Who are the best roofing contractors in southern Maine? Ask around York County or Cumberland County and the same short list keeps coming up: the crews that show up when they say they will, put the whole system on rather than just the shingles, and are still in business when the warranty matters. J. Carnes & Son Roofing is on that list. We are a family-run roofing company founded in 1998, GAF Master Elite certified with a GAF President’s Club Award, and we install roofs from Kittery to the Portland area every week from our New Hampshire base just over the Piscataqua.
This page is the hub for everything we do in southern Maine. It covers the towns we serve in York and Cumberland counties, what makes a Maine coastal roof different from an inland one, how to tell a good Maine roofer from a good salesman, and how to reach our Maine line. Every town below has its own page with the local detail.
The short version
- We serve 24 towns across York County and Cumberland County, from Kittery and the Berwicks up the coast through Wells, the Kennebunks, Biddeford, Saco and Scarborough to Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth and Cumberland.
- We are GAF Master Elite certified and a GAF President’s Club Award winner, which means we can offer GAF’s Golden Pledge warranty on a Maine roof. Most roofers cannot.
- Southern Maine roofs take salt air, nor’easters, heavy snow load and ice dams every year. The material and the details that survive that are not the same ones that work inland.
- Our Maine phone line is (207) 360-4800. Estimates are free, in writing, after we have walked the roof.
- The fastest way to check any roofer, including us, is the Maine licensing lookup, the GAF contractor directory, and reviews collected by someone other than the roofer.
Which southern Maine towns does J. Carnes & Son Roofing serve?
Each town below has its own page with the housing stock, the weather exposure and the roofing problems we see most in that part of the county. Pick yours.
York County
- Kittery
- Eliot
- York
- South Berwick
- Berwick
- North Berwick
- Ogunquit
- Wells
- Kennebunk
- Kennebunkport
- Arundel
- Biddeford
- Saco
- Old Orchard Beach
- Dayton
- Buxton
Cumberland County
If your town is not listed and you are within reach of the coast between the Piscataqua and Casco Bay, call the Maine line anyway. We will tell you honestly whether we cover it.
What makes a southern Maine roof different from one inland?
We have been roofing the New Hampshire Seacoast since 1998, and the coast does not change much when you cross the state line. From Kittery up through Ogunquit, Wells and the Kennebunks, the houses face the same ocean we do. What we see on those roofs is what we see in Rye and Hampton: fasteners rusting out years before the shingles are done, flashing corroded at the chimney and the sidewalls, and wind lifting shingles at the eaves on the exposed side of the house.
Farther up, around Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth and Portland, the wind exposure is similar and the snow is heavier. Ice dams are the recurring problem. Most of the ice dam calls we take in Cumberland County are ventilation problems dressed up as roof problems, which is why we get into the attic on every estimate rather than pricing from the driveway.
Inland, in Buxton, Gorham, Dayton and the Berwicks, the salt drops out of the equation but the snow load does not. Those roofs need the deck checked carefully at replacement, because two or three layers of old asphalt carrying a winter’s snow is a structural question, not just a tear-off question.
What roofing services do you offer in southern Maine?
The work is the same work we do at home. Architectural asphalt shingles go on most of the residential roofs, installed as the full GAF system so the Golden Pledge warranty is available. Standing seam metal is the right answer on a lot of oceanfront and exposed properties from York to Cape Elizabeth, because it sheds snow and shrugs off salt air in a way asphalt cannot. Gutters usually get done at the same time as a replacement, because the fascia is open anyway and it saves a second visit.
For commercial and multifamily buildings in Portland, South Portland, Biddeford and Saco, we install and repair EPDM and TPO membrane systems and roof coatings. See our commercial roofing page for that side of the business, and our roofing services page for the full list.
How do you tell a good southern Maine roofer from a good salesman?
Southern Maine gets a wave of out-of-area roofers every time a storm comes through, and a fair number of them are gone by the following spring. A few habits protect you.
- Ask for the insurance certificate before the ladder goes up. Any legitimate roofer expects the question. We are licensed in Maine and New Hampshire and insured for the work we do.
- Look the company up on GAF’s contractor directory. Master Elite status is company-specific and has to be maintained. Ours is listed under our Hampton Falls headquarters, and we explain what it actually requires in our guide to GAF Master Elite contractors.
- Read reviews somewhere the roofer does not control. Our Google reviews and our GAF reviews are both public and both sit at 4.9 stars across hundreds of jobs. A roofer with a wall of testimonials on their own site and nothing anywhere else is telling you something.
- Compare estimates on the line items, not the total. Full tear-off or overlay, per-sheet decking price, ice and water shield coverage, new flashing or reused, ventilation plan, and whose warranty covers workmanship. The cheap number usually gets cheap by leaving those out. We wrote a whole guide on what determines roof cost, and every word of it applies in Maine.
When is the best time to replace a roof in southern Maine?
If you already know the roof is at the end of its life, the practical advice is to get the estimate in early spring and pick your slot before the summer rush. If a winter storm has opened the roof up, that is a different conversation and we treat it as one. Getting the house dry comes first, and the permanent repair follows when the weather allows. Our post on spring roof inspections in southern Maine covers what to look for once the snow is off.
How do I get a roofing estimate in Maine?
We schedule Maine estimates in runs so that a crew is in York County or Cumberland County on a given day rather than crossing the bridge for one house. That keeps our pricing honest and it means we can usually get to you within the week. The estimate you receive is the same document our New Hampshire customers get: the scope, the material, the warranty options including the Golden Pledge, and a schedule.
Maine line: (207) 360-4800. Or book a free estimate online and tell us your town. If timing is the issue, financing options are available.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have a Maine office?
Our headquarters is in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, a few minutes from the Maine line, and we run a second office in Salem, New Hampshire. We serve southern Maine from Hampton Falls with a dedicated Maine phone number, (207) 360-4800, and crews scheduled into York and Cumberland counties every week.
Are you licensed to work in Maine?
Yes. We are licensed and insured in both Maine and New Hampshire, and we can provide a certificate of insurance before any work begins. We do not work in Massachusetts.
Can I get the GAF Golden Pledge warranty on a Maine roof?
Yes. The Golden Pledge is available only through GAF Master Elite contractors, and the certification follows the company, not the state. Ask for it at the estimate and we will price the full GAF system that qualifies for it.
How far north in Maine do you go?
Our regular service area runs to Portland, Falmouth and Cumberland on the coast and Gorham and Westbrook inland. For a large project beyond that, call the Maine line and ask. We will give you a straight answer rather than stretch a crew.
Do you handle storm damage and insurance claims in Maine?
We handle storm damage repair and full replacements after wind, ice and fallen-limb damage, and we document the roof so you have what you need for a claim. We do not adjust claims or negotiate with your insurer on your behalf, and we would be cautious of any roofer who offers to.
