Good Neighbor Podcast: Auburn and Opelika
With her genuinely good heart and a wealth of experience behind her, Susannah works to connect local business and non-profit leaders to their neighbors. In a community like ours in which so many have invested their lives, there are fantastic stories all around us that motivate and inspire, often right next door. She hopes to share some of those here, on the Good Neighbor Podcast. Book an interview today at GNPAuburn.com
Good Neighbor Podcast: Auburn and Opelika
Ep.#90: Omega Roofing: Local Roofers Who Stand Behind Their Work
We share how to protect your home and budget with smart roof maintenance, local expertise, and a simple claims strategy that avoids costly mistakes. Pam Smith of Omega Roofing explains leak detection, warranties, ventilation, and why small repairs matter.
• residential and commercial services, from small fixes to full re-roofs
• staged commercial work to target the worst areas first
• why leaks travel and how to track the true source
• ten-year labor warranty and quality-first workmanship
• the risk of storm chasers and vetting your roofer
• roofing as a system: decking, underlayment, flashing, ventilation
• biannual inspections and attic ventilation to prevent moisture
• local ownership, community referrals, and flexible pricing
• insurance basics: know your deductible, inspect before you claim
• contact options: website, phone, and direct emails
www.omegaroofingal.com
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Susanna Hodges.
SPEAKER_02:Welcome, and with me is Pam Smith. She's with Omega Roofing here in Auburn and Opalika. Welcome, Pam.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you so much, Susanna. I'm really happy to be with you today.
SPEAKER_02:Well, I am excited to be talking with you today about Omega Roofing. Tell me a little bit about what you guys do.
SPEAKER_01:All right. So my husband Randy and I actually are sole owners of Omega Roofing, and we provide full services for residential roofs and for commercial roofs as well. So the residential side is very interesting. There are two obviously roofing pieces. And then the commercial side, you work with possibly a corporation, um, or maybe one individual who happens to own maybe a shopping center, for example.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So we we we do uh repair work for both sides for residential and commercial reefs. We do not mind what size that the repair is. We will go out to someone's home and do a four or five shingle repair because sometimes it's difficult to find someone to come out and do a repair for what would be considered a smaller job and all the way up to a full re-roof. So we want to make sure that you know our our customers or potential customers know that, you know, please call us just because you think, well, no one's gonna come out and fix something this little. Um, we think it's just as important as doing a full roof.
SPEAKER_02:I would think so, because uh stopping that leak is so vitally important. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely, especially before you are to get uh any interior damage, you know, which just adds to the trauma and the expense, of course. So, you know, we we do um Randy's side with the commercial side, we also provide you know repair work as well and full re roofs. And with commercial work, it's interesting because he can look at the roof, tell the owners, you know, this much, um, you know, this needs to be done probably immediately. And then we need to uh address other issues maybe at a later date. So he has the option in that field where he can work with the owner and say, let's just work on the worst part of this roof. So you're not talking about having the expense of doing a complete roof on a commercial building. Right. So they can do it actually in stages, and sometimes that really helps.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. Yes, I think you just got to what when you're seeing, I mean, just for me, and I'm no expert, believe me, but if you're seeing water damage in your roof, you got to get it taken care of immediately because that just means it's been going on for a while and you're just now seeing it, isn't that correct? That is correct, yes, ma'am.
SPEAKER_01:Um, and and leaks are very tricky. Uh, you may see a leak in your kitchen, let's say in the ceiling or down a wall, and that's may not be the exact location where the water's coming in because of different reefs. You may not see exactly where that leak is because they can run to another location. So um, it can be tricky sometimes. Randy, I call the leak whisperer, because he has been able to find you know pencil di pencil uh diameter holes in person. And so it's kind of a child personal challenge of his to not give up until you you find that leak. Um, but we do pride ourselves in several things, Susanna. Um, you know, we we offer uh warranties obviously with we do shingles for homes, metal roofs, and there are some older homes. We've done a couple of annabellum homes where you have a combination of roofs.
