“The Last Honest Company”: How an Out of State Homeowner Trusted Us with His Family’s Florida Home
Some houses are more than houses. For Steve, the home his father left him on Florida’s east coast is a family tradition. His grandparents lived there. His dad lived there. Today his uncle lives there, and one day Steve hopes to retire there and pass it on to his kids.
There was just one problem: Steve doesn’t live in Florida.
We sat down with Steve to talk about what it was like to hire a roofer for a house he couldn’t be at, and why he ended up calling us “the last honest company.”
A 20-year-old roof, hundreds of miles away
In 2024, Steve’s insurance company let him know the roof was coming up on 20 years old, and they were unable to insure him if the roof was not replaced by October that year.
That’s stressful for any homeowner. It’s harder when you can’t be there. Steve has seen how it goes back home: after a hailstorm, contractors pour in from out of state, and it’s hard to tell who’s legitimate.
“I’m primed to get taken advantage of because I can’t be there.”
He couldn’t meet anyone in person, watch the crew work, or check the job when it was done. Whoever he hired, he’d have to trust them completely.
“The owner answered the phone”
Steve started with a Google search. Pyramid Roofing FLA had good reviews and was close to the house, so he called.
Donnie, the owner, picked it up.
“When I called the company, the owner answered the phone. Like, what?”
For Steve, that first call mattered more than anything on a website. He couldn’t size anyone up face to face, so he needed to talk to a real person and hear that they meant what they said. Donnie offered a free estimate, sent photos of the roof that same day, and kept answering Steve’s questions from there.
A clear recommendation, and two hurricanes…
Once he’d seen the roof, Donnie laid out a few options. He was also honest about which one he’d pick, a new roof with an upgraded venting system.
Steve went with that recommendation. The job came at about $12,000. “It was pretty expensive,” Steve said, “but I believe the price was fair.”
Then the roof got its first real test. Hurricane Helene came through right before the final inspection. Two weeks later, Hurricane Milton hit.
“That roof’s going to get tested.”
It held. Afterward, Donnie checked the roof and found a couple of shingles that had lifted. Our crew fixed them right away, at no cost, under warranty. Donnie’s message to Steve was simple: we’ve got you covered.
FINAL PROJECT RESULTS
We take care of the house, and the people in it.
Uncle Tom lived in the house the whole time we worked. To give the crew room in the driveway, he’d moved his car next door.
One day Tom needed to run to the store. Our field supervisor, Mike, made sure to walk him safely to his car. Donnie snapped a photo and texted it to Steve:
“This is my field supervisor, Mike, walking your Uncle Tom to his car safely… We got you covered, man.”
That text is the part Steve remembers most.
“He treated my family like his family. I can’t thank him enough.”
Leaving it better than we found it
Steve had one more worry. His kids love visiting the house, but the yard is covered in thick Florida grass. A re-roof means a lot of old nails and scrap. A stray nail hidden in that grass is exactly how a kid ends up in the emergency room.
Our crew went over the whole property and picked everything up. When Steve’s family got back down to Florida, the yard was spotless.
“I couldn’t do anything from here. I had zero power. So I had to put full trust. And when I was able to go back out there, it was perfect.”
We asked Steve what he’d want other homeowners to know. He didn’t talk about shingles or vents. Instead, he talked about trust.
“I’m not saying it’s the cheapest price. I’m just saying that it is a fair price… you are getting your money’s worth.”
Steve also gave credit to the crew.
“Donnie sets the standard…and the guys on the roof live up to it.”
“The last honest company”
When Steve left us a Google review, he gave it a title we’ll never forget: “The last honest company.” He laughed a little when he told us.
“It’s probably not true that it’s the last honest company…but for me, it seems that way.”
We’ll take it! Thank you for trusting us with your family’s home, Steve.
Own a home in NE or Central Florida?
Get a free roof estimate from Pyramid Roofing FLA here or call at 386-529-5325.
