When Iowa homeowners compare a family owned roofer vs national company, the local family business usually offers more accountability, because its owners live in the same community, stay reachable for warranty work years later and have no storm to chase.
Choosing a roofing contractor is about more than comparing estimates. In Episode 13 of Roots to Renovation, host Mike Downer talks with Peterson Roofing founder and CEO Jody Peterson and COO Ryan Peterson about accountability, community roots, warranties and homeowner service. For anyone comparing a family owned roofer vs national company Iowa, their discussion highlights several key takeaways: local relationships create accountability, long-term stability matters, pressure should never drive a roofing decision, and reliable service should continue long after installation.
Peterson Roofing and Home Improvement is a family-owned roofing contractor in Davenport, Iowa, and it also handles siding, gutters and other exterior work across the Quad Cities.
How Does a Family-Owned Roofer Create More Accountability?
A family-owned roofer is accountable because its owners live and work in the same community as their customers, and for Jody that is the biggest difference between Peterson Roofing and larger regional or national companies.
“We live here. We work here. We do everything here, so we have to be accountable here,” Jody explained.
Peterson Roofing serves the Quad Cities, including Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline and Rock Island. Jody said that because the company’s owners regularly see customers at grocery stores, community activities and other local places, maintaining strong relationships matters.
That accessibility can become especially important when a homeowner has a question or problem. Jody and Ryan explained that homeowners can reach them directly when an issue requires their involvement rather than working through an unfamiliar corporate structure.
Why Does a Roofer’s Long-Term Local Presence Matter?
A roofer’s long-term local presence matters because a roof stays on a home for years, and warranty or repair questions need a company that is still in business to answer them.
Jody started roofing in the 1980s, while Ryan grew up around the business before eventually returning to the Quad Cities and joining the company. Ryan now hears from customers he first worked with roughly two decades ago. An earlier episode tells the fuller story of how the family business grew in the Quad Cities.
That continuity matters when warranty questions or repairs arise. As Jody put it, “Who do you call if they’re out of business?”
The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends checking a roofing contractor’s permanent place of business, track record, references, insurance and written proposal before hiring. It also recommends understanding who will oversee the project and carefully reviewing warranty provisions.
How Is a Family-Owned Roofer Different on Sales Pressure?
A local family-owned roofer has less reason to push for a same-day signature, and Jody and Ryan say Peterson Roofing would rather give homeowners time to compare estimates than create artificial urgency. They described situations in which homeowners may be encouraged to sign immediately or replace a roof before replacement is actually necessary. The same pressure often follows big storms, which our guide to a local roofer vs. a storm chaser covers.
Peterson Roofing takes a different approach, according to Ryan. Sometimes an inspection results in telling a homeowner that the existing roof may have several useful years remaining. As Ryan put it, “We’ll tell you, ‘Give us two or three more years. You’re actually pretty good to go.’”
Jody also encouraged homeowners to obtain multiple estimates rather than making a rushed decision.
That advice aligns with the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, which advises homeowners to compare written estimates and be cautious about “today only” pricing, urgent claims and pressure to sign before reviewing their options.
Why Do Neighbor Referrals Matter When Choosing a Roofer?
Neighbor referrals matter because they come from homeowners who have already seen a roofer’s work hold up, and Jody and Ryan emphasized them as a sign of a contractor’s local reputation.
They shared that Peterson Roofing has completed numerous roofs in their own neighborhood. According to Jody, one neighbor jokingly refers to the area as “Peterson Hill” because of how many homes the company has worked on.
For homeowners, recommendations from people they know can provide useful insight into how a contractor communicates, handles projects and responds after the work is finished. The Federal Trade Commission similarly recommends getting contractor recommendations from trusted people, obtaining multiple estimates and carefully reviewing written contracts before work begins.
What Happens After a Family-Owned Roofer Finishes the Job?
With a local family-owned roofer, the relationship often continues after the crew leaves, because homeowners can call the owners directly when something comes up. Ryan shared an example of a longtime customer whose siding came loose following severe winds. The homeowner called Ryan directly, and Peterson Roofing returned to take care of it.
That story reflects the broader message of the episode: a roofing project should not necessarily end when the crew leaves.
Jody said repeat customers are another sign that homeowners have had a positive experience. Someone may initially call Peterson Roofing for one project and later return when another part of the home needs attention.