SPEAKER_02:So over time, different things have been done. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, so you may have different types of roofs, and we like to make sure that um our customers know that the the shingles that we put on your home, they you know have warranties available. And we also will um warranty our labor for 10 years. And a lot of companies don't in you know warranty their labor for that long of a period, but we pride ourselves on quality and making sure that the job is done correctly the first time, and if something does go wrong, we just want our customers to know that we are going to be there to uh fix it and it's not going to cost them because we do believe so much in our products and our workmanship that we we want to be able to offer that opportunity for our customers.
SPEAKER_02:Well, that sounds great, especially, you know, you guys are a local business. You're you're you live here, and and I think it's so important to do business with local people.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. We we enjoy working with a gutter person or an electrical person or someone that does tree removal, you know. Um we want to give our business as well. If we have a customer that needs these other services in the community, we always like to refer to our local businesses, and that's why we try to network and stay in touch with folks that do provide services like that so that we can stay and be part of our community. We do love we do love the we do love Auburn Opalika. We moved here three and a half years ago for family, and like you said, we're gonna be here. This is our this is our home, and we believe in giving back to our community. We feel like there are folks out there that may be in a very difficult situation financially, and we we love the fact that we don't have a corporation that owns us or multiple levels of people that we would have to go through. That's one of the reasons Randy and I chose to do our own business because we don't have to go to other people and say, by the way, can we reduce this price because someone's in a really bad situation? We can go ahead and do what we want to do.
SPEAKER_02:Right. You are the the decision makers. That's awesome. Absolutely. Well, tell me how you got into the roofing business. How did you and Randy uh find yourself fixing and maintaining and and putting new roofs on?
SPEAKER_01:Um, actually, Susanna, back in uh 2009, Randy had always his whole life since he was in his 20s, has always uh been a businessman. He's always owned his own business. And but he was in a different industry. And so in 2008-9, when the uh economy took a turn, he decided to give up the area he was working in and start in roofing, and so that's what he did. So he has all these years' experience, he's been in ever since, um, on the commercial and the residential side, and just loved it. And so that's that's kind of his calling. And three years ago, we decided when we moved here to Auburn, we wanted to be able, like I said earlier, to um have our own decision making and our own business and be a small business. So that's why we decided to go ahead and just do this on our own and not have a partner or be part of a company. Um, it has worked out well, and we have we have grown in many ways in in the short time that we have had our own business. But Randy having the experiences that he has had over, gosh, the last 16, 17 years has really given him the knowledge base and um potential for for helping in so many different situations that he years ago wouldn't have thought he could have helped in. My background was nursing, and I was actually in nursing um 46 years. Wow. So that obviously has nothing to do with roofing. However, it does it, you know, customer service is a big part of it. Absolutely. So I did have that background and leadership management I was in predominantly, and so that has helped with me trying to help on the administrative side of the business as well as doing the networking and things to help promote our company. Um and one of the things that was my core value personally as a nurse at the bedside or when I was in leadership management roles has been quality. And that was one of the reasons I stayed in leadership and management and nursing because I was such a firm believer in quality care and quality outcomes. And that has transitioned over into our roofing business. That's why I mentioned our tenure warranty for labor because we do focus and have our core value as quality. So, and I know there's a lot of folks out there that do the same as well, but I do feel like if your focus is quality for um for someone that you're doing a job and it's a it's a very important job. When you are replacing someone's roof or fixing that roof, their memories, their lives, yeah, are inside those walls.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's important.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it is important. And so we're not just fixing your roof and then, okay, well, you know, great, but you're also making it's an investment, and you're also making sure that you don't have an interruption in your home life.
