How long XL Roofing in a roof business

How long has XL Roofing been in the roof business?


My name is Chris Fraser and I own and operate XL Roofing Inc. Here's a little blog on how I got to roof a roof. It was determined that I would have to work for the Summer holiday's, either Vancouver or Edmonton. My Uncle was a supervisor working for a well established Roofing Company in Edmonton, so that's where I started roofing.

           Working a real construction job for the first time was not easy. The lifting of heavy materials wasn't that hard as I was I was a big lad anyways. What I found hard, was the incredible Summer heat in Alberta, and working with fibreglass insulation. To be quite honest I didn't like it at first. When School was all finished up, there was a recession everywhere. The only chance I had for work was traveling back to Alberta from Vancouver.

           I went back to the same company I had roofed with in the Summer holidays. I had worked here and there for so many low paying jobs, so when the same roofing company called in the spring I jumped at it. Work was harder than ever. All the men worked hard as the economy was not in good shape. When my adult muscles kicked in, I started to really enjoy roofing. I saw it as a work out. I didn't have much of a father figure growing up, so somehow it became a goal to please the cranky foremans and try and make them proud. This Company I worked for demanded perfection almost to a point where in our roofing career we had better not have to re roof the same roof ever in our life time. Seems a far stretch but it seemed the truth to me at the time. We roofed perfect and extremely hard at the same time. I did my whole apprenticeship at the same metal roof company.

          My Uncle decided one year to break off and start his own how to roof Company, which was eventually a given that I joined him a little later to start running my first how to roofing crew. Running a crew for a small company was way different than the big roof it company. I watched as my Uncle would change up roofing how to specifications to make it affordable for some of the home owners. It is very expensive to do a whole roof replacement in one shot. So we would do many repairs to stretch out the lives of the insulation roofs. Then this roofing roofing company grew and my family grew. But there was no room for me to work in the office in how to roof sales or shingles roofing estimating. I became restless. I worked at and volunteered on weekends at our local church. I quickly discovered that I may just be good at the a roofing gab. Many friends and family (wife's side of course) encouraged me and my wife Jackie to start our own roof metal company.

 Having a large Family proved financially difficult. I started out Shingling like most Roofers, then eventually the roof it flat repairs started to trickle in. I soon did not have to shingle any more (feelings weren't hurt) as shingling is (in my opinion) one of the hardest jobs in construction. Starting a business for us, we don't take how to roofing lightly, we are in it for the long haul. Early in the business I happened to run into my old Boss/owner of the first how to roof company I had worked for. I had said to him that finding good help to hire was hard to do. He advised me to hire young roof roof and train within, and that would be my core of the roofing how to company.  He was right, I just had to be patient and I did just that.

I now have such an awesome bunch of roof roofing guys that work for me now. It didn't come without growing pains, but they known what is expected of them now. Together we have built a Company that can put a roof on just as well or better than any a roofing Company in Northern Alberta, but keeping a small company/family type attitude at the same time. To be successful in business one has to listen to his men as well. A while back they stated that it would sure be nice to have benefits, so...... I agreed. My accountant set out to get the best affordable package we all could afford. Such a good feeling for all of us. We are a strong growing how to roof Company that aims to please its customers.

We all look forward to doing business with you all. You won’t be disappointed!

Chris Fraser founder and owner of XL Roofing Edmonton