Jim Black & Sons Roofing & Sheet Metal

I had a leak in the roof over the kitchen, which ruined the ceiling inside.  The house was built in 1897 and the kitchen was added on some time later, so it's a very old house.  After having previously hired 4 other roofers, who couldn't fix the leak yet charged for work anyway, Jim Black & Sons fixed it.  I waited for several rains before writing this review so I would be confident the issue was fixed.  They did a fantastic job.  The reason I gave a lower grade on Responsiveness is because I signed the paperwork back in September 2015, and because of their backlog it wasn't until March 2016 that they could do the work; moreover, I had to call a few times in the interim to get a status update -- I would have liked it if they proactively reached out to me to keep me updated instead.  Anyway, they offered a very fair price for all the work they did, and as I said, their work was excellent.  They cleaned up every bit of mess and showed up on time each day.  I would definitely recommend them for their work.


As an aside, one of the 4 roofers who couldn't fix it was a very prominent roofer who advertises frequently in Cincinnati (rhymes with Clay St. Raire).  They believed the leak came from a chimney (unused fireplace) and recommended it be removed and leveled at the roof.  I agreed and they did the work (which cost more than what Jim Black & Sons charged).  They failed to understand that my hot water heater vented into that chimney, and because they closed it off, Duke Energy discovered a carbon monoxide buildup in my house.  Moreover, the leak obviously wasn't fixed, and they wanted to charge me for fixing the venting issue. Guess who I would definitely NOT recommend for roofing work? 

Jim Black and sons have been my go-to company for over the 25 years I've owned this old farmhouse with raised edge tin roofs on house and barn.
They have hung half round gutters on the barn as well.
Jim Black and sons are excellent with sheet metal.
Box gutter was a total rebuild of the box and custom metal lining for it.
Always pick up when they are done.
You'll find that Jim Black and sons run about 10% more than other roofers. You'll find that 10% is the difference of a great job from someone else's good job.

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We signed the contract in November, 2013 and they were unable to come until June 2014. They honored the original contract price. It was a rough winter and spring which put them behind. We were not in a great hurry so no issue with us. The most impressive part of working with this company is the level of experience. The owner is very hands on and you know when Doug Black fixes a roof, it's fixed. Very satisfied. My neighbor had him do their historic home box gutters and slate roof and she was very happy. (She is very particular.) I would highly recommend them.

The workers were knowledgeable, prompt, and cleaned up after themselves every day. I'd come home from work and I couldn't tell they had been here at all, there weren't any stray scrap or nails lying around. I feel like I paid for high quality and that's what I got.

I had a leak in the roof that happened infrequently and only under certain circumstances. Two other roofing companies looked at the roof. Their diagnosis of the issue varied and their estimates ranged from $200 minimum for a job to $550 which included other services including painting all the sheet metal. Doug Black was very responsive, didn't try to up sell me on services that weren't necessary (said the sheet metal was in good shape and not in need of repainting) and fit me in between other larger jobs in the area.

BEST AT RESPONDING TO ME OF ALL ROOFERS I CALLED. ALSO GAVE ME A VERY REASONABLE PRICE. MANY ROOFERS WHO WORK ON TILE ROOFS TRY TO OVERPRICE THE WORK.