Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of Bergen County
Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Ep. # 91 Roofing Revolution: Inside Roof Shark's Quest for Excellence
What happens when roofing expertise meets unwavering integrity? In our illuminating conversation with John Cannizzo of Roof Shark, we discover why choosing a roofing contractor based solely on price might be the most expensive mistake a homeowner can make.
John shares the origin story behind his company's distinctive name – inspired by sharks being "top of the food chain" and representing the best quality work possible. As a second-generation craftsman whose father immigrated from Italy, John brings decades of hands-on expertise to every project. What truly sets Roof Shark apart isn't just their eye-catching orange and green branding, but their comprehensive approach to exterior home improvement that includes roofing, siding, gutters, and windows.
The discussion reveals crucial insights about proper home maintenance that many homeowners miss. We explore why proper attic ventilation is critical for roof longevity, how cutting corners during installation can lead to costly repairs later, and why Roof Shark's status as an Owens Corning preferred contractor translates to superior materials backed by impressive warranties. John's story about immediately fixing a window that cracked during a project – without argument or hesitation – perfectly illustrates their customer-first philosophy.
For anyone contemplating exterior home improvements, this episode delivers valuable guidance on distinguishing quality contractors from price-cutters, understanding what proper installation actually involves, and recognizing the long-term value of craftsmanship. Whether you're facing immediate roofing needs or just want to be prepared for future projects, John's expertise and Roof Shark's commitment to excellence provide a masterclass in how home improvements should be handled.
Roof Shark
John Cannizzo
101 Van Riper Ave Elmwood Park, NJ 07407
973-513-2992
973-434-5958
john@roofshark.com
roofshark.com
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Doug Drohan.
Speaker 2:Hey everybody, welcome to another episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast brought to you by the Bergen Neighbors Media Group. Today I'm joined by John Cannizzo from Roof Shark. We're going to have to dig into that name because I've heard of Landshark, If anybody's a Saturday Night Live fan way back in the day, if you watched the anniversary it probably came up. But Roof Shark, let's dig into that. John, welcome to the show.
Speaker 3:Thanks, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so all right, I started to talk about it. So how did you come up with the name Roof Shark?
Speaker 3:So there was actually a company that I know of over in Illinois called Roof Tiger, and that's where I got the inspiration from, and I think I like to think of a shark as, like you know, top of the top of the food chain, like the best of the best. So that's what we consider ourselves to be and we're also. We install a tough product as well, you know. So that's where the shark comes in.
Speaker 2:OK, ok, so you do, you're a roofing company right so what does that mean? You repair roofs, you install new roofs correct?
Speaker 3:yeah, so we'll do um. So we actually do roofing, siding, gutters and windows okay we do specialize in roofing, so, but we do, uh, residential, commercial. Um, we're a, you know, a small family-owned company. Okay, you can do anything on the basically anything on the exterior of the home as far as skylights, uh, you know, gutters, anything that's that's on the roof, okay, and uh, speaking of gutters, is there a trend these days to like people are upgrading their gutters to be like copper, or do you do things like that?
Speaker 3:We could. Yeah, sure, we do copper gutters, but they're you know, they're very expensive. A lot of people are upgrading their gutters with gutter guards.
Speaker 2:I would say yeah. Yeah, yeah. When we had rain last week, I had like a sheet of water coming down off my gutters. I was like, yeah, they're probably clogged and I got to get them cleaned out. But it's so high up on the roof I'm not going up there with the ladder. So I'll go up to a certain height, but I'm not going all the way to the top, so I'll leave that to you guys, I don't blame you, man, you know where to find us. Yeah.
Speaker 3:So you said you're a family-owned business. It's it's your family that owns the business yeah, yeah it's basically just me, uh, but you know, our small family company, as far as, like, we're not owned by private equity, you know, it's, it's, it's, uh, you know, and a family, by meaning, like, even the people that work with me are my family. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Like, yeah, yeah, and so how did you get into this business?
Speaker 3:so I've been in, I've been in construction my whole life, uh, you know, going on 20 years now. Um, so eventually we uh, well, I kind of just fell into the roofing space. Honestly, my uh, my brother was doing a little bit of roofing and, um, you know, he loved it, so I got, uh, I got into it as well and um, that's when eventually I started, you know, started the company so was your father.
Speaker 2:Uh like, how did you grow up like in a handy family where you guys could fix anything or build anything?
Speaker 3:yeah, yeah, I, I would say so. I think, uh, or build anything? Yeah, yeah, I, I would say so. I think, uh, my, you know, my father immigrated over here from italy, and um, when he was in his 20s, and, um, we're not rich, you know. So, you know, middle class or middle class? I think that, uh, whenever you can do something with your own two hands to try to save a little money, yeah, um, definitely, definitely something we did right, right.