When weighing a family owned roofer vs national company Iowa, homeowners can look beyond company size and ask practical questions about local history, accessibility, warranties, references, sales practices and who will be available if something goes wrong years later.
Watch the Full Podcast on YouTube
Hear the complete conversation with Jody and Ryan Peterson to learn more about local accountability, honest roof assessments, long-term service and the value of community relationships. Watch the full podcast episode on YouTube for their firsthand perspective on choosing a roofing contractor you can confidently call again years from now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I hire a local roofer or a national company in Iowa?
For most Iowa homeowners, a local roofer with a long track record is the safer choice, because you can verify its work nearby and reach it for warranty service years later. Peterson Roofing and Home Improvement, a family-owned contractor in Davenport, is one local option in the Quad Cities.
Is a family-owned roofing company automatically better than a national company?
Not necessarily. Homeowners should evaluate each contractor based on experience, insurance, references, written estimates, warranties, communication and demonstrated quality rather than company size alone.
Why does a roofing contractor’s local history matter?
A long-term local presence can help homeowners evaluate a contractor’s reputation and determine whether the company is likely to remain accessible for future repairs or warranty questions.
Should I get more than one roofing estimate?
Yes. Comparing multiple written estimates helps you review differences in scope, materials, pricing and proposed work before making a decision.
Should a roofer pressure me to sign immediately?
Homeowners should be cautious about high-pressure sales tactics or claims that require an immediate decision without a clear explanation.
Can a roof sometimes be repaired instead of replaced?
Yes. Depending on its age, condition and type of damage, a roof may only require repairs. A qualified contractor should inspect the roof before recommending replacement.
What should I ask about a roofing warranty?
Ask what the warranty covers, how long coverage lasts, what could void it and who homeowners should contact if a problem develops.
Are neighbor referrals useful when choosing a roofer?
Yes. Recommendations from neighbors can provide firsthand information about workmanship, communication, reliability and how the contractor handled follow-up service.
Mike Downer: Hello, everybody. Welcome to Roots for Innovation. I’m your host, Mike Downer, and I am here with the Peterson boys again. I’ve got Jody Peterson, who is the founder and CEO, and his son, our ever-popular and infamous Ryan Peterson, the COO of Peterson Roofing. How are we doing today, gentlemen?
Jody Peterson: Very good, Mike.
Ryan Peterson: Thanks, Mike.
Mike Downer: I always like to change it up a little bit when I introduce you guys. You guys are always a lot of fun to talk to. You’re just a couple of nice guys, and I really enjoy our conversations.
So today, we’re going to be talking about what makes a family-owned roofer different from a national chain. I know there are some big differences. We’ll be covering why it matters whether your roofing contractor is a local family business or a national franchise, and what the practical differences are in the homeowner experience.
So why does it matter to call a local roofer? We’re going to go over the benefits and the ins and outs of that.
Guys, let me ask you this: How does working with a local family-owned roofing company create greater accountability for the quality of the work that gets done on your home?
Jody Peterson: I can start with that. We’re one location right here in the Quad Cities: Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, and Rock Island. I’ve been here the entire time. I started in 1985 and then incorporated in 1990, so that’s 40-plus years.
We don’t go anywhere else to do storms. We don’t chase storms like a lot of these national and regional companies do. So there’s an accountability factor. We’re in this area, and we’re in the grocery stores together with our customers. We go to church with our customers. We see them out and about all the time, so we want to make sure they’re happy.
We don’t want people coming up to us and telling us about problems while we’re out with our families having a good time. We don’t want to have to defend ourselves from customer complaints. We live here. We work here. We do everything here, so we have to be accountable here.
We hear stories all the time from customers who are unsatisfied with a national chain. They call in, and they get no response, or it takes a long time to get a response. Then it’s somebody other than the owners coming out. Now, you’re not always going to get us every time either. It might be an employee who comes out. But if it gets to a point where you need the expertise of the owners, such as Ryan and myself, we will be out there to take care of whatever issue may arise.
That’s a rare thing, though, because we are an accountable company. We see our customers all the time, and that’s the way we run the business.
Mike Downer: I like that a lot, and that really does matter a ton. Being as old as I am, I know people in my area who are also roofers and have worked for small family companies and big ones. With the big guys, your branch manager might come out, and three weeks later, it’s a new branch manager. Six weeks after that, it’s another branch manager. One year later, it’s someone different again, and you never get the same guy twice.