SPEAKER_02:Well, yeah, you're protecting your life when you protect your roof. I mean, there's nothing worse than than having a leak. Um, it's never gonna stop. It doesn't fix itself and it just gets worse. So absolutely, you have to take care of your roof. I guess. Well, tell me a little bit about. I mean, you've been doing this for a while, Pam. Um, what are some of the misconceptions people have about their roof or roofers or roofing in general that you've come across and you'd like to clear up? Oh, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01:There's several things. Um in the industry, we refer to folks who aren't invested in your community as storm chasers. And that there's just a group of roofers who that's their livelihood. They will chase storms, you know, they'll go to a state where they've had a lot of hail damage or hurricane damage, and they're not in it for the long haul. They, you know, they go through town, they they do repairs or replacements, and then that's it. That's why we feel like it's so important to be local because you've got somebody right here. And so storm chasers sometimes, you know, you have to be concerned that someone's licensed, insured, uh, and competent.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:You don't know anything about them. That's right. Exactly. So all of those are are very important. So that that's probably one thing that that will kind of mar the reputation of some roofing companies because it's just like any profession. You know, there's good in this, there's bad in that field, there's good in this, there's bad in that field. And so, you know, it's just like that in roofing. There's great roofing companies, and then there's roofing companies that you would not recommend. Um, so making sure that your roofer is licensed, bonded, and certified is really important because you want to make sure that they know what they're doing, and so that you don't have a problem later on. So making sure that you kind of do your own homework on who you bring. And we actually are posting on our website next week um 15 things you need to ask your roofer. So it's kind of an informational piece where um you we want to share with people what you should ask your roofer, and and that will help um eliminate some of those uh-ohs at the end. Right. Absolutely. Yeah, we're just we want to put out a little education out there in the community so that people can refer to that. Um, and what we have seen too is sometimes when, and it's sad, there we have run across um homes that are being built, you know, very quickly, subdivisions. Um, we have had uh roof leaks and actual roof repairs sometimes on homes that are six and seven years old. Um they should last longer than that, right? Oh, absolutely, yes. A shingle roof uh that has a warranty 25, 30 years at least. Yeah. Um and so that's that's kind of the sad part is we do see poor installation, and when that happens, the roof is not going to last. Um you're gonna have problems with it. So knowing what to ask, being better educated about your roof is important. A lot of folks don't realize that, hey, I've got a roof, and you know, I bought my house five years ago, it's a 10-year-old home. Uh, my roof's gonna last forever. I don't need to worry about it. Um, we recommend that every two years you have a roofer come out and look, get on your roof, look at your roof, and make sure there's uh no signs of damage, maybe from you know, a minor storm. Um, you know, maybe you have some limbs fall off your tree, not big, but you know, there may not be a hole, but we just want to make sure that it looks good, it looks intact, and and that's important. Um, rather than waiting five or ten years and then you have a problem and you've never had anyone look at your roof.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um, that's really important. That that's something that a homeowner can do to or landlord can do to make sure that they don't run into more expensive repairs down the road because they didn't have it checked out early.
SPEAKER_02:Right. Do you know prevention and everything is in is very uh important if you can prevent it or you know, take a look at it before something becomes, like you said, a huge problem that's expensive. If you just keep an eye on it, you know, and fix it as it goes, it'll last longer. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And and something else, T, that um I think some folks don't know. And and obviously, if you're not in roofing, you you wouldn't know it. But um I think there's a conception that, oh, well, a roofer's gonna come out, they're gonna, you know, take the shingles off and and put new shingles on, and that's it. But there's many layers to doing a roof. Um and I'm being simplified, you know, using a residential roof, but you've got decking underneath. There needs to be uh, you know, a weather, we have a uh a film that we put over um to help with moisture and and weather, and just the whole process of looking at that decking, making sure there's nothing rotted, because if you put a new roof on rotted wood, it's not gonna work. Um so there's a lot of layers. Uh insulation is important in your attic and your um uh we also consider your um gosh, I I lost my word there. Um insulation and attic ventilation. Yes, insulation of the roof is huge. Um, we've been called to someone's home before because there's moisture and they're getting a leak, and it's not actually because there's damage to the roof, they just don't have adequate ventilation, ventilation, letting that moisture get out.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yes.
SPEAKER_01:Um, and there's many ways to do that. You know, a lot of the roofing uh companies that we you know buy our shingles from, they have uh what they call a you know a roofing system, and it includes all those different components to make sure that everything that you're putting on that roof goes with each other. We're not using, oh, shingles from this company, and we're not gonna go use a fan from this company, and um they're designed to be together and to work together, so that's really important to make sure that we keep all that together.
