How to Compare Sterling Pro and Epic Roofing Before You Hire
Quick Summary
The article does not give a verdict on Sterling Pro versus Epic Roofing, because no recent direct head-to-head study exists. Instead, it shows how to compare roofing contractors using itemized quotes, warranty terms, reviews, and verified credentials.
No recent direct head-to-head study of Sterling Pro and Epic Roofing was found.
Request itemized proposals covering scope, materials, underlayment, flashing, and cleanup.
Compare manufacturer and workmanship warranties separately, including proration and exclusions.
Read reviews from the same platforms and time window for both companies.
Verify license, liability insurance, and workers' compensation before signing any contract.
Table of Contents
What the Sterling Pro vs Epic Roofing Comparison Can and Cannot Tell You
Comparing Roofing Quotes: Scope, Materials and Itemized Pricing
Roofing Warranty Comparison: Manufacturer Coverage Versus Workmanship Coverage
Reading Epic Roofing & Exteriors Reviews and Customer Feedback Critically
Booking Your Free Estimate and Insurance Claim Review With First Class
What the Sterling Pro vs Epic Roofing Comparison Can and Cannot Tell You
Choosing between two roofing contractors is harder than it looks, and knowing how to compare roofing contractors starts with what evidence actually separates them. Both publish polished service pages, both show up in local searches, and both have customers who vouch for them.
We could not find a recent, direct head-to-head study of Sterling Pro and Epic Roofing; the available material is mostly company-issued marketing, scattered reviews, and local discussion.
A comparison like this can tell you three things well:
Which questions to ask. Scope, materials, warranty terms, licensing, and timelines differ from contractor to contractor, and those differences drive real cost.
Where to look for evidence. Written quotes, warranty documents, and proof of insurance are verifiable. Marketing claims are not.
Where the gaps are. If one company will not put a warranty or itemized scope in writing, that tells you something no review can.
It cannot tell you which company will do better work on your house. Only a site visit, a detailed written proposal, and your own checking of references can do that.
Watch out: Do not treat a polished website or a high star rating as proof of workmanship.
Comparing Roofing Quotes: Scope, Materials and Itemized Pricing
A roofing quote is only useful if you can line it up against another one, so when you compare roofing contractors, start with the scope behind each price.
Ask each contractor for an itemized proposal that covers:
Scope of work. Does it include removing the old roofing, inspecting the decking, and replacing damaged boards?
Materials. Name the shingle or membrane brand, product line, color, and warranty tier.
Underlayment and flashing. These are often the first items cut from a bid and the first to fail later.
Ventilation. Check whether ridge vents, intake vents, or other ventilation upgrades are included.
Cleanup and disposal. Confirm who hauls away old material and where it goes.
Payment schedule. A reasonable schedule ties payments to milestones, not a large upfront deposit.
Before comparing totals, line the quotes up side by side. A simple table makes gaps obvious:
Item | Contractor A | Contractor B |
Tear-off included | Yes / No | Yes / No |
Underlayment type | Named product | Generic / Named |
Flashing replacement | Included / Extra | Included / Extra |
Warranty (manufacturer) | Product and term | Product and term |
Warranty (workmanship) | Years stated | Years stated |
Total price (CAD) | Amount | Amount |
Pricing depends on roof size, pitch, material, and access. For current pricing or a quote, contact First Class Roofing & Renovations Inc through its website. Ask each contractor for a written quote in CAD and request the same scope from both so the comparison is fair.
Roofing Warranty Comparison: Manufacturer Coverage Versus Workmanship Coverage
Most warranty sections stop at "manufacturer covers materials, contractor covers labor." The decision-useful comparison is in the fine print: what voids coverage, who you call first, whether the warranty survives a home sale, and what the contractor's labor warranty actually obligates them to do.
The two warranty layers, and why they fail differently
A manufacturer warranty is a product defect warranty.
A workmanship warranty is a labor warranty. It responds when the roof leaks or fails because of how it was installed, improperly lapped underlayment, missed flashing, inadequate fastening.
The practical test is to ask each company for the actual warranty documents, not a summary. Then compare them on the same six points below.
