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About
Rio Roofing, Inc. is a commercial roofing contractor based at 22452 US 77 Expressway in Harlingen, in Cameron County. The company was founded in 1986 by Herman Deane, who had more than 40 years in roofing, and it has stayed in the family since. His son in law Thomas Gonzalez joined in 1989, his daughter Barbara took over accounting in 1992, the company bought its Harlingen property in 1995, and Herman retired in 2002 after more than 50 years in the industry. A third generation came into the business in 2007, and the company added an 18,000 square foot property in Harlingen in 2017.
The work is commercial and institutional rather than residential storm chasing. Rio Roofing installs SBS modified bitumen for low sloped roofs, TPO and PVC single ply membrane, and standing seam metal roofing and wall panels, and it runs its own custom metal fabrication shop. Its published project gallery is heavily school district work across South Texas, including Brownsville ISD, Bishop CISD, Corpus Christi ISD, Rio Hondo ISD, Zapata County ISD and Roma ISD.
Harlingen sits in Cameron County, one of the 14 first tier coastal counties in the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association catastrophe area, so windstorm construction standards are a real consideration for buildings here. Rio Roofing's metal roofing page does address coastal wind uplift directly, noting that in coastal counties the company typically relies on mechanically seamed panels for their high uplift resistance and suitability for 20 year and longer weathertight warranties, and that snap lock panels may not be suitable for windstorm applications. The company does not advertise WPI-8 or windstorm certification work anywhere on its website, and we could not confirm that capability from any source we read.
Highlights
Family owned since 1986 and now into a third generation, with the founder's daughter, son in law and grandchildren in leadership
Commercial and institutional focus, with a project list dominated by South Texas school districts
In house custom metal fabrication shop rather than outsourced panel work
States it relies on mechanically seamed metal panels in coastal counties for uplift resistance and 20 year plus weathertight warranties
Operates from its own Harlingen property, expanded by 18,000 square feet in 2017
Serving Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas and 4 more areas shown on the map. View on Google Maps ›
Insurance & credential verification
Texas does not issue a state roofing license, so we verify companies the way homeowners actually can: confirming insurance coverage, checking RCAT (Roofing Contractors Association of Texas) status, and checking city or county registration where the local jurisdiction requires one. Every credential below links to the actual issuing organization's own public lookup — don't just take our checkmark for it. Always ask for a current certificate of insurance before signing any contract.
CompanyRio Roofing
InsuranceNot verified by us (we hold no certificate for this company — ask them for a current COI before signing)
City/county registration
No contractor registry in Harlingen Permit office ↗This city does not register roofers, but a roofing permit is still required. Ask who pulls it.
Status Current in the RCAT directory (no published licence number for this record)
RCAT member ID807 (member since 2017)
Licence boardRCAT, Roofing Contractors Association of Texas (Texas issues no state roofing licence; RCAT runs the licensing programme)
Coastal windstorm TDI WPI-8 ready (Gulf Coast windstorm work; confirm the WPI-8 certificate per job)
Confirm this yourself: ask the company for their certificate of insurance (COI). Note that RCAT's Licensed Roofing Contractor credential (CRRL, RRL or CRL) is earned and held by a named individual at a company, not by the business itself, which is why we name that person above where we know it; Texas issues no company roofing license at all. RCAT and NTRCA status can be checked in their own public directories (RCAT, NTRCA) — use the "Licensed"/"Accredited" filter to see more than plain membership. GAF's contractor verification tool and Owens Corning's Texas locator confirm those tiers directly; CertainTeed doesn't offer a comparable self-serve lookup, so ask to see that certificate in person. BBB accreditation and rating are on bbb.org. Houston's own published registered-roofer list is years out of date, so it isn't cited here at all — confirm registration by contacting the city directly. Corpus Christi's STAR program has its own online contractor registry — for any other city or county registration claim, confirm directly with that jurisdiction's permit office.
