Roofing Subcontractors vs. In-House Crews: What Homeowners Need to Know Before Hiring

When most homeowners hire a roofing company, they assume the people doing the work work for that company, but that's not always true. In the chaos of sorting through contractors and comparing quotes, many homeowners never think to ask who's actually going to be installing their roof.

Many roofing companies rely on subcontractors to handle their installations. These are independent crews with no direct ties to the contractor you hired. In cases like these, who’s responsible for quality? What happens if something goes wrong? Who do you call if there's a problem down the road?

At Happy Roofing, we do work with subcontractors, but we do so with careful consideration. We build long-term relationships with dedicated crews who work exclusively with us, follow our systems, and meet our standards.

In this article, we'll break down the key differences between subcontracted roofing crews and in-house teams. We'll also cover why this matters more than you may think when it comes to accountability, communication, and long-term support.

Table of Contents

• Why You Should Know Who Will Be Installing Your Roof
• What Are In-House Roofing Crews?
• What Are Roofing Subcontractors?
• Comparing In-House Roofing Crews to Subcontractors
• Are Roofers Who Use Subcontractors a Red Flag?
• Choosing the Right Roofer for You

Why It's Important to Know Who Will Be Installing Your Roof

The crew who will be installing your roof, whether in-house or subcontracted, ultimately determines the quality, safety, and longevity of your new roofing system. In areas like Naperville, where homes vary widely in size and complexity, who performs the work matters just as much as (if not more than) the materials being used.

Before you sign any contract, here's why it's critical to ask who will actually be installing your roof:

• Quality control: Trained and supervised crews are far more likely to install your roof correctly the first time. Without oversight, mistakes and shortcuts can go unnoticed, leading to premature failure, leaks, or voided warranties. Whether they'll be using their own employees or a subcontractor, ask your contractor if there will be a project manager on site during your roofing project.
• Accountability: If something goes wrong during or even after installation, you need to know exactly who's responsible. When roofing companies use hands-off subcontracting, issues can fall through the cracks. Post-installation support, like correcting any mistakes, can be harder to get from companies that use a wide range of subcontractors. It's helpful to ask your contractor what their relationship with the subcontractor they'll be using for your project looks like. If they consistently work together, that's a good indication that there's a standard of workmanship that the contractor will stand behind.
• Materials and installation methods: A new roof is only as good as the way it's installed. If the crew doesn't follow manufacturer guidelines or substitutes lower-quality components, your roof's performance and warranty can both be put at risk. Many manufacturers have specific installation standards in order to qualify for their warranties. If you need to make a claim, and their investigation reveals that these requirements haven't been met, your warranty will be voided on the spot. Ask your contractor if they can walk you through how their crews follow manufacturer installation requirements.
• Long-term value: A well-installed asphalt shingle roof can protect your home for 20+ years, but poor workmanship can shorten that lifespan dramatically. The crew's skill and attention to detail directly affect how long your roof lasts and how often you'll need repairs. You can ask your contractor what steps they take to ensure the roof is built to last. If you'd like to learn more about what affects the lifespan of asphalt shingle roofs, read our article How Long Does An Asphalt Shingle Roof Last in Illinois? Real Life Expectancy & Factors

Knowing who will be installing your roof gives you some insight into the quality of work to expect, and how protected you'll be if something goes wrong. In the next section, we'll break down the key differences between in-house crews and subcontractors.

What Are In-House Roofing Crews?

When a roofing company uses an in-house crew, it means the installers are direct employees of that company. They're on payroll, work under the company's supervision, and typically receive consistent training and guidance that aligns with the contractor's standards.

In-house teams operate as an extension of the company's brand and reputation, and the company depends on the same team day after day. In general, in-house crews:

• Are hired, trained, and managed by the roofing company.
• Use the company's tools, materials, and processes.
• Are overseen directly by company supervisors or project managers.

Because they are employees, their performance is tied to the company's long-term success, and they're often held more accountable than some subcontractors.