I know guys who have worked for these roofing companies, and they’re always chasing their company. They’re chasing the bigger paychecks, and they don’t stay with these national chains for long periods of time. You guys are in it for the long haul. Did I sum that up okay?
Jody Peterson: That was perfect.
Mike Downer: So how did Peterson Roofing grow from Jody starting the business to Ryan joining it and building 45 years of trust in the Quad Cities area?
Jody Peterson: You want to go on that one, Ryan?
Ryan Peterson: Yeah, I’ll go. Like you said, Dad started the company when I was just a little kid. He was roofing on a crew back when I was in diapers, so we’re going way, way back. Then he started his own company, and I grew up with all of that going on.
I can remember the materials in the driveway. He would say, “Hey, Ryan, see if you can tear that modified asphalt. I’ll buy you a McDonald’s Happy Meal if you can tear that.” I grew up with this.
Like a lot of kids, though, I wanted to get out of the Quad Cities. I thought it was kind of boring. I went off to business school down in Nashville, Tennessee. But guess what? I came back here. I loved it too much. The Quad Cities is a good place to raise a family.
I’ve been back here a little over 20 years or so, working in the family business. Like we’ve been talking about, I have customers who call me back now from 20 years ago, when I first started actually working with Dad. These are people we live near. We live in the same town. We see them in the grocery store. We play Little League and hockey. We’ve just been doing what we do: taking care of people.
Mike Downer: Very cool. You were talking about your community, so why do strong community roots affect how a local roofing contractor approaches each homeowner and project?
Ryan Peterson: Let me tell you something. I was just talking about hockey a little bit here. Yes, community roots matter. I’ve talked to other hockey coaches and people I’m friends with who worked for competitors. These are the national chains we’re talking about. I don’t know that they’re national yet, but they’re definitely regional. We’re talking multiple branches across the Midwest.
The name of the game is, “Let’s see how fast and how much we can grow this company so the people at the top can cash out.” It’s all about selling to private equity and making all the money they can. It’s a bad experience for homeowners.
I talked to one of these people and said, “Hey, are you still working for that company?” He said, “Nah, Ryan, I went back to work in maintenance at a factory. I just couldn’t handle all the problems with the company.”
He was a salesman, so he was having talks with the homeowner and figuring out what they needed. Maybe there was insurance stuff to deal with. But when it came time to do the work, that big national company botched the whole thing. There was no communication. They messed things up. There were subpar products, subpar quality, and bad workmanship.
This poor guy, who is local and has lived here his whole life, had to talk to these people. He couldn’t handle it. That’s just one guy. I know other people with the same kind of story. They run into problems making good on the promises they’ve made to people.
That’s what you’re going to run into when you have these big companies and everything is spread out. It’s all about growth and money. They don’t care about people, but we do. We’ll take care of you. We’re just like you. We live in the community, and we care about you.
Mike Downer: That’s perfect.
Jody Peterson: One thing here.
Mike Downer: Oh, yeah. Go ahead.
Jody Peterson: In the 45 years we’ve been doing this, that’s really important. We were talking about this at lunch with a salesman from another company. He was saying that somebody can jump into business and say, “Well, I’ve been in business 40 years.” They’ll take the time they’ve been doing roofing, along with their partner’s time doing roofing, and add them together. They’ll also count when they were a different company under a different name as part of that experience.
Peterson Roofing has been Peterson Roofing for 45 years. That’s it. Same ownership. We’ve never sold out to anyone else. A lot of companies, even local companies, have been bought out by another local person but keep the same name. Other companies have such a terrible reputation that they change their name every few years because they’ve worn out their name.
Peterson Roofing is the only one that has been Peterson Roofing for that many years: 45 years, same name, same people running the company, and the same accountability throughout.
Mike Downer: That’s very good. So why does a roofing company’s long-term local presence matter when it comes to warranties and future service?
Jody Peterson: That’s a perfect question. Who do you call if they’re out of business? You put your roof on, and 10 years later, you have a warranty issue. Who do you call if they’re gone?
Ryan Peterson: Right, and we get that all the time, too. We’ve talked about that a bunch. A lot of these houses that got redone in 2020 and 2023, I’ve had so many people come and say, “Hey, I had a guy knock on my door and do this job, and that company isn’t here anymore. I need help now. Can you fix this?”
Jody Peterson: Everybody got their roofs replaced in 2020 and 2021 because there was a little entity in this country that gave some checks out, and everybody got some extra home maintenance done.
