AGL Roof Co Inc

He was very accomadating, and easy to work with. He passed the gaurantee with GAf manufacture. they have a very particular process for getting a guarantee. He also said he would come out and fix anything free of charge. I am very satisfied with his work. very proffessional and followed through. came in theo ther companies by a couple thousand dollars.

The job went beautifully from start to finish.  When Steve arrived to meet with us for the first time, he came well prepared with samples of materials and information about what the job would entail.  He also had a folder full of reference letters from happy clients and a long list of references we could call, or even drive by to take a look at the work he had done.  Steve was extremely confident and struck as very competent, while also being very polite and professional.  He inspired confidence in us.  The work was completed in 3 days, as promised, and the clean-up was very thorough.  We are extremely happy with AGL's work, and we would hire them again and again.

Steve Shepard and his crew did a great job from start to finish. Steve communicated clearly and professionally throughout. The crew was hard working and courteous. I didn't find any debris after they cleaned up the job site. Steve coordinated some electrical work I needed and that also turned out very well.
I've seen several roofing jobs up close, and the AGL job is one of the best.
The new roof looks great. No complaints.

Steve Shepard promptly provided a detailed scope of work that included recommendations for achieving the objectives we established for the project.  The division of responsibilities between the homeowner and contractor were made explicitly clear.  Work started a week after the initial contact and was completed in approximately 2-days.  Steve demonstrated flexibility and a willingness to work with the property owner on items that might normally fall outside of a typical roofing project.  For example, they installed insulation over one room of the house that did not have it.  They adapted their schedule to accommodate having an electrician do some wiring for a ceiling fan while the attic could be exposed from above.  All of this added complexities that might have frustrated another contractor.
The AGL crew is very hard working, friendly and courteous.  The foreman was good about communicating with the property owner as the project progressed.
The overall result is a new roof that exceeded our expectations in terms of appearance and quality.  I have worked with many contractors of different sorts and have never worked with anyone more committed to quality and customer satisfaction than Steve Shepard.  I could not recommend Steve and AGL Roof Co. more highly.

The good:
AGL installed a very good looking roof, and was very responsive.  We've had several other home improvement specialists out doing other work since our roof, and all are impressed with the roofing and ask who did the work (including our gutter guy who does roofs himself!).  More importantly, we've had a few storms since install and all is good with no leaks! :) 
For the roofing above our beam ceiling (room addition) we had insulation added under the roof, per Steve's recommendation,  which has made a SIGNIFICANT difference in our energy bills.  I highly highly recommend this if you have a room addition or wood beam ceilings.  We never used to utilize the room in the winter because it was too freezing, but now we have normal temps year round.  We have single paned windows and considered buying dual paned just to save the energy costs, but it turns out the roof improvements saved us a bundle as we no longer need to replace the windows. 
A few points to note:
I highly recommend not using your credit card with AGL.  It appears our credit card was billed by a third party and not AGL themselves.  Shortly after the charge, I had fraud and had to close the account.  Yes, that can be totally coincidential but I wouldn't take any chances.  I completely trust AGL but I know nothing about this company that my card was actually charged to.  
Secondly we had an issue with permits.  Steve at AGL pulled the permit for our roof and that was fantastic as I never want to step foot in the permit office again.  We had added a solartube to our roof as AGL was installing the roof and little did we know the city required a second permit for that.  When the roofing permit inspector came, they called me and said they couldn't sign off until we resolved the solatube permit issue.  I spent a total of THREE LONG hours and two seperate visits in the permit office and had to dispute with them.  We purchased the top brand, solatube, and yet they said it wasn't approved.  Finally I got it all resolved, however I was fined double the cost of the permit because I didn't get the permit prior to the install.  This was the City of Torrance.  This wasn't AGL's fault, but I was a little disappointed that they recommended the solatube installer and permits were never mentioned (they said they never had this happen).   I only state this for your knowledge -  I don't hold it against AGL. 
And one minor issue is a few days after AGL was complete, we noticed the nails came straight through the beams inside our house in one area.  Not a big deal as we can just apply a little putty and paint and we are good.  You may want to check the inside if you have wood beams prior to them leaving.
Lastly, have them check your property again with their metal detectors for nails.  We found tons the following weeks.  Not good if you have pets or kids.
Back to the good.  I would definitely recommend AGL to others, and we have.  Their crew was fast and professional.   The price was right and the work exceeded our expectations by far.  I truely believe their work has more than paid for itself by preventing more water damage and improving our energy efficiency.