Certifications
UL AU Mark (stated by the company)Company-reported — ask to see the certificate
National Roofing Contractors Association member (stated by the company)Company-reported — ask to see the certificate
Associated General Contractors member (stated by the company)Company-reported — ask to see the certificate
Texas HUB, Historically Underutilized Business (stated by the company)Company-reported — ask to see the certificate
Google reviews
4.5
Rated by 8 verified Google reviewers Verified by Google
Charles Davis· 8 years ago
★★★★★
Very professional and honest people! Highly recommend them!
Juan Guerra· 9 years ago
★★★★★
Hard workers, very knowledgeable, service is great, always do a great job
Earned from Rio Roofing's insurance verification, live Google rating, and standing in Harlingen. Every badge links back to this profile so anyone can confirm it, and it updates automatically if the underlying status changes.
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Frequently asked
Is Harlingen in a Texas windstorm area?
Yes. Harlingen is in Cameron County, one of the 14 first tier coastal counties inside the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association catastrophe area. Roofs on buildings in the catastrophe area generally need to be built to the applicable windstorm building standard and documented if the owner wants TWIA windstorm coverage on the structure.
What is a WPI-8 and who actually issues it?
The WPI-8 is a Certificate of Compliance for windstorm construction. It is issued by the Texas Department of Insurance, based either on an inspection by a TDI appointed qualified inspector or on a WPI-8-C submitted by a Texas licensed professional engineer. A roofing contractor never issues a WPI-8. What the roofer does is build the roof to the required standard and produce the product data, fastening pattern and documentation the inspector or engineer needs in order to certify it.
Does Rio Roofing do WPI-8 or windstorm certified work?
We could not confirm this. Rio Roofing does not mention WPI-8, TWIA or windstorm certification anywhere on its website. Its standing seam metal page does discuss coastal wind uplift and says the company typically uses mechanically seamed panels in coastal counties because of their uplift resistance, which shows awareness of the issue, but that is not the same as advertising certified windstorm work. If windstorm certification matters for your building, ask the company directly and get the answer in writing before you sign.
When do I need windstorm certification on a roof?
You need it when the building is in the TWIA catastrophe area and you want or are required to carry TWIA windstorm and hail coverage on it. Certification generally has to be arranged before and during the work, not bolted on afterwards, because the inspector or engineer needs to see fastening, decking and attachment before they are covered up. Sort the inspection path out with your contractor at the contract stage.
What kind of roofing does Rio Roofing do?
Commercial roofing. The website lists SBS modified bitumen, TPO and PVC membrane, standing seam metal roofing and wall panels, and custom metal fabrication, for both new construction and remodel projects. There is no residential roofing offering on the site.
Where does the company work?
The company describes its coverage as the Rio Grande Valley and the entire South Texas area. Its published project gallery includes work in Brownsville, Rio Hondo, Bishop, Corpus Christi, Zapata and Roma.
Is Rio Roofing licensed by the State of Texas?
Texas does not issue a state roofing licence, so no Texas roofer is state licensed for roofing. For a commercial project the practical checks are current general liability and workers compensation insurance, bonding capacity where the job requires it, association standing, and references on similar buildings. Rio Roofing also states that it is a certified Texas HUB, which is a state supplier diversity classification rather than a trade licence.
What does RCAT Member mean here?
The Roofing Contractors Association of Texas has two separate things. Plain membership means the company belongs to the association and pays dues. The Licensed Roofing Contractor credential (CRRL, RRL or CRL) is earned separately through RCAT's own testing and continuing education and does not come with membership. Rio Roofing is recorded as a Member.
How old is the company?
Rio Roofing was founded in 1986 by Herman Deane. The company bought its Harlingen property in 1995, the founder retired in 2002, a third generation of the family joined in 2007, and an additional 18,000 square foot property was added in Harlingen in 2017.
What should a building owner in Cameron County ask before signing?
Ask which roof system is being proposed and why it suits a coastal wind exposure, what the tested uplift capacity of the assembly and its fastening pattern is, whether a WPI-8 certificate is being pursued and who the appointed inspector or professional engineer will be, what the manufacturer weathertight warranty covers and for how long, and who is responsible for the certification paperwork if the inspection fails. Confirm insurance directly with the insurer, not from a copy handed to you.
