Home Improvement

Professional Roofing Lands at No. 17 on HG HomeClub’s Ranking of the 25 Most Influential Publications and Media Platforms Serving Home Improvement, Home Services and Outdoor Living

By HG HomeClub September 1, 2026 20 min read

NRCA’s official roofing magazine combines technical reporting, safety and regulation coverage, Gold Circle recognition, the J.A. Piper Award and Roofing Alliance MVP honors, and is recognized as the seventeenth most influential media brand serving the trades

August 30, 2026 – HG HomeClub today named Professional Roofing the No. 17 media brand on its ranking of the 25 most influential publications and media platforms serving home improvement, home services and outdoor living. The placement recognizes a publication that gives roofing professionals a direct connection to the technical, regulatory, business, safety and workforce information shaping one of the construction industry’s most consequential trades.

The ranking evaluates the publications, magazines, digital platforms and media brands that professional contractors, remodelers, home service operators and outdoor living companies use to make better decisions. Professional Roofing placed No. 17 in a field of 25 because it combines industry reporting with the professional network and educational mission of the National Roofing Contractors Association, creating a durable resource for roofing companies that must manage risk, technical performance, people and profitability at the same time.

A curated media platform built on “informed transparency” turns its attention to the publications the trades actually rely on

HG HomeClub is a curated media platform serving homeowners, contractors and the broader home improvement, home services and outdoor living economy. Its work is organized around informed transparency: the principle that better decisions follow from better information, and that people making decisions deserve to see the standards behind a conclusion rather than merely receive a result.

That principle matters in roofing because the work carries visible, long-term consequences. A roofing system protects the building and the people inside it, but it also sits at the center of safety, insurance, code compliance, material selection, weather resilience, labor, workmanship, customer confidence and company reputation. A contractor needs technical knowledge, but technical knowledge alone is not enough. The company also must price work responsibly, develop crews, manage risk, understand regulations and keep pace with new products and practices.

Professional Roofing has built its role around this full operating environment. It covers roofing systems, installation, materials, building science, business management, hiring, regulations, safety, insurance, research, technology, product practices, profiles and NRCA programs. Its homepage states that, as NRCA’s official monthly publication, it offers “timely, credible and objective information” to keep professionals current on news, events and industry research.

The criteria behind the list: usefulness to owners, not traffic, followers or the age of a masthead

Placement on the list was determined against six standards: industry influence and professional recognition; practical value to contractors and company owners; quality and depth of original content; reach among professional decision-makers; strength of rankings, research, events and recognition programs; and the ability to educate and connect the contractor community.

The list is explicitly not a ranking of website traffic, social media followers, advertising volume or publication age. Longevity and circulation were considered, but were not permitted to automatically outweigh a publication’s usefulness to the contractors it serves. Specialized publications were assessed within the context of the markets they serve, on the reasoning that a title with deep authority in a single trade can matter more to the people in that trade than a broader title with a larger audience and a shallower relationship.

Applied to Professional Roofing, these standards recognize a specialized publication with considerable institutional depth. It scores strongly for professional recognition, technical and regulatory relevance, safety and risk-management information, connection to NRCA education and awards programs, and its ability to give roofing professionals access to the wider conversations of their trade. Its authority is concentrated in roofing, and its association ownership is a structural consideration. Within the NRCA-connected professional roofing community, however, few platforms combine such direct access to standards, recognition, education and industry service.

The official magazine of an association built around contractor professionalism

Professional Roofing is the official magazine of the National Roofing Contractors Association, known as NRCA. The July/August 2026 issue is Volume 56, Issue 6, reflecting a publication history that reaches back more than five decades. Its position within the association gives it an established role in the roofing industry’s professional infrastructure.

That role is more than a publishing arrangement. NRCA provides resources, training, advocacy, certification programs, technical information and industry recognition to roofing professionals. Professional Roofing extends that work through a monthly editorial platform, helping members and the wider contractor community follow issues that can affect their businesses: safety, insurance, workforce development, regulations, technology, workmanship, materials, legal conditions, training and market change.

The publication’s institutional connection is its primary strength. Roofing professionals need access to trustworthy information about standards and practices that can affect project quality, employee safety and liability. An association-backed publication can translate the work of committees, education programs, industry events and recognition initiatives into information that contractors can use.

The same structure is also a consideration in this ranking. Association ownership can influence editorial priorities, and HG HomeClub does not treat professional affiliation as identical to fully independent trade journalism. The distinction does not reduce Professional Roofing’s value. It clarifies the publication’s particular role: it is both a trade magazine and a direct channel through which NRCA advances professional knowledge and connection.

The Gold Circle Awards make exceptional roofing work visible beyond the balance sheet

The Gold Circle Awards are the recognition franchise that most clearly demonstrates the influence surrounding Professional Roofing. Sponsored by NRCA, the awards recognize member companies from around the world for outstanding contributions to the roofing industry, including exceptional workmanship, innovative solutions and distinctive projects.