My neighbor's house is essentially identical to mine so when it was time to replace my ancient tar and gravel roof I naturally asked who did theirs.  They highly recommended Steve Shepard with AGL and after completing my re-roof I can see why.  Steve and his crew were great to work with and managed to tear off my old roof and complete the new comp shingle roof in two days (with a solar installation by another vendor thrown in to complicate things).  They worked very well with my solar installer even though it was in the way of what they were trying to do and coordinating timing set the roofing project back several months.  I received estimates from 3 different roofers and AGL was very close to lowest and provided and outstanding level of service and professionalism.

AGL was one of five contractors interviewed for the job. Their estimate was not the lowest but also not the highest. They educated us in what they felt we needed to have done based on our wishes and their inspection. The bid we got was complete, timely and included everything. No hidden fees or bait-and-switch on materials or labor. Very straight forward.
We were encouraged by the company to look at their work locally both to see their quality of work and to pick materials and colors, and they provided a massive list of customers in our area to make it easy and convenient for us. They also encouraged us to interview other local companies to get a deal we would be happy with. All permits were taken care of by the contractor who's in very good standing with our city, and no money changed hands until the whole job was done, inspected and everyone was completely satisfied.
The crew was very efficient and tidy. No scrap of anything to mention, no roofing nails in our tires afterward. Clearly they've been working together and in the industry for a while. We were given a couple of dates when AGL had a crew available, picked one and everything fell in place just as you wish every project would. Crews, materials and inspectors showed up as they were needed and on time and we could not be happier with the whole process.
We would happily recommend AGL to anyone based on our experience with them. Rock solid from start to finish.

I had the original roof since the house was built in 1985, so a new roof was badly needed. AGL was very professional in their work and did exactly as promised. The old roofing material was removed, the wood roof was inspected for any wood rot and termites, and then the new roof was installed.
All materials used were of the highest grade and the workmanship was more than excellent. They cleaned up after each work day, and left all surrounding areas impeccably clean! My home looks brand new and I have received many compliments from family, friends and neighbors about the new roof.
I would definitely use them again in the future, but with the great job they've done, I doubt I will need to call them back on this house. Surely I will use them on my future investment properties.
Thanks Steve, and AGL for a job well done!!!

On time even though the job was much more involved then anticipated due to severe termite damage. Coordinated well with class termite. Very happy with the whole,experience

The crew arrived at 8:30 on Wednesday and started the tear off.  By 4:30 that evening they has finished removing the old roofing material and cleaned up the job site.  The old roof material and the old rain gutters were

removed from the site in the company truck so no dumpster was needed.  The next morning Steve and the crew arrived.  Steve showed pictures of the needed roof deck repairs and invited me to go up on the roof and see the boards that needed repair.  I an 79 years old and declined the invite.  The repairs were completed and the roof was inspected and approved by the county building inspector.  On Friday the roof was installed.  It looks beautiful.  Final inspwection and approval was completed on Sarurday

Went excellently.  Very minimal, mind hiccups if any.  The workers were on time, non intrusive, respectful, and courteous.  The workers were very professional in that they worked hard, and cleaned up thoroughly every day. I have no complaints about this company. 

I chose AGL to reroof my parents' house because of the positive reviews in Angie?s List, by calling the nearby homeowner (from AGL's extensive reference list) who had their roof done two years ago, and by a family friend who watched AGL reroof that house. I knew after my first meeting with Steve Shepard, who accommodated my request to meet on a Saturday, that his company would reroof the house. I not only received a Roofing 101 course from him but also a ?How to Select a Roofing Contractor? lesson. I did interview other contractors and their estimates were in the same range as AGL but AGL was the only company who provided an itemized list of services and materials in the estimate.
I happily discovered that the workers were diligent so I did not have to micromanage the whole reroofing process. I trusted their recommendation to replace some areas of wood damage which wasn?t as extensive as I thought it would be.
I would?ve selected AGL even without the discount coupon. I've often selected companies who don't offer coupons because I believe in saving with good workmanship. I did use the coupon anyway since it was offered and to lower the cost for my parents. I would also like to thank Angie?s List for guiding me to a great roofing company.

