Roofer Profile: Josh Yandle – Umbrella Roofing, Inc.

By DaVinci Roofscapes.

Meet Josh Yandle, owner of Umbrella Roofing and the recent winner of the DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor 2023 Project of the Year Award.

Nestled high above the Colorado mountains you’ll find more and more homes with roofs that mimic real cedar shake. Composite shake roofs, like the one installed by Umbrella Roofing, Inc. on the DaVinci Roofscapes Masterpiece Contractor 2023 Project of the Year Award Winner, are growing in popularity. Why? Because of their ability to resist wildfire spread, handle extreme weather conditions, and require minimal maintenance. 

Overview: 2023 Project of the Year

Since 2001 Umbrella Roofing has been installing about 40 DaVinci Roofscapes composite roofs a year throughout Colorado. This year’s award-winning roofing project in Avon sits high up on Beaver Creek Mountain.

When the homeowners came to Umbrella Roofing, the expert roofing company had no hesitation in recommending DaVinci Multi-Width Shake roofing for the project. 

“These folks were experiencing a problem we see a lot in our area,” says Josh Yandle with Umbrella Roofing, Inc. “Their insurance company was nervous about continuing to provide coverage on a real cedar roof in a geographical area known for wildfires. Their top priority was getting a fire-resistant roof that had the authentic look of real shake but could meet the demands of the insurance company.”

The Umbrella Roofing team has successfully dealt with this situation before. With the right underlayment system in place, the DaVinci products easily meet the Class A fire ratings.

However, what truly got the roofing crew excited about this project was the unique roofing design on the house.

“This home has a complex roof system,” says Josh. “There’s lots of dormers, nooks and crannies. There are many lower sloped valleys with large facets that slope into them. We took extra steps to assure the homeowners will enjoy a tight roof with no problems.”

One of the extra steps taken was to install a complete snow retention system from Rocky Mountain Snow Guards. With the intense snowfall in the high elevation, melting snows can sometimes avalanche off synthetic roofs. The combination of installing snow guards and a snow rail system will help prevent that situation and keep the family safer.

“Just looking at this roof makes us all proud,” says Josh. “The precision work completed on this home is what we achieve on all our projects. We’re happy to say that all our customers are just as pleased with the final results as these homeowners are with this gorgeous roof.”

Insights from a winning roofer

Based in Eagle, Colorado, Umbrella Roofing specializes in outstanding customer service on residential and commercial roofing projects. Here Josh shares some insights about his career and bringing composite roofing to the Colorado marketplace for the past 22 years.

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

I was on a summer break from college at CU Boulder and a family friend offer me a job working as a roofing laborer in Eagle County. I immediately fell in love with roofing and how diverse roofing was in our location.

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

• Quality and durability: DaVinci's roofing products are known for their high quality and durability and have outperformed other synthetics in our region.
• Warranty and support: A comprehensive warranty and excellent customer support significantly influence our company to use DaVinci.
• Installation ease: Due to the high quality polymers used to make DaVinci products they are easier to install in cold weather applications.
• Cost considerations: While not the sole determining factor, competitive pricing + top level warranties by DaVinci definitely sway the decision. The overall value proposition (factoring in quality, durability and aesthetics) is more favorable compared to competitors.
• Reputation and brand trust: DaVinci's reputation within the industry, positive reviews, and reliability play a significant role. They are known for consistent quality and have a strong brand trust.

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

• Premium brand association: DaVinci's reputation for quality and durability within the industry reflect positively on Umbrella Roofing. Associating with a premium brand like DaVinci elevates the perceived quality of services offered by Umbrella Roofing, attracting more discerning customers.
• Increased customer demand: Customers specifically request or inquire about DaVinci products due to their reputation and quality.
• Customer satisfaction and referrals: Providing customers with reliable, durable, and aesthetically pleasing roofing solutions from DaVinci leads to higher customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers are more likely to refer friends, family, or acquaintances to Umbrella Roofing, increasing sales through referrals.
• Long-term cost savings: DaVinci's durable products translate into long-term cost savings for customers due to reduced maintenance and repair expenses. Highlighting these potential savings in the sales process influence customers' decisions in favor of Umbrella Roofing.

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

1. Durability and longevity 
2. Weather resistance
3. Fire rating
4. Low maintenance
5. Warranty and support

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

The home at 3791 Daybreak Ridge Rd has a very well rounded roof system. It includes extreme customization and a range of high end products in order to function properly at 9280’ in elevation. With a mix of DaVinci shake tiles and custom copper roofing throughout we thought this home was a beautiful representation of a high quality DaVinci roof system.

Q: What’s your dream roofing job?

Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida … as long as I get to stay there and play golf while we’re roofing the project!

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

If money wasn’t necessarily a priority, I’d probably start an adventure company. I’d like to take people all over the world on excursions doing things like treasure hunting, extreme backpacking, hunting and fishing trips.