Roofer Profile: Andrew Prchal - Gunner Roofing

By DaVinci Roofscapes.

Meet Andrew Prchal, president of Gunner Roofing and the recent winner of the DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor 2023 Project of the Year Award.

From the first moment he saw David Greenstein’s home, Andrew Prchal dreamed of re-roofing it. The architectural design of the home, with more than 100 roof lines connected with him. Once finished, the amazing project simply had to be named a DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor 2023 Project of the Year Winner.

Overview: 2023 Project of the Year

Designed by Taliesin graduate John Gillis, the home reflects the style of Frank Lloyd Wright. The modern home design features adjoining rooms that surround a courtyard that opens to a pool, fountain and private lake. 

Originally roofed in copper shingles made in France, the shingles should have turned green over the years. Instead they turned black. Plus, hundreds of tiles were ripped off by a storm. That’s when homeowner David Greenstein turned to Gunner Roofing for help.

During their first meeting together, David and Andrew, president of Gunner Roofing, spoke about many things. The priority for Andrew was determining if David had contacted his insurance company.

“I educated David on the insurance claim process,” says Andrew. “I told him that insurance may or may not provide coverage from the storm claim. We worked hand in hand on the insurance claim. There were several late night phone calls discussing next steps and updates. We ultimately got the claim approved. Now we refer to each other as the ‘dream team.’”

“Andrew is my savior,” says David. “He opened my eyes to insurance. We got 100% from the insurance company for the storm damage which made an enormous difference. Having a roofing company that works that hard to help their customers made a huge impact on me.”

Investing in authentic composite slate

With the funds available for the new roof, David followed Andrew's next piece of advice. Invest in DaVinci Roofscapes. The homeowner had already been researching the authentic composite slate roofing product and liked what he saw.

“The color variations in the composite slate really impressed us,” says David. “The quality of each piece of slate looks authentic. Marry that with the impact and fire resistant ratings, and it’s a winner. I really believe this product is what the original architect wanted this home to look like in the long run.

“With the DaVinci materials there are no more issues. Now we have a showpiece home … a masterpiece. A roofing product that will last for a lifetime that adds dramatic curb appeal to this house.”

Creating the masterpiece

After David made the decision to invest in the DaVinci Single-Width Slate in Slate Gray, there was just one thing left to do — install the product. With more than 103 roof facets, that wasn’t the easiest thing to do.

“This is not your typical home,” says Andrew, a DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor. “It is extremely cut up and the architectural design really requires a product that can match its quality. We knew that DaVinci would provide on both the aesthetics and quality that a house of this caliber deserves.

“One of our biggest challenges was navigating the property lines. We had to ensure debris was cleaned up as well as product carefully loaded on the roofs. Our crew worked tirelessly for more than a month. They maintained our high standards of safety while creating a true masterpiece.”

Insights from a winning roofer

Based in Stamford, Connecticut, Gunner Roofing was founded by brothers Eddie and Andrew Prchal. Andrew shares some insights about his career and bringing composites into their roofing mix to increase sales.

Q: How did you get started in the roofing business?

I got started with Eddie a few years ago. We are originally from Arizona and we had gotten a call from our old neighbor who had a solar company in New Jersey. He mentioned that he was having a difficult time finding people to install the roofs before they put solar on and asked if we thought we could give it a go. 

We couldn’t believe contractors wouldn’t show up or even answer the phone for such a large project and ultimately decided to give it a go! We set out to change the industry and become the first national UnContractor (UnContractor - take any negative you know about a contractor, and we do the opposite).

Q: What makes your company recommend DaVinci products over competitive composite products?

We like to align ourselves with companies that have the same thirst to do best by their customers. DaVinci provides an amazing product that both performs and looks incredible. From a quality, support, and look standpoint we are always excited to recommend DaVinci to our customers.

Q: How have DaVinci products helped increase sales for your company?

DaVinci products have allowed us to reach those customers who are looking for a high-end product when it comes to their roofing options. It has helped us increase sales by catering to those customers who want to get a bit more out of their roof.

Q: When selling DaVinci products to a new customer, what are the features and benefits that customers react best to?

Our customers love the natural look of the DaVinci products. The fact that there is virtually no maintenance makes it the best option for a busy homeowner. Visually, you really can’t tell the difference versus the real thing!

Q: What made you think that this particular project would be a winning candidate for the DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor Project of the Year Award?

After seeing the architectural design of the home and the emphasis of the roof lines, I knew this would be a great option for the DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor Project of the Year Award. This home was featured in Architectural Digest and was designed by John Gillis. 

Q: What’s your dream roofing job?

My dream roofing job is doing the roof of the White House. There would be no greater honor than doing the home of our nation’s most important leader!

Q: Finally, if you absolutely had to change professions tomorrow, what do you think you’d do?

I would become a pizza maker! Making pizza is a hobby, but there is nothing more exciting than perfecting a recipe and sharing it with others. Very similar to completing a beautiful roofing project and others being able to appreciate it!