Speaker 2:So so you and your brother, you guys go into this like construction um home improvement business around at the same time, or is he younger than you, older than you?
Speaker 3:he's younger than me okay.
Speaker 2:So you kind of you kind of trail you with the trailblazer yeah, I guess you can say that yeah, yeah, nice.
Speaker 2:So where I mean listen, the problem I have with the roofing um is that I'm not I just talked about I'm not going up on the ladder all the way to the roof. I've been up to my roof maybe twice and getting down the ladder is harder than going up the ladder. But you know I've had. I had a week in my, my son's bedroom last year and I had two companies come and one offered to like repair my entire side of my house. It was going to be like five or 10 grand. Another guy came and said, oh, we could just patch this and you should be fine.
Speaker 2:So the point I'm getting at is because I don't go on the roof and I don't know anything about roofs and most homeowners don't. We rely on, you know, on the expertise and the trust of the company we hire to do our roof, or to tell us that we need a new roof, or to tell us that you know we're going to have a leak if we don't. You know address this. Or the Valpax, the Clipper magazines, the home you know, all those kind of like coupony home improvement advertising vehicles. So how are you guys different than all these guys that are offering me a thousand dollars off and the ABC A1, A, this whatever. How are you guys different?
Speaker 3:than them. So what makes us different is, I would say, how we approach every job with integrity. We always have the customer's best interest at heart, so we're going to take the time to do the job right, and you're not going to have this way. You're not going to have any problems in the future.
Speaker 3:We might not be the cheapest guy out there, but we always try to do the right work. Um, and we're going to hold your hand throughout the process. You know, we're going to we'll, we'll we'll be your therapist throughout the entire process, walking you through everything. Um, you know, uh, we'll be a mind reader. We'll, we'll, we'll try to pick the colors that you like as far as you know, so we're, we'll, we're a full service company.
Speaker 3:We don't just say you know, here's a roof, Bam, that's it. You know. Walk you through the entire process.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because a lot of times you get somebody comes up and says, oh, who did your roof last time? They did a crappy job or you know, these guys didn't know what they were doing. I guess there's different ways of putting quality products and kind of short cutting things. How do you guys approach that? Like what? What do you use in terms of products? Do you have warranties?
Speaker 3:Yes, absolutely. Like I said, we're going to approach everything. Every roof is a little bit different, so every roof gets approached slightly differently. We're an Owens Corning preferred contractor, so we install all Owens Corning products. Preferred contractors, so we install all owns corning products. Um, it does come with a 50-year limited warranty from the manufacturer against any defects, and then we're able to give you a 25-year warranty on the workmanship against any deficiencies in the workmanship. So, no, you know, no problems. Uh, I mean that's, that's great.
Speaker 2:I don't know if that's normal in your, in your business, but that's great. Um, you know the other thing. So you mentioned windows. So you do like, uh, you replace anybody's windows and do you have a preferred supplier for the windows? Is it like anderson or one of those?
Speaker 3:well, we can do, we can install anderson. You know they make a very good product. They're very expensive. So typically we go, we usually use a company uh, they're actually located out in north bergen and they're called perfect fit um, especially when you're typically when we're doing windows, is you know somebody's doing siding as well? Um, so yeah, so, uh, you know, and that's a real good time to do the windows, is you know when you're doing the sidings?
Speaker 2:right if you're gonna you say you do siding as well or no, you're doing windows gutters, you do siding too yep, yep okay.
Speaker 2:So we had an interesting story. I'll share my house we bought eight years ago and we replaced all the siding and it wasn't until like the next year where we had a leak in one of our rooms and we had a roofing guy come and he said um, you don't have any ventilation in your attic. The guys who put the siding in basically covered up the ventilation. Um, I'll call them windows, you know, because every attic.
Speaker 2:Now, when I started to look around at all my neighbor's houses I was like, oh yeah, everybody's got that little. You know, those slats for air on both sides of their roofs and ours were covered up by the siding. So that kind of stunk, because it was like a year later and I wasn't going back to the guy who happened to be family. So that's always interesting. Uh, that did that. But you know, again, it's one of these things you don't know as a homeowner. Oh wait, a second. You just covered up the ventilation on that. Um, like, what do you like in terms of siding? So I mean, I guess one of your jobs could be everything right, siding roof windows, somebody who's doing a complete exterior siding roof windows, somebody's doing a complete exterior.