Mike Downer: There were also storms. A lot of them went through at that time.
Ryan Peterson: Yes, some crazy storms. Here’s an interesting story. I had a customer. We just had some wind two or three weeks ago, and it blew a piece of siding loose on his house. Guess what? He called my cell phone. I have his number saved right in my phone.
He said, “Hey, Ryan, I had a piece of siding come loose.” I said, “We’ll just come take care of that for you.”
You’re not going to get that with a big national or regional company. They’re going to charge you. And it wasn’t our fault. The siding was attached right. We had about 70-mile-an-hour winds, and sometimes the siding is just not going to hold up.
Jody Peterson: They were classifying that storm as a derecho, too, I think.
Ryan Peterson: There you go. It was bad. I had trees down at my house, and there was a lot of damage around the whole Quad Cities. So we took care of it for him, and I didn’t charge him.
I know he’s going to tell his friends, family, and neighbors, “Go talk to Ryan and Jody at Peterson Roofing. They’re going to take care of you. They’re going to go the extra mile.”
Mike Downer: Very good. So let’s go to the beginning of the sale, the beginning of the whole process. How is dealing with a family-owned roofer different from dealing with the high-pressure sales tactics or artificial urgency from national chains?
Jody Peterson: You said artificial urgency?
Mike Downer: Artificial urgency. I’m trying to be nice.
Ryan Peterson: That’s good.
Jody Peterson: We’ll give you 10% off, even though we’ve inflated the job 100% already.
Ryan Peterson: Yeah, we get that.
Jody Peterson: They’ve got salespeople out there spending their own time, money, and vehicles selling jobs. If they don’t convert those sales, they’re out of luck, so they’re going to be high-pressure.
They are also traveling great distances because they’re not just chasing storms in one area. They’re probably in several areas. So it’s imperative that they try to close the sale while they’re there. It is a high-pressure thing. They like you to be home. They like to spend two or three hours sitting in your living room, even though you’re uncomfortable sitting there talking to them. They’re trained not to take no for an answer.
We don’t do that here. We understand that if you’re pressured into doing some type of job, you’re probably going to be uncomfortable with that company and even with the job itself. The reason they high-pressure people is because they know there’s probably going to be an issue somewhere down the line, whether it’s subpar workmanship, not staying on schedule, or something else. They have to sell that job.
What a lot of companies do is send the material out right away and drop it in your front yard. So even if you have apprehensive thoughts and wonder, “Did I do the right thing here?” you’ve already signed the contract, and you already have the material. It’s very hard to back out of the job at that point.
Mike Downer: That makes complete sense. What I was talking about is that I didn’t want to say somebody is fabricating stories, but this artificial urgency means they tell you, “You’d better get this done right now,” and it’s all about high pressure.
Jody Peterson: Your house is probably not going to collapse.
Ryan Peterson: Tell us exactly what you’re talking about, Mike. You have our permission.
Mike Downer: Okay. What I’m saying is, how is it different when Peterson Roofing comes out? Say you’re at my house, and it’s getting toward that time. If a national chain comes out here, they’re going to fabricate artificial urgency.
Ryan Peterson: Oh, okay. They’re going to lie to you.
Mike Downer: They’re going to lie and say it needs to be done now. They’re going to pressure me to get this done now. How is it different when you come out and say, “Hey, Mike, maybe we can do this repair instead”?
Jody Peterson: Possibly a repair instead of a whole new roof. We get that a lot. I think the main reason they have artificial urgency is because they know if they leave, someone else is going to come behind them and say, “What kind of price did this other company give you?” Then they’ll beat the price.
Price isn’t everything, as we know, but usually they have overinflated prices and are telling homeowners they need something they may not need. Of course, they’re going to charge for that as well. So if they leave, chances are they’re not getting the job. The next person who comes along will, or the one after that.
It’s a good idea to get three estimates. We’re all for that. We don’t have any problem with that because we know our price is going to be fair, and you’re going to get what you pay for.
Mike Downer: The other thing is, what if someone like you comes in, and Ryan gets up on the roof, looks around, and says, “You can go another three years. You don’t need anything right now.”
Ryan Peterson: Yeah, and that happens all the time. We’ll tell you, “Give us two or three more years. You’re actually pretty good to go.” If they need two or three more years, some people will say, “Okay, well, let’s do it now because it’s going to cost more in two or three years, so why not do it now?” But some people have 10 or 15 years left, and some companies will still say, “You’ve got to get this done now.” I mean, it’s a sale, right?