SPEAKER_02:Well, let's talk about you and Randy here for a minute. What do you guys like to do for fun when you're not when you're not working on somebody's roof?
SPEAKER_01:Um, that's a great question. Randy is an avid bass fisherman. Oh, fun. And there's plenty of lakes to do that in around here, isn't there? Absolutely. He belongs to a bass club in the state here, so he gets to travel one weekend a month. He has a tournament and they travel to different lakes all over the state. And um, that's his passion, besides you know, griefing in family. Um, wait, I think I said that in the wrong order. Maybe fishing, reefing, I'm not sure. We'll just do it. Um yeah, that's his passion. And of course he loves to to you know work around the house and yard and garden and things like that as well. But predominantly his spare time, which he doesn't have a lot of, is going to be fishing. Um, I love it. Yes, yeah, and mine is I love to garden, I love to grow, you know, some of our vegetables and I do flower beds and all of that too. Um, but I'm also a grandmother, and that's the reason we moved here. We have three grandchildren here from the ages of six down to 16 months. Wow. And so yes, wonderful. I get to spend a lot of one-on-one time with them, more than Randy does, just because of his his work schedule. I'm a lot more flexible. Um, so that's my priority um when we're not working, is to spend as much family time as we can.
SPEAKER_02:Sounds great. Well, what is one thing you wish people knew about omega roofing that they may not realize?
SPEAKER_01:I would think again, that we're local. I think local is vitally important. Absolutely. Um, local is probably the biggest uh piece of information I would love for for folks to know. Um, because um again, we're here and we can go back and help folks with other, you know, this morning I I'll just say this real quick. I got a phone call from someone who was a customer of ours uh about a year ago. And she calls us now, if anything happens to her roof or to her house, um, you know, her porch, the ceiling under her porch. She calls us because if we aren't able, if it's not in our our you know, um toolbox to fix, then we can refer someone and she trusts us. So it's very interesting that we actually have made some friendships from previous customers. Um, and you know, we always tell them you can just contact us and we will um we'll be glad to come out and help you with anything, which has proven true. Um so the local part is very important, and I feel like because we are a small business, we are very competitive, of course, with pricing. And again, we're not paying for layers. Yes. Um, and we do, like I said, offer financing, and we help folks with their insurance process if they are filing a claim. And there is one piece related to your insurance. A lot of folks don't know until something happens what their deductible is and what their roof will be, you know, what will be covered through their insurance, uh, homeowners insurance. So we always recommend for folks take a minute, look at your policy or get with your agent, find out what your deductible is, because insurance changes just like every other industry, and you need to know those details before something does happen. Um, we always promote work with your agent, um, and we like to let the community know as well that if you think something is wrong with your roof, don't call and your insurance company and file a claim. You need to have a licensed roofer come out and look first.
SPEAKER_02:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:And if it appears that you need to file a claim, you know, we can help you with that piece and and then you can file a claim. If you file a claim prior and there's no damage or nothing, no work that needs to be done, that claim will stay in your record and it follows you even if you don't live in that home anymore. If you go to another state or whatever, it'll show that you filed a claim and it could affect your premium the next year.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, that's a good thing to know is is have it looked at first before you call your insurance. Okay. Yes, ma'am. Yes. Lil, how would how would you get in touch with you? What are some of the ways people can find you? Uh you've you talked about your your website, and so where is that?
SPEAKER_01:Okay, it's www.omega omegar roofing a l dot com. We also have a office number that's 334 332 6329, and that's our direct office number. Um, we also have emails. You can email me at pam at omegaroofingal.com and randy at omegaroofingal.com.
SPEAKER_02:All right. Well, that sounds great. It's been a pleasure talking with you, Pam, this morning and learning all about omega roofing. I appreciate your time today. Thanks so much for being with me.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you so much, Susanna, and have a blessed day.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast Auburn. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpauburn.com. That's gnpauburn.com. Or call 334-429-740.