The average roof is designed to last for about three decades. That’s why a good roofer rarely visits the same house twice.
Raymond Toyama, owner of RS Toyama Roofing Service Inc. in Honolulu, said his phone started ringing after he began appearing in Hawaii Renovation. “Many people saw my name in the newspaper, and called me and said, ‘Hey, you’re still in business? I want you to come and replace my roof!’ I did their jobs maybe 20 or even 30 years ago! They thought I’d retired.”
With a crew of six skilled roofers, one administrative employee and a schedule that keeps the staff quite busy, Toyama is anything but retired. Launched in 1979, his company specializes in roll roofing, slate, tile and composition shingles for residential structures, and has become known for its quality craftsmanship and competitive pricing.
It can be easy to spot the need for roof replacement, Toyama explained. “The first obvious sign of trouble might be a leak. If your roofing is getting old, or if you see pieces of your roofing on the ground after heavy wind or rain, you’ll know that you should have somebody climb up on your roof and take a look at it.”
Toyama learned the roofing trade from his father-in-law, Nobu Kageura, with whom he worked for 10 years before launching his own business. Kageura, who passed away in 2007 at age 91, set a stellar example that Toyama has tried to follow in his own business.
“He taught me to take care of my customers,” Toyama said, “and that sometimes, we all make mistakes. But when you do make a mistake, you must make sure you follow up and take care of the problem.”
As a licensed and certified roofing company, RS Toyama Roofing stands behind its work with a seven-year workmanship warranty — the maximum allowed by Hawaii state law. Combined with the manufacturer’s material warranty, which usually runs from 20 to 30 years, Toyama’s workmanship warranty — backed by his company’s longevity — is a commitment to quality, designed to bring homeowners peace of mind.
The average lifespan of a new roofing company only is about 3.3 years, according to the National Roofing Contractors Association. Over the years, Toyama has been hired by quite a few homeowners, whose roofs were poorly installed by companies that went out of business, even before their workmanship warranties had expired.
“The fact that we’ve been in business for 32 years — I think that says a lot about our company,” said Toyama with pride.
RS TOYAMA ROOFING SERVICE INC.
contact // 847-6265
address // 1321 Hart St.
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