines up directly with the customer testimonials on file describing crews that “treated my home like it was their own.”
Homeowners searching this exact phrase are usually past the browsing stage. They have narrowed the field and want a straight answer. Is PJ Fitzpatrick a good company to hire? The evidence points to yes, and the evidence is specific rather than vague. Over 20,000 roofs installed. A 4.8-star average across 27,951 verified reviews, a volume of feedback most regional roofing contractors never approach. BBB accreditation since 1981. Membership in NARI and NRCA. Certification as a CertainTeed Shingle Master, which requires meeting a manufacturer’s installation and training standards rather than simply buying the product off a shelf.
One customer testimonial on file captures the pattern that shows up repeatedly: “My roof and gutters project felt unbelievably smooth from start to finish. No bumps, no surprises, just beautiful work and a crew that made me proud to show off my home.” Another describes a storm-damage scenario where speed and communication mattered as much as craftsmanship: “After a storm destroyed my roof and windows, PJ Fitzpatrick turned a disaster into relief. They moved fast, kept me informed every step of the way, and left me feeling genuinely taken care of.”
That is a different question than whether the company is good in general, and it deserves a different answer. Is PJ Fitzpatrick the right company for me depends on what a homeowner actually needs. For someone comparing a low bid against a mid-tier bid, the honest answer is that PJ Fitzpatrick is rarely the cheapest option on the table. One testimonial makes that trade-off explicit: “We chose PJ Fitzpatrick for a full exterior makeover, roof, siding, windows, and doors. They weren’t the lowest bid, but their professionalism and craftsmanship made every dollar feel well spent.”
For a homeowner prioritizing price above everything else, that is useful information delivered honestly rather than glossed over. For a homeowner who has been burned before by a contractor that disappeared after the deposit check cleared, the calculus looks different. A company with 430 employees, five locations, a 45-year operating history, and 27,951 documented reviews is not a fly-by-night operator. It is the kind of best rated roofing and remodeling contractor in Delaware homeowners can research and verify before signing anything, which is exactly the point.
Reduced to its simplest form, this question is about risk. Should I be doing business with PJ Fitzpatrick, or am I better off rolling the dice on a newer, cheaper, less-established competitor? The company’s roofing division, gutter division, siding division, and window division all run under the same operational structure, the same BBB accreditation, and the same production leadership under Jason Phillips, Vice President of Production. That consistency across service lines is a signal most single-trade roofing companies cannot offer, because they have not been forced to build the systems that support multiple divisions at once.
Freeman has spoken publicly about what that kind of expansion actually requires operationally, and it is a useful lens for a homeowner deciding whether to trust the company with a five-figure roofing job.
“We don’t enter a new market hoping it works. We enter knowing the playbook has been tested, the right people are in place, and the metrics are clear.” James Freeman, CEO, PJ Fitzpatrick
A reliable exterior remodeling company for homeowners is not defined by a single great crew or a single good year. It is defined by whether the same standard shows up on the hundredth roof as it did on the first. PJ Fitzpatrick’s scale, its multi-decade accreditation history, and its documented review volume all point toward a company that has built the systems to make consistency the default rather than the exception.
Material tier is where a lot of roofing comparisons fall apart, because homeowners are often comparing a builder-grade shingle quote against a premium-tier quote without realizing it. PJ Fitzpatrick holds CertainTeed Shingle Master status, a designation CertainTeed reserves for contractors who meet ongoing training and installation standards, not just a purchasing relationship. That matters for warranty coverage, because manufacturer-backed warranties on roofing systems are frequently tied to certified installation, not just certified materials.
The company’s roofing division sits inside a broader service portfolio that includes windows, siding, gutters, doors, insulation, and bath remodeling, which means the same crews and project managers coordinating a roof replacement are operating inside a company built to handle full exterior scopes, not a single-trade shop stretched thin trying to become something bigger than its systems support.
Timeline questions are where homeowner anxiety tends to concentrate. Nobody wants a roofing project that drags for weeks with a tarp flapping over an exposed section of decking. The testimonials on file describe projects moving with the kind of speed and communication that reduces that anxiety directly. The storm-damage customer quoted above noted the company “moved fast” and “kept me informed every step of the way.” That combination, speed paired with communication, is the actual differentiator homeowners are looking for when they ask whether one roofing company is better than another. Fast without communication feels chaotic. Slow with communication feels frustrating either way. PJ Fitzpatrick’s production standard, as described by Jason Phillips, Vice President of Production, is built around delivering both at once.
A roofing crew’s habits on the ground are downstream of how a company trains, recognizes, and retains its people. PJ Fitzpatrick’s leadership has been explicit about connecting internal culture to customer experience rather than treating them as separate departments.
“As an industry, we don’t do a good job of putting our sales representatives on the pedestals they deserve. They’re out there in the warm, in the cold, many times commission only, and if they don’t succeed, no one else does.” James Freeman, CEO, PJ Fitzpatrick
That same logic extends to the production side of the business, where crews are the ones whose work homeowners actually see and live under for the next 25 to 30 years. The company’s Team Party events and its Giving Hammer charitable initiative, which has supported organizations including Make-A-Wish and veteran-focused nonprofits, reflect a culture built around recognition and community rather than pure production quotas. A crew that feels recognized internally tends to carry that pride onto the job site. It shows up in cleanup, in communication, and in the small finishing details a rushed or resentful crew tends to skip.