Mike Downer: The whole point of that question was to express the honesty of Peterson Roofing.
Ryan Peterson: You led us there, Mike. You got us there, buddy.
Mike Downer: I got you down the road. I had to hold your hand a little bit, but we got there.
Ryan Peterson: That’s the mark of a good host.
Mike Downer: This is why I always have fun with you guys. I can hold your hand. It’s okay. I’m moisturized today, so I’m a good hand-holder.
Ryan Peterson: Yeah, I don’t do roofs, so my hands look great.
Mike Downer: So let’s get back to talking about quality work. Can you explain why referrals from neighbors are such an important indicator of a roofing company’s reputation and reliability?
Jody Peterson: Let me take this first, just because I thought of a story. In our neighborhood, we have probably done over 50% of the roofs, wouldn’t you say?
Ryan Peterson: Oh, more. I think it’s probably 90-something percent of the ones that need roofs.
Jody Peterson: Yeah. Actually, we did roofs in here before we ever moved in. We both live in the same neighborhood now, but we had done roofs here before either of us lived here.
One of Ryan’s direct neighbors, a very nice lady, walks her dogs up the hill. We’ll see her all the time and pull over and talk to her. She said, “You’ve done so much work in our neighborhood. We call this Peterson Hill.” We live on a hill, and I said, “We didn’t know that.”
All the neighbors talk, and they call it Peterson Hill because of all the work we’ve done here. So we have a great reputation in our neighborhood, and that’s the way it is as we extend out from this neighborhood to all the other jobs we do as well.
Mike Downer: That’s very cool. That’s how you stay in business under one company name, one LLC, for 45 years.
So how does hiring a local roofing contractor help support the Quad Cities economy?
Ryan Peterson: The money stays here, right? You just talked about our neighborhood. Property taxes, going out to the grocery store—we’ll see you there. We’re buying our groceries here. Everything we do is right here.
The money is not leaving town. It’s not going back to Chicago, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, or wherever. With these national chains, that money may be making its way all around the country. With us, it’s all staying right here. It’s being invested back into the area.
Mike Downer: Very cool. All right, guys, we’ll wind this one up, and I’m going to ask you one final question.
How does Peterson Roofing focus on creating a positive homeowner experience rather than treating each project as just another transaction?
Ryan Peterson: Do you want it, Dad, or do you want me to take it?
Jody Peterson: I would say the first thing that comes to mind is that a lot of times, we’ll get the call to do one particular thing. We’ll do that, and then the customer is so satisfied that they ask us to do another project around their house. That’s one way we know it was a great experience the first time they had us, so they know they’re going to get a good experience the second time.
Again, as we talked about earlier, we’re easy to talk to. You can call us directly. Every homeowner has our direct cell phone number. We can’t say we’re going to answer it on the spot every time, but we’re going to get back to them within a couple of hours. We’ll be able to directly answer their questions and make that experience as smooth as possible.
We want the customer to have to do as little and worry about as little as possible. That’s why you hire us. We’re going to figure out the situation and make it go smoothly so you don’t have to stress over it.
Mike Downer: Perfect. I love that answer. I want all our listeners to remember: call these guys and keep your money local. It’s super important to the future prosperity of your entire community. As little as you may think it helps, it helps everybody.
In addition to that, if there’s a problem, chances are you’re going to see these guys at a stoplight, run into them at the grocery store, or see them at a baseball game. They’re going to make it right, because nobody’s perfect. Problems happen. But if they do, you want the guys who are going to make it right on the spot. Is that right?
Jody Peterson: That’s right on.
Ryan Peterson: Yep. And guess what? Most of the time, it’s going to be right the first time.
Mike Downer: I agree. I know it’s going to be right the first time. But circumstances happen, and at least you have the company that’s going to make sure that if it wasn’t 100%, they’ll get it to 100%.
That’s what I love about talking to you guys: your integrity. You guys are just quality humans, so I really enjoy our conversations. It’s always a lot of fun. We have a few laughs. I have to hold your hand every now and then, but it’s all good.
All right, gentlemen. The one thing you won’t see me doing is getting up on a roof, but I am looking forward to the next time I’m sitting in this chair inside my house, talking to you guys.
Jody Peterson: Sounds good.
Mike Downer: All right, gentlemen. You take care, and have a great week.
Ryan Peterson: Thanks, Mike.