They did a GREAT job and I would highly recommend them!

He did a very, very good job. There was extra termite damage found once they tore the roof off. They did the work very fast. He was upfront about the extra costs once the damage was discovered. They cleaned up very well. So far, I've been very pleased with his work.

From taking care of the permit for the new roof to painting the new exterior wood with primer, everything happened right on time and as promised.  The crew was punctual and dedicated to the job. I'd definitely use AGL Roof Co. Inc. again in the future.

Steve Shepard came out to measure to be able to give me an estimate. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. But the best part was he was not pushy. I can't stand that. He went so far as to give me info on hiring people to work on my house in general since I'd never been through that process before. Very nice. After getting estimates from a few others, one even being a little less, I hired AGL. He was the most honest and nice of the lot. And that's huge for me. Once we set a date, the office called to confirm a few days before, and right on schedule, they arrived not a minute late. The crew was great -- nothing like the messy, loud roofers you see around. They only took three days, did a great job, and I would recommend AGL to everyone.

In the beginning.....

I had had a minor leak that I spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to find so I finally called in roofers. 

-- CALLING AND GETTING ESTIMATORS TO VISIT --

I received quotes from 4 companies, generally based on Angie's List reports and proximity. Generally the owner himself would come and I was impressed by 3 of the 4 companies. (a 5th never called back).

BUT Steve, the owner of AGL, really blew me away. Coincidentally he showed up last (due to my scheduling not his) so I already had 2 quotes in hand, and 1 idea of one estimate 'getting processed in an office'. 

Steve had the lowest estimated price of any of the 2 "quotes" as well as the 'getting-processed-in-office' estimate. I use"quotes" in quotation marks here because none actually look like any sort of formal quote. Steve's numbers were the lowest, as I already said, but I'm definitely NOT just looking at numbers when I'm choosing a roofer (nor am I rich though!)

The main thing about Steve was that he showed he really wanted to make a quality, long lasting roof for my home.  The difference with Steve was that when we went up on the roof, he immediately pointed out two drainage problems (the main valley and above the entry way):

Main Valley: I knew of the problem with water sitting in the valley but figured a new roof would automatically fix it. Steve had other options in mind. At no time did he seem overpressuring but he had a great and creative idea to convert the valley into a built up "Cricket" where there is a peak in the center point of what used to be the valley and then 50% of the water goes each way. To me it sounded much better than having the water run along a re-covered version of the VERY GENTLE slope I already had. In the gentle slope existing case, some water goes as far as 90-95% of the length of the valley to get to the drop out. Some of it never makes it off and just sits there. As for the "Cricket", he said he'd build it up with plywood, use two layers (X2) of APP-TorchDown and integrate it physically and aesthetically ("Charcoal") with the shingles. He recommended two layers of TorchDown because each layer lasts about 10 years and the surrounding shingles would have a lifetime warranty. That way I might get 20 years before having to replace the TorchDown in a possibly tricky process.

Above the Entry Way: Above the entry way was just some old flat roof. There had not been rain for weeks but I could still tell that small amounts of water were getting stuck on this part of the roof. There was practically no slope towards the front gutter so Steve had the idea to build, again with plywood, a gentle slope just steep enough to get the water off that section. He covered it with APP-TorchDown (X2) and used a color matching the new "Charcoal" shingles (just like with the "Cricket"). I must note that they were very careful along the edges to make sure water would not go anywhere it shouln't.

The last big thing was what to do with the flat roof'ed addition to the rear of the house. Many of the estimators walked on it and I asked if I'd like it done but only Steve pointed out the bubbles that were forming from sitting water. He said the flat roof needed to go. In order to save money, I went with just (X1) of TorchDown and just normal gray color. Steve pointed out that since I have some nice looking stained open bears in that read addition to the house, that it's imperitive I replace the flat roof there before water gets into those beams. If water damage occured, it would be unlikely that I would be able to re-create the stain.

