Douglass Restoration, Inc.
19500 Peachland Blvd Building A, Port Charlotte, FL 33948
941-628-3115 941-625-3456
Owner: Michael Douglass
driroofing.com
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Overview
Douglass Restoration, Inc., based in Port Charlotte, Florida, is a family-owned roofing contractor specializing in residential and commercial roofing and storm damage restoration. This analysis refines and updates the prior evaluation, focusing on the company’s operations, reputation, and strategies for addressing client insurance delays in Florida’s roofing market. It integrates insights from the user’s previous inquiries about Coastal Roofing, Bone Dry Roofing, and James Robinson Roofing, using available data to provide a concise, critical assessment as of May 15, 2025.

1. Company Profile
• Licensing: Holds active licenses, including Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC1330263, expires 8/31/2026), Certified Building Contractor (BC004020), and others (HC03576, REG150313, 62544), verified through February 2025 (BuildZoom). Licensed with the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation and Charlotte County.
• Services: Provides roofing (shingle, metal, tile, flat), gutter replacement, and storm damage restoration for residential, multi-family, and commercial properties. Offers a 10-year workmanship warranty plus manufacturer warranties.
• Experience: Established in 2013 by Michael Douglass, with roots in hurricane recovery (Katrina, Wilma, Ike). Completed 1,702 projects worth $40,683,900 over three years, averaging $18,807 per job. BuildZoom score of 115 ranks it in the top 2% of 191,428 Florida contractors.
• Location & Contact: 3821 Tamiami Trail, Ste 306, Port Charlotte, FL 33952; additional office in Port St. Lucie; phone: 941-628-3115.
• Market Context: Operates in Southwest Florida, facing hurricanes (e.g., Ian, Helene, Milton in 2022–2024), coastal flooding risks (23,000 people, 17,000 homes by 2050), and an insurance crisis with 94 billion-dollar disaster events from 1980–2024.

2. Handling Client Insurance Delays
Florida’s insurance crisis—driven by fraud, litigation, and post-storm claim surges—causes significant delays. Douglass Restoration employs these strategies to mitigate delays, based on operations and reviews:
• Claim Assistance: Provides detailed inspections, photos, and estimates to support claims. Reviews highlight staff (e.g., Alicia Nightingale) guiding clients through insurance processes, securing coverage for new roofs.
• Direct Billing for Emergencies: Offers 24/7 storm response (e.g., tarping), billed directly to insurers, enabling work to start during claim processing, reducing delays for urgent repairs.
• Detailed Documentation: Supplies progress photos and reports, especially for remote clients, to counter insurer disputes over damage or fraud. Clients praise transparency, aligning with best practices to expedite approvals.
• Regulatory Compliance: Complies with Senate Bill 76 (2021), avoiding prohibited practices like acting as public adjusters. Refers clients to licensed adjusters for complex claims, ensuring legal handling of delays.
• Client Education: Advises homeowners on timely claim reporting and avoiding errors, as seen in reviews noting clear communication, reducing delays from policy missteps.

3. Strengths
• Scale: With 1,702 projects, Douglass outperforms Coastal (14), James Robinson (118), and Bone Dry (254), reflecting significant capacity and market presence.
• Reputation: Earns strong reviews (17 on Yelp, 20 Nextdoor faves in Port St. Lucie), with praise for quality (e.g., leak-free metal roofs), pricing ($1,500 cheaper than competitors post-Irma), and professionalism (e.g., Joe Wilson’s oversight). BBB-accredited since 2015 with an A+ rating.
• Storm Expertise: Michael Douglass’s experience with major hurricanes equips the company for Florida’s storm-heavy environment, ensuring effective restoration.
• Warranties: Offers a 10-year workmanship warranty and uses premium materials (e.g., Owens Corning shingles), enhancing durability and client trust.