Six warranty terms to compare line by line
Term length, stated separately. Get the manufacturer term and the workmanship term as two distinct numbers. A "25-year warranty" headline often means prorated product coverage with a much shorter labor term behind it.
Proration. Ask whether manufacturer coverage is prorated and from what date. A prorated warranty pays less each year; a non-prorated one does not.
Exclusions in writing. Look for exclusions covering foot traffic and maintenance, ponding water, ice damming, inadequate attic ventilation, structural movement, and damage from other trades, the clauses that decide most claims.
Transferability. Ask whether the warranty transfers to a buyer, whether it must be registered within a set window, whether a transfer fee applies, and how many transfers are allowed. If you may sell within the warranty period, this is a resale asset, or a dead letter.
Who services the claim. Confirm whether you call the manufacturer, the original installer, or both, and whether the installer must still be in business and certified for the manufacturer portion to remain valid. Ask what happens to the workmanship warranty if the company closes, is sold, or exits the certification program.
Claim process and response time. Ask for the written steps: how a claim is opened, what evidence is required (photos, inspection report, original contract), who performs the inspection, and the target response time. A warranty with no stated process is hard to enforce.
Questions that expose weak warranty language
Use these in the consultation and write the answers into the contract:
Is the workmanship warranty backed by the company only, or is any portion backed by a third party or manufacturer program?
Does it cover the full roof system (underlayment, flashing, ventilation) or only the shingles?
If a leak is traced to a defect the manufacturer accepts, who pays the labor to tear out and replace, the manufacturer, the installer, or the homeowner?
A warranty that is described verbally but not delivered as a document is not a warranty you can rely on. Ask for the sample warranty text before you sign the contract, and confirm the registration is completed in your name after the job, not left to you to file.
Where the comparison actually separates the two companies
Warranty quality cannot be judged from a website. Request the sample manufacturer certificate and the contractor's own written workmanship warranty from any company you are considering, then compare them against the six points above. If a company will not produce the documents before signing, that is itself a useful result. The same discipline applies to the estimate: insist that the warranty term and exclusions appear in the written proposal, not only in a brochure.
Reading Epic Roofing & Exteriors Reviews and Customer Feedback Critically
Reviews are often quoted and rarely analyzed carefully in contractor comparisons. A star average tells you almost nothing on its own. What separates a useful review read from a useless one is method: same platforms, same time window, same questions, for both companies.
Build a like-for-like review sample
Before you draw any conclusion, collect the same evidence for each company:
Same platforms. Check the same two or three review sources for both contractors, a general local-services platform, a search-engine business profile, and the company's own testimonial page if it has one. Platform culture differs, so comparing one company's best platform against the other's worst is not a comparison.
Same time window. Restrict the sample to the last 12-24 months. A five-year-old five-star review says little about current crews and current management.
Volume and recency together. Note the total count and the date of the most recent reviews. A large count with a cluster of recent complaints is a different signal from a small count with steady recent praise.
Score both companies on the same five themes
Read the reviews for patterns, not isolated comments, and tally how often each theme appears for each company:
Communication. Returned calls, proactive updates during the job, clear explanations of change orders.
Schedule reliability. Start dates met or slipped, crews arriving as promised, weather-delay communication.
Job-site cleanup. Debris removed, nails swept, landscaping protected, dumpster placement.
Price integrity. Final bill versus original quote, surprise charges, change-order handling.
Post-job support. Whether callbacks for punch-list items or leaks were handled promptly.
A simple tally, how many reviews mention each theme positively versus negatively, per company, is more decision-useful than an average score. Two companies can both sit near 4.5 stars and have very different complaint profiles.
Read the negative reviews for mechanism, not mood
The most informative reviews, in general, describe what went wrong and how it was resolved. Look for specifics: a leak traced to flashing, a crew that left nails in a driveway, a final invoice that exceeded the quote by a stated amount, a callback that took weeks. Those details tell you what to probe in your own consultation. Vague one-line complaints and vague one-line praise are low-information in both directions.
Ask each contractor for references from jobs similar to yours, same roof type, same approximate size, completed in the last one to two years, and call them. References answer the questions reviews rarely cover: how change orders were priced, how weather delays were communicated, and whether the company came back for small fixes after final payment.