Speaker 3:Sure, yeah, yeah. And ventilation is extremely important for the attic. It's extremely important for the roof, actually, because when the attic gets too hot, the shingles will actually cook up there and it can shorten the life of it. So you definitely want good ventilation in the attic.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what happened and that's why we started to have a leak, because something with the, you know, the air wasn't, the heat wasn't escaping, so it created an issue or compromised the shingles and the roof above. So that's where we had an issue. But it's one of those things, you know, you don't think of. You hire somebody and you just trust they know what they're doing and in that case you know. Now I know, if I ever do it again, I'll say hey, you know, make sure we have ventilation. Wouldn't think you'd have to ask that. But are there, are there things that, like, you see, like when you come to a job, so with that in mind, you know, somebody calls you and says we need is is a common view to see, like the kind of craftsmanship that may not be up to par.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I would definitely say so. Um, there's a lot of guys out there that are just trying to get the job done as quickly as possible and then they're going to cut corners in certain areas, and that's why you should, um, not pick a contractor solely based off of price. You should try to pick a contractor that you think you can trust to do the right work, because you're not going to see the roof work the way it's done up here.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's kind of like a mechanic on your car you just take their word for it that they did the job right. And it's funny you say that because I've heard from different roofing business owners that they do feel that these low cost guys are coming in and stealing market share because a lot of younger homeowners just want the cheapest price. And I'm like, is that really true? It's like you know, I don't even think you call them millennials, gen Zs or whatever. Does it really come down to just looking for the cheapest price? Because you know again, if you've been bitten once, you know twice. Shy, you're not going to. You care about quality and trust and not about the cheapest price. But are you seeing that? Are you seeing that a lot of these low-cost guys are coming in and getting the jobs? Because that's all the people care about?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I wouldn't say just necessarily with millennials, but I would say that in the past couple of years cost has really come to become a really high factor in decision making.
Speaker 2:Okay. So how do you guys combat that? There's two ways of doing it. You could say okay, I'm going to compete on price and we're going to try to be the cheapest guy out there. Or do you say you know, we've got to work on our brand and show people why we may not be the cheapest, but why we're going to be a better choice, like which? Or do you employ both strategies? Do you do that but then also offer, you know, competitive prices?
Speaker 3:well, we always try to try to be as competitive as possible, but, with that being said, is I'm not going to lower my price to be the cheapest, to be the cheapest one? Um, yeah, our prices are competitive in the fact that this is what it costs and you know, this is what. You know we charge. To put it on, yeah and um, we, we don't want to sacrifice the quality of the roof, you know, in order just to make it the cheapest right, right, yeah, because again also that roof start having problems with it.
Speaker 2:You're not going to have a repeat or referral customer from that job, so it makes sense to do that. So the um, so the industry, obviously, I guess it's changed a little bit over the years or has it been kind of steady. I mean, the one thing about roofs is that it doesn't matter if your house is a $5 million house or $500,000 house. You needed a roof. You own that structure. You're going to have to get it repaired. Same thing, you know.
Speaker 2:Siding, I guess, is maybe a little bit more. I guess that could change, because unless you've got major problems with your house, siding is usually an aesthetic thing and although windows are not, you know. So are you seeing any trends in terms of I don't know the kinds, the kinds of projects people are doing or like when it comes to roofing materials? Has anything changed? I know it's siding, you've got. You know, a hardy board, if I said that right. Siding, you've got. You know a hardy board, if I said that right and some other materials that may be more upscale but on the roofing side is. Is it pretty much the same in terms of materials or has that changed?
Speaker 3:I would say, uh, metal roofs are starting to get a little bit more popular really, especially as like a, like an accent wall on the, on the, on the, as an accent on the new builds okay, kind of those modern farmhouse looks right, right, they'll do like a little little roof, maybe on the porch or something um, that's metal, just to kind of accentuate the front of the home a little bit and what's that?
Speaker 2:what's the sustainability or lifespan on something like that?
Speaker 3:a metal roof can last a very, very long time. Um, the only the only issues with metal roofs is the cost. You know it's very costly, probably triple the cost of a of an asphalt shingle roof. Yeah, and also, if you uh, I mean if it's above your bedroom, you know, and rainstorms, things like that can, can be a little loud, yeah I guess so right yeah yeah, so maybe that's where you don't put it.
Speaker 2:You know, put it over dramatic music with the strings and everything, but was there? Uh, can you share an example of you know? I see you have great reviews, so, um, anything of a specific or maybe a rare type of project that you had that stands out um, I would say I mean something.
Speaker 3:Something that pops into my head is just, we did an older, older home in South Plainfield and he had really old windows. He didn't want to replace the windows. We were replacing the roof and, like you know, we tarped everything, we protected the house, everything, but still one of the windows got a tiny little crack in it. Um, and you know, he called me up and he was upset. He's like I got a crack in one of my windows and we were still in the in the middle of the process of doing the roof and you know I I was already on site so I said no problem.