Pros of In-House Teams

• Consistent training and standards: Because in-house crews are trained directly by the roofing company that hired them, you're likely to get a quality installation the first time. In-house crews usually work with the same trusted manufacturers on every project. That consistency means they know the products inside and out, from performance to the exact installation steps required to keep warranties valid. For homeowners, this reduces the risk of errors, ensures manufacturer standards are met, and increases confidence that your new roof will perform as promised for years to come.
• Direct accountability: With in-house crews, there tends to be less confusion about responsibility, and the employees are held to a higher standard. If something isn't right, the company you hired can't point fingers at a third-party crew, and they have to own the problem and fix it. This gives you clearer recourse and stronger post-installation support as a homeowner.
• Stronger communication: Since the contractor directly manages their employees, questions, updates, and issues are addressed faster and with less miscommunication. Projects are typically overseen by a project manager who has a strong relationship with the crew, and understands how to connect the company's quality values with the crew's installation process. This means fewer surprises during the project and a smoother experience from start to finish.
• Less incentive to rush: In-house crews are often paid hourly rather than per project, so regardless of how many jobs they complete, they earn the same amount. That means they're less likely to rush or cut corners just to move on to the next job. For homeowners, this usually results in more careful workmanship, better attention to detail, and a durable roof.

Cons of In-House Teams

• Higher overhead costs: Maintaining full-time employees adds payroll, benefits, and insurance costs for the roofing company, and this is usually reflected in their quotes. Roofing companies with in-house crews are usually more expensive than those that use subcontractors.
• Limited flexibility: Due to higher operational costs, a roofing company with only in-house staff may have fewer crews available, leading to longer wait times during busy seasons. For homeowners who need their roof work completed on a strict time schedule, this lack of flexibility may be an issue.
• Variable workload challenges: Because in-house crews are full-time employees, roofing companies have to keep them busy year-round, even during slow seasons. When demand drops, some companies may spread their crews thin across smaller jobs or non-roofing tasks just to keep them working. This doesn't always affect quality, but it can impact scheduling efficiency and lead times, since these various jobs may not all be aligned timing-wise.

What Are Roofing Subcontractors?

When a roofing company uses subcontractors, it means the installers are independent crews who are hired on a per-project basis rather than being direct employees. These subcontractors sometimes work for multiple roofing companies and are brought in when a contractor needs additional labor to complete jobs.

Unlike in-house teams, subcontractors are separate businesses. They are not on the contractor's payroll, and their pay is usually tied to the projects they complete instead of on an hourly basis. In general, subcontractors:

• Are independent crews, hired by the contractor on a project-by-project basis.
• Provide their own labor and tools, but rely on the contractor for materials.
• May work for multiple roofing companies at the same time.
• Are typically managed with varying levels of supervision by the contractor that hired them.

Because they are not direct employees, the relationship between a contractor and their subcontractors can vary widely, which makes it important for homeowners to ask how that relationship is managed.

Pros of Subcontracted Crews

• Flexibility and availability: Subcontractors allow roofing companies to handle more projects at once. This often means homeowners can get their projects scheduled and completed faster, especially during peak roofing season. In emergency situations, or if you just want to get your roofing project done as soon as possible, this can be a major benefit.
• Lower costs in some cases: Because subcontractors are usually paid by the project (rather than hourly with full benefits), they can generally keep labor costs lower, which may lead to more competitive pricing for homeowners.
• Specialized skills: Some subcontractors develop strong expertise in specific installation types or roofing systems, which can be valuable if a contractor pairs the right crew with the right job. This is an example of where knowledge about your roofing company's relationship with its subcontractors is important. Companies that repeatedly work with the same subcontractors tend to build similar installation (and communication) standards as those with in-house crews.
• Scalability for larger projects: Subcontractors give roofing companies the ability to staff up quickly for big or complex jobs that require more manpower than a single in-house crew could handle. For homeowners, this can mean a large roof replacement gets completed more efficiently without dragging on for extra days.