What reviews cannot tell you
Reviews cannot verify licensing, insurance, or warranty terms, and they cannot tell you how a company will handle your specific roof. Use them to generate questions, then verify the answers against documents: the written proposal, the certificate of insurance, the warranty text, and the contract. That is the same standard you should apply to both companies, and the only comparison that holds up when the sales pitch ends.
Verifying Licensing, Insurance and Contractor Credentials
Before any deposit changes hands, verify the contractor's credentials yourself. Do not rely on a logo on the website or a claim in a sales call.
Confirm the following:
Business registration. Check that the legal business name matches the one on the quote, invoice, and insurance certificate.
Liability insurance. Request a current certificate of insurance and confirm it is active. Ask that the homeowner be named as additional insured where possible.
Workers' compensation coverage. Without it, an injury on your property can become your liability (Home insurance).
Trade licensing and certifications. Requirements vary by location, so confirm what applies in your area with the relevant authority.
Manufacturer certifications. Ask which manufacturer programs any contractor is enrolled in, and verify that enrollment with the manufacturer if you can.
Permits. Ask who pulls the permit. A contractor who suggests skipping one should be a red flag.
Read the contract carefully before signing. Look for the scope, payment schedule, change-order process, start and completion dates, warranty terms, and cancellation rights. If something important is only discussed verbally, ask for it in writing.
Questions to Ask a Roofing Contractor Before You Sign
Use these questions in every consultation. For a closer look at whether the coverage is worth paying for, read whether a roof replacement warranty in Calgary is worth it.
How will you handle unexpected structural problems, such as rotted decking, and how will those costs be presented to me?
What is included in your quote, and what would cause the final price to change?
Who will be on my roof, and are they your employees or subcontractors?
What manufacturer certifications do you hold, and can I verify them?
What does your workmanship warranty cover, and how long does it last?
How long will the project take, and how do you handle weather delays?
Who is my main point of contact during the job, and how quickly do you respond to calls?
Can you provide references from jobs similar to mine completed in the last two years?
How do you handle insurance claims, and will you meet with my adjuster?
What is your payment schedule, and what is the deposit amount?
A good contractor answers these directly and puts the answers in writing. Vague answers, or answers that change when you ask again, should make you slow down.
Many homeowners also worry about the timeline and about being left with a project that drags on.
Booking Your Free Estimate and Insurance Claim Review With First Class
If your roof was damaged in a storm and you are considering a claim, the next step is to get a clear, written assessment of the damage and the scope. You can reach the team directly by phone or email. For the steps to request a free residential roof estimate, see free estimate steps.
Whichever contractor you choose, compare the written quotes, warranty terms, and credentials side by side before you sign. A detailed, itemized proposal is the best basis for that comparison, and it is the document to insist on from every company you consider.
Last Updated: October 30, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Sterling Pro and Epic Roofing?
The published information available for these two companies is limited, and there is no independent head-to-head study that settles the question. The most useful way to tell them apart is to request written estimates for the same scope of work, compare the materials and warranty terms in each, confirm licensing and insurance, and check recent reviews for patterns in communication and job completion. Ask each contractor for references from projects of similar size and type to yours.
How do I compare roofing quotes fairly?
Compare quotes only when they cover the same scope: the same tear-off method, underlayment, flashing, ventilation, shingle or membrane type, cleanup and disposal. Ask for itemized pricing so you can see labour, materials and any allowances separately. A quote that is much lower than the others often leaves out items that will appear later as change orders, so confirm in writing what is included before you decide.
What should I check in a roofing contractor's warranty?
Separate the manufacturer's material warranty from the contractor's workmanship warranty. Manufacturer warranties usually depend on using the product through an approved installer, and they often prorate over time. Contractor workmanship warranties vary in length and coverage. Read the exclusions, confirm whether the warranty transfers to a new owner, and ask how claims are handled and who pays for labour during a claim.
What questions should I ask before hiring a roofing contractor?
Ask whether the company is licensed, insured and bonded, and request current certificates. Ask who will supervise the crew, whether installers are employees or subcontractors, and what the project timeline and payment schedule look like. Ask how the company handles structural problems found after work starts, and how it helps with insurance claims. Get the answers in the written contract.
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