4. Challenges
• Customer Complaints: Serious issues include a lien on a home after a tarp job due to billing errors and poor communication, with the owner allegedly yelling at a client’s wife. Another client disputed a $11,547 bill (vs. $4,967 expected) for unverified plywood use, with no itemized list provided. Complaints also cite incomplete repairs, amateurish fixes, and no-shows for follow-ups.
• Quality Issues: A review claims substandard materials (asphalt roll vs. shingles) on a low-slope roof, though Douglass cited Florida Building Code compliance. Post-repair leaks and worker-caused property damage suggest oversight gaps.
• Operational Delays: Clients report long waits (e.g., four months for inspections, two weeks for dumpster removal) and unreturned calls, indicating strain during peak seasons, exacerbated by labor shortages (77% of contractors report hiring issues).
• Insurance Delays: Systemic delays from insurer fraud crackdowns and claim surges (e.g., post-Ian) affect Douglass, with clients noting year-long waits for funds, though not directly the company’s fault.

5. Industry Comparison
• Technology: No clear evidence of advanced software like AccuLynx (saves 9 hours/week), unlike Bone Dry’s drone inspections. Progress photos suggest some tech use, outpacing Coastal and James Robinson’s inferred practices.
• Materials: Uses storm-resistant options (e.g., metal roofs, Owens Corning shingles), aligning with FEMA’s post-2015 codes, similar to Bone Dry and James Robinson. Coastal’s materials are less specified.
• Scale: Douglass’s 1,702 projects dwarf competitors, but complaints suggest overstretching, unlike Coastal’s small-scale reliability or James Robinson’s moderate consistency.
• Reputation: Strong reviews are undermined by serious complaints, unlike Coastal’s clean record, James Robinson’s local praise, or Bone Dry’s 4.8-star rating with broader recognition.

6. Critical Perspective
Douglass Restoration is a dominant player in Port Charlotte, with unmatched scale, hurricane expertise, and effective insurance delay strategies via documentation and emergency billing. However, significant complaints—liens, billing disputes, and incomplete repairs—reveal operational weaknesses, likely from rapid growth or poor oversight, contrasting with Coastal’s consistency, James Robinson’s personalization, and Bone Dry’s national polish. Systemic issues (insurer delays, labor shortages, fraud stigma) burden all roofers, but Douglass’s failure to promptly address complaints amplifies distrust. Its scale offers advantages, but quality control and communication must improve to match its capacity. Industry-wide, reliance on adjusters adds costs, and broader reforms are needed to streamline claims.

7. Recommendations
• Strengthen Oversight: Enhance quality control and worker training to prevent substandard repairs and property damage.
• Improve Communication: Establish protocols for prompt follow-ups and transparent billing to resolve disputes and prevent liens.
• Adopt Technology: Implement claims management software to streamline documentation and reduce delays, matching Bone Dry’s tech edge.
• Address Complaints: Publicly resolve negative reviews (e.g., lien, plywood dispute) to rebuild trust and counter fraud stigma.

8. Comparison to Coastal, Bone Dry, and James Robinson
• Scale: Douglass (1,702 projects) vastly outpaces Coastal (14), James Robinson (118), and Bone Dry (254), but its complaints highlight overstretching, unlike Coastal’s reliability.
• Reputation: Douglass’s strong reviews are marred by serious issues, unlike Coastal’s clean feedback, James Robinson’s local praise, or Bone Dry’s broader acclaim.
• Insurance Handling: Douglass’s documentation and billing rival Bone Dry’s tech-driven approach, surpassing Coastal and James Robinson’s less-documented strategies.
• Challenges: All face insurance delays and labor shortages, but Douglass’s operational lapses are more severe than Coastal’s scalability limits, James Robinson’s small-team constraints, or Bone Dry’s scheduling issues.

Conclusion
Douglass Restoration, Inc. is a high-capacity, experienced contractor with robust strategies for managing insurance delays through detailed documentation, emergency billing, and client support. Its scale and storm expertise make it a leader in Port Charlotte, but serious complaints reveal operational flaws that undermine trust, unlike competitors’ more consistent records. By improving oversight, communication, and technology adoption, Douglass can align its quality with its capacity.