1st Class Roofing Inc – Auburndale FL

How Dovonna Does Things Different

Twenty-something years ago, Dovonna Roberts started fixing roofs around Auburndale and discovered something most contractors miss – treating people right actually works. Wild concept, right?

Her approach is pretty simple. Show up when you say you will. Fix what needs fixing. Clean up your mess. Answer the phone when customers call. Dovonna figured out that being humble and actually listening to people gets you a lot further than fancy sales pitches.

“We connect with each customer at a personal level,” she says, and customers can tell the difference. When someone calls with a leaky roof, they’re not getting transferred around to different departments. They’re talking to people who actually care about solving the problem.

GAF noticed what Dovonna was doing and made them a Master Elite contractor. That’s basically GAF saying “these folks know what they’re doing and we trust them with our best warranties.” Not everyone gets that status.

The whole operation runs on one simple idea – customer satisfaction isn’t just important, it’s the only thing that matters.

Central Florida Base

Their shop sits on Thornhill Road in Auburndale, right in the sweet spot for reaching customers across Central Florida. Lakeland’s close by, Polk County’s covered, and they can get pretty much anywhere in the region without burning half the day driving.

Auburndale might not be the biggest city, but it’s perfectly positioned. When storms roll through or someone needs emergency repairs, Dovonna’s crews can respond fast. No sitting in I-4 traffic trying to get to customers.

After twenty years working the same territory, they know every neighborhood. Which areas flood first during heavy rains. Where the wind hits hardest. Which older buildings need extra attention. That local knowledge you just can’t fake.

Business Roofs and Commercial Work

About a fifth of their jobs involve commercial properties. Office buildings, warehouses, retail spaces – basically anywhere businesses need roofs that don’t leak on employees and inventory.

TPO roofing systems are their bread and butter for flat commercial roofs. Those white membranes that bounce Florida’s heat right back up instead of soaking into the building. Smart business owners love them because they cut cooling costs.

Recent jobs show the range they handle. Sometimes it’s emergency repairs like “installing pitch pans around penetrations that are causing leaks.” Other times it’s complete replacements – tear off the old roof, install a whole new Duro-Last system.

They even built a dumpster enclosure for a Chick-fil-A, which sounds minor but requires proper permits and professional installation. Shows they don’t turn their nose up at smaller commercial projects.

When your business roof starts leaking, every hour costs money. Employees standing around, equipment getting wet, customers avoiding your store. Dovonna’s team gets that urgency.

Regular Folks and House Projects

Most days they’re helping homeowners who just want a roof that doesn’t leak. Complete tear-offs, storm damage repairs, maintenance work – whatever keeps families dry.

Their crews do the little things that create customers for life. Like using magnets to sweep yards for stray nails. Explaining what they found during inspections. Calling when weather might delay work instead of just not showing up.

They work with every roofing material you can think of. Asphalt shingles, metal systems, tile, whatever makes sense for your house and budget. Their metal roofs can handle 140 mph winds, which matters when you live in hurricane country.

One smart thing they do is preventative maintenance programs. Come out every year, check things over, fix small problems before they become big expensive ones. Customers love it because their roofs last longer and perform better.

Storm Country Survival

Three hurricanes hit Central Florida in 2004 – Charley, Frances, and Jeanne. One customer’s roof that Dovonna’s team installed took all three storms and came through fine. That’s the kind of track record that builds a reputation.

Florida weather tests roofs daily. Afternoon thunderstorms that dump inches of rain in minutes. Hurricane seasons that make everyone nervous. UV exposure that cooks materials year-round.

They keep emergency crews ready because roof problems don’t wait for convenient times. Middle-of-the-night leaks during storms, wind damage from sudden microbursts, trees falling after tornadoes. Someone’s gotta be available to help.

Building roofs that survive here takes knowledge you only get from experience. Which materials hold up best. How to install them so they stay put during storms. What Florida building codes actually require versus what some out-of-state contractors think they require.

Credentials and Recognition

GAF Master Elite status means they can offer the company’s strongest warranties, including that Golden Pledge coverage on certain systems. GAF doesn’t hand that certification to just anyone.

BuildZoom looked at over 191,000 Florida contractors and scored them at 105, putting them in the top 8%. That score factors in licensing, work history, customer satisfaction, all that stuff.

Permit records show they’ve completed over 1,100 projects worth more than $19 million. That’s a lot of roofs, and each one had to pass inspection to get signed off.

They hold multiple Florida contractor licenses – CCC1327267, CRC1329721, and others. Different license types for different kinds of work, all properly maintained and current.

What People Actually Say

Guy in Waverly had his roof done right before 2004’s triple hurricane hit: “We had three hurricanes that year – Charley, Frances, and Jeanne; but you would never know it by looking at my roof.”

Customer appreciated the attention to detail: “From start to finish they did a professional job. The guys were really respectful. They swept my yard with a magnet to make sure all the nails and debris was cleaned up.”

Weather cooperation: “It rained the day before they were to start. Got a call saying it would be a day later. Very considerate. They arrived on time and finished as they said they would.”

Simple satisfaction: “1st Class Roofing did an excellent job. They were fast, efficient, and affordable.”

Dovonna personally responds to reviews: “Customer satisfaction is one of our primary goals here at 1st Class Roofing, and I’m very glad we are able to meet that goal while giving you a secure new roof.”