Amidst the multiple mergers and acquisitions, supply chain woes and stories of fraud, roofing contractors were interested in a variety of topics in 2022.

RC examined its top articles published in 2022 to see what caught the interest and eyeballs of our readers. A lot of this year’s most popular entries centered around the goings-on in Florida, whether it was Hurricane Ian recovery, insurance reform or cases of fraud. Others are anticipated mainstays in RC’s annual content. Below are the top most-read articles published in 2022.

10. Taken Right From Under Your Own Roof

National Roofing Partners uncovered $1.3 million in missing money spent on cash bonuses and lavish personal items for the people involved, which included members of its top leadership. National Roofing Partners shared its story and what roofing contractors can do to prevent fraud from happening in their companies.

9. How to Hire and Pay Workers Without Social Security Numbers

This column from James G. Aldrich, an attorney with Dykema, dispels the myth that it’s illegal for an employer to pay an employee who does not have a social security number. Aldrich offers advice on how contractors can handle this situation, especially when dealing with young and/or foreign workers without a number.

8. Gauge Capital Acquires Two Roofing Companies to Create Apple Roofing

Mergers and acquisitions became a recurring topic throughout 2022, including roofing manufacturers, distributors and contractors alike. One story in particular rose above the rest: the creation of Apple Roofing through Gauge Capital’s acquisition of Crest Exteriors and Apple Roofing in March. Both companies have appeared on RC’s Top 100 list.

7. Hurricane Ian Cleanup: Out-of-State Roofing Contractors Beware

Hurricane Ian caused an estimated $50.2 billion in damage throughout Florida in late September. As a result, roofing contractors headed to the state to take part in the rebuilding effort. Trent Cotney, partner at Adams and Reese, warned contractors coming from out of state that they need to be aware of the state’s complex construction licensing laws if they wanted to work properly.

6. Win the Storm 2022 Heads to Dallas Feb. 14-16

Storm Ventures Group's 8th annual Win the Storm Conference and Trade Show headed to the Lone Star State this year. The annual conference helps contractors learn the tactics and strategies needed to expand their businesses while helping property owners recover from storms, so it’s no surprise contractors wanted to learn more about the 2022 event.

5. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 2022

It’s been a tough couple of years for the roofing industry, let alone for the rest of the world as it endured post-pandemic economic stresses and supply chain issues. RC issued its annual State of the Industry survey to check the pulse of the roofing industry and determine what trends or strategies contractors could utilize heading into 2022.

4. Florida DFS Arrests Two Roofing Contractors in Insurance Fraud Scheme

An unfortunate reality of the roofing industry is that bad players will use it to scam people out of thousands of dollars, sullying the industry’s reputation in the process. However, in this story, some of those bad players got their just desserts after they were caught running a scheme to defraud people in Florida.

3. RC’s Top 100 2022: The Top 10 Roofing Contractors for 2022

One of the most popular features RC offers is the Top 100 list, which ranks commercial and residential roofing contractors from around the nation based on revenue. In the weeks leading up to the full list reveal, we provided a sneak peek at the top 10 of the Top 100 for 2022.

2. Top 100 2022 List

As mentioned above, the Top 100 is an annual list RC generates by asking contractors to report their annual revenue. The result is a list ranking the top-performing roofing contractors in the nation. This year was the 14th consecutive list, and remains an important marketing and publicity tool for contractors. Check back next month for the chance to submit your company for the 2023 list.

1. New Florida Insurance Law’s Impact on the Roofing Industry

In May, Florida signed into law new insurance policies that affect how roofing contractors can do business in the state in an attempt to stop property insurance price hikes. The law rippled through the roofing industry, sparking concerns other states would pass similar laws.

Then, in late September, Hurricane Ian tore a path of destruction through the state.

Roofing contractors around the nation responded, heading to the state to help rebuild. As a result, that this article detailing the impact the law has on Florida roofing quickly became the most read on RC’s site in 2022 as contractors educated themselves.

“What comes out of California on the west or Florida on the east, it all moves over, and that’s the key thing — it’s not a Florida-centric type bill … it is something you might need to worry about in the future,” said Trent Cotney, partner at Adams and Reese.