Speaker 3:Um, you know, like, we removed the window, I got the glass fixed right away, no questions asked, and we reinstalled the. You know, we reinstalled the window because it was an older wood window. And he was like, wow, you know, you didn't even argue with me, you just fixed the window and you just, you know, and that's when he said that he knew that it wasn't just about the money, it was more about making the customer happy, right, and that's what we always try to do so.
Speaker 2:He recognized that's great, that's great. So what? Do you guys have a certain area that you kind of service, or are you all over new jersey? Is it just north jersey, and is there an area that you guys focus on?
Speaker 3:sure, yeah, we well, we're located in passe county so we try to stay in passe county, bergen county, but we'll travel all over north jersey and uh, also into rockland county as well okay, okay.
Speaker 2:And then how do people get a hold of you? How would they find you?
Speaker 3:so you can go on our website roofsharkcom. Uh, you can give us a call 973-513-2992. We're on Thumbtack, yelp, google, basically all the major sites there that you might want to search for a contractor.
Speaker 2:And I'll say one thing that stood out when I saw your van right, you've got the orange and green kind of like Miami Dolphin covers. If you're a Dolph, a dolphins fan, maybe that's why you chose them, but um yeah, no okay. Well, I guess shark, dolphin, you know. But yeah, you know that miami color scheme going on there I'm a jet fan.
Speaker 2:So I, you know I have a. I don't really hate the. I mean, how could you hate the dolphins? I mean, they've been bad for so long, so, but, um, but you do have a striking brand. You know your truck. You're not like the typical roofing company that that you just see some guy's name on the side of it with a phone number you can barely read, and I think that that speaks to you. Know you guys are. Obviously you want to be noticed and there's a brand. And if you have a brand, you know there's a brand reputation and there's a brand. And if you have a brand, you know there's a brand reputation and there's a connotation that people have when they see you and see the name. So have you been working on that? Was that something you deliberately set out to do when you came up with Roof Shark and did the wraps on your trucks? Was that something you thought of consciously?
Speaker 3:Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, I think branding is very important, um, and we want to stand out, we want to get noticed. We're not trying to, we're not trying to hide from anybody. We we want to be out there and and have people recognize us and remember the name and know that you know a quality craftsmanship is going to come with that with with that name as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. And what so? What has it been like being so? You decided have you always been a business owner, an entrepreneur? Did you ever work for anyone else or did you start a business early on? And that's always been your path.
Speaker 3:So I did, I was, I was. I worked for somebody for about 10 years. I was in the construction industry. I was uh, uh, so and then uh yeah, so I've been an entrepreneur for about 10 years now.
Speaker 2:Okay, and would you go back, or is it the best thing you ever did? Is he? You have moments of doubt and pain, or is it? Uh, could you ever go back?
Speaker 3:Cause I asked almost everybody this question and the answer I get I'll everybody this question and the answer I get I'll share with you after you tell me your answer, but I'll I don't think there's any going back once you, once you've done it, um, but there's definitely.
Speaker 2:It's definitely a roller coaster ride, though there's definitely some highs and some levels in entrepreneurship, for sure yeah, yeah, and then you're, you know, in your business of, uh, you know, I guess home sales slow down, there's less people getting their roofs inspected to find out that the roof needs to be repaired or replaced. But with that said, I was going to say you answered how most almost every single person has answered it, which is I can never go back. And someone used the phrase financial security versus financial freedom. And when you're your own boss, you have financial freedom and I just said in my last show, the freedom to to fail. But that's the nice thing about being your own boss is that you have the freedom to try things and if they don't work, you can just learn from that and then get better at it, whereas if you have a boss and you fail something, you get fired, you know. But there's also the ability to to put in a day's work or a week or a month or a year and see the fruits of that almost immediately, versus again working for a paycheck, which is secure, but you don't know if what you're doing is making an impact or being recognized. So, um, yeah, no, it's great, john I and I appreciate you, you sharing all.
Speaker 2:So let's go one more time. I mean, I see a phone number on your website. It says 973-434-5958. But you also have another phone number that you mentioned. We're going to have this at the bottom of the podcast summary, so we'll put both phone numbers there if you want. And again, it's roofsharkcom. You guys serve Passaic and Bergen mostly, but you're pretty much all over new jersey, I guess. Right, if you have a homeowner who's got a second home down the shore, I'm sure they're going to hire you to help them down there as well absolutely, yeah, all right, john.
Speaker 2:Well, thanks very much for sharing everything with us today. I'm glad everybody got to know you and bear with us for a few seconds and you and I'll be right back.
Speaker 1:Thanks. Thank you for listening to the good neighbor podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpbergen. com. That's gnpbergen. com, or call 201-298-8325.