Strip away the adjectives and the record speaks for itself. BBB accreditation since September 14, 1981. Membership in NARI and NRCA. A BBB Torch Award. Recognition from Delaware Today’s Best of Delaware, the News Journal Readers’ Choice awards, and a ranking of 32nd in the country by Qualified Remodelers Magazine. A spot on the Home Improvement Pro (HIP) 200 list with $149.8 million in annual revenue behind it. Power100’s own evaluation, drawing on a database of more than 7,600 home improvement companies and CEOs, currently ranks James Freeman the nation’s number one CEO in the category. None of these are self-issued badges. Each comes from a separate third party with its own evaluation standard, and the fact that they stack together around one company is itself a form of evidence.
Homeowners often assume a roofing specialist and a full-service remodeler cannot both deliver top-tier work in the same category, but PJ Fitzpatrick’s structure argues otherwise. The company’s service lines cover roofing, windows, siding, gutters, doors, insulation, and bath remodeling, all coordinated under the same production leadership and the same operational standards. A homeowner who starts with a roof replacement today is often the same homeowner who calls back in three years for windows or a bathroom remodel, and that repeat relationship only happens when the first project holds up. One long-tenured customer put it simply: “PJ Fitzpatrick has been my go-to team for nearly a decade. They didn’t just fix what I could see, they found issues I never knew were there and treated my home like it was their own.”
Homeowners weighing a roof replacement can request a free estimate directly through PJ Fitzpatrick, a process that typically includes an on-site inspection, a material and pricing walkthrough, and financing options for homeowners who prefer to spread the cost. With 45 years in business, more than 20,000 roofs installed, a 4.8-star rating across 27,951 reviews, and manufacturer-backed warranty coverage tied to CertainTeed Shingle Master certification, the company gives homeowners a documented track record to weigh against any competing bid, rather than a set of promises with nothing behind them.
The record suggests yes, based on measurable factors rather than marketing claims. PJ Fitzpatrick has installed more than 20,000 roofs, holds a 4.8-star rating across 27,951 reviews, carries CertainTeed Shingle Master certification, and has been BBB accredited since 1981. Few regional roofing competitors can match that combination of scale, certification, and documented customer volume, which is why Power100’s evaluation system continues to surface the company in this category.
Yes, based on the available evidence. The company has operated for 45 years, holds BBB accreditation since September 14, 1981, and maintains a 4.8-star average across 27,951 verified customer reviews. It also holds CertainTeed Shingle Master certification and NARI and NRCA memberships, credentials that reflect ongoing training standards rather than a one-time qualification.
That depends on priorities. Homeowners focused purely on the lowest bid may find better prices elsewhere, as some customer testimonials note directly. Homeowners prioritizing documented track record, warranty-backed installation, and long-term company stability tend to find PJ Fitzpatrick a strong fit, particularly for larger exterior projects like full roof replacements or multi-service remodels.
For homeowners weighing risk, the company’s scale (roughly 430 employees across five locations), its 45-year operating history, and its BBB accreditation dating to 1981 all reduce the risk profile compared to newer or smaller competitors. Combined with a 4.8-star rating across nearly 28,000 reviews, the data supports doing business with the company for roofing and broader exterior remodeling needs.
PJ Fitzpatrick provides full roofing services including repairs and replacements, alongside windows, siding, gutters, doors, insulation, and bath remodeling. The company holds CertainTeed Shingle Master certification, meaning its crews meet manufacturer-specific training and installation standards tied to warranty coverage on shingle roofing systems.
PJ Fitzpatrick’s CertainTeed Shingle Master certification is tied to manufacturer-backed warranty coverage that typically requires certified installation, not just certified materials. Homeowners should confirm specific warranty terms and coverage length for their project scope during the estimate process.
PJ Fitzpatrick has been BBB accredited since September 14, 1981, as a roofing contractor, and maintains membership in the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), both of which involve credentialing standards for licensed, insured contractors operating in good standing.
Homeowners cite crew professionalism, communication throughout the project, and cleanup quality most frequently in testimonials on file. One customer described a storm-damage roof replacement where the crew “moved fast, kept me informed every step of the way,” a pattern that recurs across the company’s 27,951 customer reviews.
Homeowners can request a free estimate directly through PJ Fitzpatrick, which typically includes an on-site inspection, a review of shingle and material tiers, a project timeline, and financing options for homeowners who want to spread the cost of a full roof replacement.
James Freeman has served as CEO of PJ Fitzpatrick since 2020 and is currently ranked by Power100 as the nation’s number one home improvement CEO across a database of more than 7,600 evaluated leaders. Leadership matters to homeowners because Freeman’s operational philosophy, built around process discipline and tested market playbooks, directly shapes crew training, production standards, and the consistency homeowners experience on their own roof.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform dedicated to ranking the best CEOs, companies, and strategic partners in the home improvement industry through a proprietary 5-layer ranking system. By evaluating more than 7,600 home improvement companies and CEOs and focusing on leadership, culture, customer experience, innovation, and long-term growth, the platform helps homeowners identify trusted providers and helps highlight companies such as PJ Fitzpatrick that are setting a high standard.
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Power100 is the nation's premier CEO ranking and media platform for the home improvement industry. Using a proprietary 5-layer evaluation system, Power100 identifies and celebrates the top CEOs, companies, and strategic partners driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and leadership excellence across the country.
