Roofer profile: Jason Totin, Totin Too, LLC

Meet Jason Totin, president and owner of Totin Too, LLC and the recent winner of the DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor 2024 Project of the Year Award.

A second-generation roofer, Jason Totin started Totin Too, LLC in Wexford, Pennsylvania in 2011. That was several years after his father had asked him to research the “new” composites on the marketplace. During his research, Jason determined that DaVinci Roofscapes had solved the “puzzle” as to how to best manufacture a composite product.

“After using DaVinci for close to 20 years now, I believe I made the correct choice,” says Jason. “I also believe they have the closest look to natural products available in the marketplace. And, to top it off, their customer service is fantastic.”

Now, to top off Jason’s year, his massive historical Shannopin Country Club project has been named a winner of the DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor 2024 Project of the Year Award.

Overview: 2024 Project of the Year

Fingers crossed, the Board of Governors hoped to get through another wedding season at Shannopin Country Club before replacing their leaky standing seam metal roof. No luck. After patchwork repair for years, the necessity became immediate.

When Jason Totin, owner of Totin Too, LLC out of Wexford, Pennsylvania was called in for his opinion, he didn’t hesitate in recommending composite slate roofing from DaVinci.

"The original Pittsburgh club house was founded in 1920 with a slate roof," says Jason, a DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor. "Over the years it had several different roofing materials. We saw this as an opportunity to bring the roof back to the appearance of the original roof."

“I believe the DaVinci Single-Width Slate roof has the closest look to the original slate look. Even better, it’s guaranteed to last for 50 years. The durable composite material resists fire and impact, plus high winds and severe weather. It’s the ideal product for this structure that has such a steep roof and is so exposed to windy conditions.”

With the approval of the Board of Governors, the roofing crew began the challenging work of tear-off and installation. Construction took place during the busy summer wedding season, necessitating extreme safety considerations.

“We’re proud of our ability to use DaVinci products to restore this roof to how it must have looked back in 1920,” says Jason. “And, we’re exceptionally proud of being honored with the 2024 DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor Project of the Year Award.”

Insights from a winning roofer

Q: How did you get started in the roofing business?
My father had a roofing company for 30 years in Columbus, Ohio. I started cleaning up trash on job sites when I was around 10 and got up on my first roof when I was 14. After college I began working for him full-time while looking for another job. I woke up 9 years later and was still working for him. After that my wife and I moved to Pittsburgh in 2011 and I started my own company.

Q: What makes your company recommend DaVinci products over competitive composite products?
My father did a lot of tile and slate. As composites became more popular, he asked me to research the different brands. I asked a lot of questions of reps from many companies. Once I met the DaVinci folks, I felt they had the right answers. That was two decades ago. I’ve never looked back.

Q: How have DaVinci products helped increase sales for your company?
When you show a customer a photo of a DaVinci job, even if composite roofing is not being used for a particular job, it shows a high level of craftsmanship. This has helped us land higher-end projects across the board.

Q: When selling DaVinci products to a new customer, what are the features and benefits that customers react best to?
Definitely the aesthetics and cost benefits. They are getting 2-3 roofs when they decide to install the DaVinci product.

Q: What made you think that this particular project would be a winning candidate for the DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor Project of the Year Award?
When this building was constructed 100+ years ago, it had a slate roof. I envisioned what it looked like back then and wanted to bring it to that era. As the job began to come to completion, and we saw the transformation take shape, it was recommended to me that we enter the competition.

Q: What’s your dream roofing job?
I’m a history nerd, so this project would definitely fall in the “dream” category. I’ve worked on the roof of a church that housed important documents from Washington, DC for safety during WWII. Another was a building used in the Underground Railroad. Plus, there was the first/oldest building at Ohio State University. I enjoy all these projects with a historical background and story.

Q: Finally, if you absolutely had to change professions tomorrow, what do you think you’d do?
A toss up… rent jet skis in the Caribbean? No, perhaps consulting or copper fabrication!