To summarize, none of the other estimators had the idea of making the "Cricket', nor sloping the section above the front door, NOR did any emphasize the importance of getting the rear flat roof done ASAP.

When all the math worked out, I was getting the same price as the second-lowest cost guy - and that guy was NOT going to do any of the three above things though.

I was already very happy with Steve's performance. We then went inside and he gave me a rather large packet full of too much info to list here. He had proof of insurance, 10s of reference letters, a 4-5 page listing of local addresses for roofs he's done. It also had some tips from local governments about how to pick the right roofer,tips to prep before roofing, etc. It had more that applied to roofing in general and not just AGL. He gave the packet to me to keep regardless of whether I choose to go with AGL. He gave me a rough estimate and mailed me (from Torrance) a detailed, ready to sign, contract the NEXT DAY. I made a few changes and then they sent me a new and accurate (regarding my requests) contract within 2 days. At this point, the other roofers were all but out of my mind. Their quotes came later than Steve's, were vague, lacked details, and asked for more MONEY than AGL. So, I went with Steve and AGL.

--- ACTUALLY ROOFING ---

We planned  to start on Wednesday (1/4) but I got a call a couple days earlier offering to start on Tuesday (1/3). That was great for me so I agreed. They estimated 3 days but they were done by late Thursday (1/5). ONLY TWO DAYS! Generally that would make me nervous but I was able to be at home for most of the time they were working. They were very nice and never asked for anything (although I offered the facilities, water, ice). They worked extremely quickly but were meticulous and clean. I found one nail on the concrete in the back which would have been bad for the my dog. They said they ran metal detector over the grass and I believe them. This nail was off the the grass and in the crack, hard to see with just your eye. There was some shingle and other roofing debris in the gutters that I cleaned out after they left. Also, I saved some money by asking them not to prime any of the new wood. I took care of that myself last weekend without issue. The AGL team was fast! A little bit more wood (especially fascia) needed to be replace than I expected so the total cost went up by ~$400. My home had been infested with termites when I bought it so I was relieved in a way that more wood did not need to be replaced! Now I kind of want to replace all the fascia since the new boards look soo much better than the old, but that's another job....

Prior to them arriving....
I coved up vents and A/C units, took things down off walls, etc like AGL's supplied paperwork suggested and ended up with no problems except for a little bit of junk in the gutters. I'm sure there was already quite a bit of junk in there so I don't fault AGL much for that.

I would recommend AGL to anyone I know within their service area. Whoever's reading this, AT LEAST ask Steve to come take a look at your existing roof before going with ANYONE else. You might get a couple good ideas from him but, more than, likely, you'll change plans and go with AGL!!!

-- UPDATE AFTER "STORM" (1/25) --
The roof looks the same (which is excellent BTW) after the storm as it did before. That's a good indicator. Also, there were no leaks in the attic! I can now repurpose the buckets and blankets I had up the for other things.

Overall, thanks Steve, and thanks AGL
---A VERY HAPPY CUSTOMER

Excellent!

There was a leak in the front room after a previous "torch-down" roof had been installed.
We had three other companies come by and give estimates and advice.
The owner of AGL came by, sat down, showed us a list of references, some of whom were known to us, and then we went onto the roof to take a look.
He suggested a product and some insulation for the roof, stating that there might be some underlying problems hidden by the existing torch-down.
We chose AGL for the job and, as he had said, there were some big problems that had simply been covered over by the previous roofers.  As a result, water was leaking, not only in the obvious place in the front room, but into the outside walls.  No amount of piecework patching was going to cure this leak.
The solution cost a bit more, took a bit longer but when it was all complete, we were confident that the job had been done completely and that no further problems would crop up. 
After this past rainy season, we have seen no leaks, no evidence of leaking into the walls (the previous roofer didn't bother to tell us that some of the joists ended before the outer walls) and we're so glad we used AGL.
The warranty is great and we fell assured that if something should come up, AGL will come out quickly to solve the problem.