Cons of Subcontracted Crews

• Inconsistent standards: Since subcontractors may work for multiple companies, their installation methods and attention to detail can vary. Unless the roofing company directly provides close supervision, the quality may not match the promises made during the sales process.
• Accountability disconnect: If something goes wrong, determining responsibility can get confusing. The roofing company should stand behind anyone they're allowing to perform work on their behalf, but this isn't always the case. This can leave homeowners stuck in the middle, being bounced back and forth between the roofing company and the subcontractor instead of getting the problem resolved quickly.
• More incentive to rush: Because subcontractors are usually paid per project, they have a financial incentive to finish as quickly as possible and move on to the next job. This can increase the likelihood of shortcuts and missed details that affect the roof's long-term performance. This may not be a problem if the subcontractor works closely with the roofing company and understands their quality standards, but it's still heavily dependent on the crew chosen.

How do In-House Roofing Crews Compare to Subcontractors?

Should I Worry If My Roofing Contractor Uses Subcontractors?

Not all subcontracting situations are bad, and subcontractors alone shouldn't be a cause for concern. Many reputable roofing companies rely on subcontractors to handle at least part of their workload.

What matters is how subcontractors are managed and how roofing companies hold them accountable for their quality of work.

How Do I Know If Subcontractors Are Being Managed the Right Way?

You'll know subcontractors are being managed correctly if the roofing company stays directly involved throughout the process (supplying the materials, supervising the work, and taking full responsibility for the outcome). When a contractor handles subcontractors this way, the homeowner gets the benefits of flexibility without sacrificing quality or accountability.

To give you a clearer picture, here's how we at Happy Roofing approach partnering with subcontractors:

How Happy Roofing Approaches Subcontracting

Currently, we work with one dedicated subcontracting crew, with whom we've built a long-term partnership. This crew works exclusively with us, which gives them a deep understanding of our preferred materials, installation methods, and quality standards.

We provide the materials, directly supervise every project, and make sure installations follow manufacturer standards so warranties stay valid. Most importantly, we take full responsibility for the final result.

We've had rare situations where a small issue needed to be corrected after installation. Since they had completed the original installation, our subcontractor knew the project inside and out, allowing us to resolve the concern quickly.

When Does Using Subcontractors Become a Problem?

Subcontracting becomes a problem when the roofing company treats it as a way to "hand off" the project with little to no involvement. Here are some red flags to watch out for:

• Vague answers about who's doing the work: If the salesperson avoids your questions or doesn't give you a direct answer about who will be completing your project, you should be cautious.
• No project manager on-site: If the company doesn't plan to supervise the crew during installation, that's a major risk for quality and accountability. Ask your contractor how they'll be overseeing the project before you agree to any work. If they don't have a clear answer or imply that the subcontractor is solely responsible for their work, that's a bad sign.
• No long-term relationship: If the company works with a variety of different subcontractors instead of working consistently with the same crews, it's hard to guarantee a consistent level of workmanship. Ask your contractor whether they've worked with the crew that will be performing the work on your roof.
• Lack of post-installation support: If you ask about warranties and the contractor suggests can't provide a thorough breakdown of what's covered, how long coverage will last, and how to register, walk away. The roofing company is responsible for understanding and aligning with any manufacturer warranties that may apply to the materials used on your new roof.

Choosing the Right Roofing Contractor for You

Choosing between in-house crews and subcontractors isn't as simple as one being "good" or "bad." In-house teams bring consistency and accountability, but subcontractors can offer many of the same benefits if they're managed correctly and held accountable.

For homeowners, the most important questions are: Who supervises the work? Who takes responsibility if something goes wrong? Have you worked with this crew on other projects? The right roofing contractor will have clear answers and will stand behind the entire installation, whether they're using in-house crews or subcontractors.

If you're still exploring your options, check out our article Is Happy Roofing the Right Roofer for Me? to learn more about which homeowners benefit the most from our approach to roofing.

If you're ready to take the next step and get an assessment of your roof's health, schedule a no-commitment inspection with our team. You'll get clear, honest answers tailored to your home and situation with no obligation to move forward.