Our inherited property had been neglected over the years and last year we noted at least four serious leaks from the roof during severe rain.  After getting four estimates from Angie's List referrals recently, we decided on AGL Roof Co. (AGL - "A Good Looking Roof Company") to perform needed repairs/replacement of the roof of our house and attached garage, built in 1957.  Factors in our selection had to do not only with the engaging personality of AGL's owner, Steve Shepard, but also the time he spent with us to answer any questions we had and to discuss what needed to be done and why.  We found informational materials provided by Steve to be educational and beneficial; he included extensive references and his up-to-date bonding and licensing information, all of which helped us in making our decision to use AGL.

We would caution anyone considering re-roofing to be aware of "change orders," which can add to the initial quoted cost.  We had no experience or frame of reference this type of work, and Steve had discussed with us the "unknowns" of what might be found beyond the initial inspection.  Realistically, as work progressed, our situation indicated extensive termite damage which drove up cost.

Due to weather and other factors out of Steve's control, our job was delayed by one week.  However, we are very pleased with the finished product and feel confident that we were shown utmost consideration and fairness throughout the entire experience including price and financing.  Steve walked us through the process each step of the way and was always accessible, from start to finish, in spite of his busy schedule.  His team of workers was efficient and professional at all times.  We would not hesitate referring AGL to friends and family.

We got 6 estimates and were most impressed by Steve so we went with them.  He had a six man crew working on the job so they got the roof replaced really quickly.  We had a few minor issues that we brought to Steve's attention and he handled them for us right away.  Overall it was a great experience and we will definitely recommend them to our friends and neighbors.

I interviewed 6 different roofers over a period of 3 months before contracting with AGL.  I also researched roofing on-line to obtain a basic understanding of flat roofing options.

Very good first impression of owner Steve/AGL Roof  during initial appointment to inspect roof and recommend work required.  He was very professional, open, generous with his time and fully-prepared to present AGL recommendations and answer my many questions. 

AGL's subsequent written quotation was first-rate and included higher-quality GAF materials for my roof.  My close-second quote was lower-in-price due to their selection of standard GAF materials and not including the same detailed work as AGL in some areas.  It pays to ensure you're comparing the same materials and promised work across quotes.

I talked with 3 flat roof references from the list provided by AGL and all rated their overall experience as a '10' on a 1-10 rating.  When asked, in hindsight none would have done anything differently nor wished AGL had handled anything differently during their roof replacement project.

Work on my roof commenced on-time.  Crew was professional and hard-working.  Area remained reasonably clean at end of each day.  Final clean-up was thorough.  During the job the crew Foreman recommended additional, minor work to improve water drainage and this was approved as it made very good sense. 

Finished flat roof and clay tiles reflects a quality job.  I will of course need to live through some rains as final test but I am also confident that should any issues arise Steve/AGL will respond.

Went well. They were fairly fast. Did have them come back for a few 'pick up' items which they took care of promptly. Owner was very helpful and involved with the job.

We chose AGL because they were both the lowest bidder of 4 companies that we contacted, and were also by far the best organized in terms of the professionalism and completeness of their bid. We are doing an extensive remodel, and Steve was very up front in providing a long list of references, and copies of his insurance and business license. The job was somewhat complicated by the fact that we were building a new section to our house, and that portion of the job had to be completed after the framing was complete. Nevertheless, they promptly completed the remaining section as soon as we let them know that it was ready.

On-schedule (4 days) and for estimated price. Initial estimate was for basic work with clear itemization of added price for replacement of damaged wood (rotten, cracked or large knots) discovered during tear-off. Owner was very responsive to all questions, and we even visited a near-by job in progress to show what's required. Basic price included two layers of 30-lb felt, where other roofers used lower cost 15-lb felt. They even coordinated with our gutter installer to add a strip of wood surrounding the polly insulation that would support the gutter. As warned, the job raises a lot of dust and generates debris, but the crew did an outstanding job on clean-up (including the garage interior). Only complaint was that I need to call them back to replace a short length of rotted fascia board they missed. And yes, as warned, if you have open beam ceilings, you will get dust in your living areas, and your attic space will get lots of debris, but this is beyond the roofer's control.