The program matters because roofing quality cannot be reduced to revenue or company size. A successful roofing project may require unusual technical problem-solving, disciplined safety practices, coordination with a complex building system, material knowledge, design sensitivity and workmanship that performs in difficult conditions. The Gold Circle Awards bring those dimensions into view.

Winning projects and programs receive a trophy, recognition at the NRCA Industry Awards & Reception and coverage in Professional Roofing. That last element gives the program an editorial life beyond the ceremony. Contractors can study projects, understand the technical and operational conditions behind them and see how peers have solved problems that may resemble their own future work.

The awards are open to NRCA members and therefore are not a census of every excellent roofing project or company in the industry. That limitation should be transparent. Their value lies in the rigor and visibility of the recognition inside a professional association’s network, not in a claim to represent every qualified contractor in the market.

The annual awards preserve the values that keep a trade professional

Professional Roofing also covers NRCA’s most important individual honors, which recognize service, volunteerism, leadership and the contributions of people working throughout the industry.

The J.A. Piper Award is one of NRCA’s most prestigious honors. Presented annually since 1947, it recognizes a roofing professional who has demonstrated outstanding and sustained service to NRCA and the roofing industry. Lindy Ryan, a former NRCA president, received the 79th annual J.A. Piper Award during the NRCA 2026 Industry Awards and Reception in Las Vegas. The program reminds the industry that its health depends on service as much as commercial success: committee work, volunteer leadership, education, association participation and the willingness to strengthen the profession for those who follow.

The John Bradford Volunteer Award recognizes an industry professional who has demonstrated outstanding volunteerism within NRCA and their community. Established in 2022, the award was presented to Dennis Runyan, former owner of Dryspace Inc., during the 2026 International Roofing Expo. Volunteerism may not appear in a project bid or an annual revenue report, but it is part of the connective work that keeps a professional trade functioning. It supports education, standards, local communities and the shared institutions contractors rely on.

The Most Valuable Player Awards, run by the Roofing Alliance, recognize roofing workers for outstanding performance, leadership and community involvement. The 2026 winners included Kenny Rodriguez, warehouse foreman for OMG Building Products LLC, in the outstanding community involvement category, and Ariel Lemus, foreman for Wagner Roofing Co., in the outstanding performance and leadership category. Armando Landeros Solis, superintendent for Commercial Roofers Inc., received the Best of the Best Award.

The Best of the Best category is co-sponsored by Professional Roofing and OMG Roofing Products. Its significance is straightforward: an industry that recognizes only owners and executives misses much of the work that creates value. Roofing depends on foremen, warehouse professionals, installers, technicians, project teams and other workers whose performance, leadership and community commitment often determine whether a company earns trust. Professional Roofing helps make those contributions visible.

The International Roofing Expo gives the publication a direct view of where the industry gathers

Professional Roofing is closely connected to NRCA’s annual convention and the International Roofing Expo, or IRE. The event is one of the roofing industry’s major gatherings, bringing contractors, manufacturers, distributors, consultants and other professionals together around education, product development, networking and industry recognition.

The publication’s role is primarily one of coverage, promotion and professional connection. It reports on the awards, training, industry conversations and association resources that emerge from the convention environment. That coverage helps extend the event’s value beyond the people able to attend in person. A contractor following from another market can access information about trends, programs and recognition that may influence future business decisions.

The NRCA Industry Awards & Reception is held during the annual convention and IRE, providing the setting for major industry honors such as the Gold Circle Awards, the J.A. Piper Award, the John Bradford Volunteer Award and the MVP Awards. By covering these programs, Professional Roofing connects individual achievement to the wider professional community.

The platform also maintains an industry event calendar covering gatherings such as the Western Roofing Expo, METALCON, the IIBEC Building Enclosure Symposium and the Texas Roofing Conference. The calendar is practical infrastructure for a trade where technical education, products, labor, regulation and business development are often advanced through direct professional contact.

National Roofing Week turns professional roofing into a public conversation

National Roofing Week is NRCA’s annual awareness initiative highlighting the importance of professional roofing and community service. Professional Roofing provides coverage and promotion for the program, helping turn an industry initiative into stories that contractors can share with employees, customers, partners and local communities.

The event’s purpose extends beyond celebration. Roofing work is often visible only when something goes wrong: a storm, a leak, a failed system or a project disruption. National Roofing Week gives the industry an opportunity to explain the positive, preventive and professional work that contractors do every day, protecting buildings, creating careers, contributing to communities and advancing safety and workmanship.

For a contractor, that kind of public-awareness work can have practical benefits. It supports recruiting by showing younger people that roofing can be a skilled and rewarding career. It reinforces customer trust by emphasizing professional standards. It recognizes community service, which can strengthen a company’s relationships in the markets where it operates. Professional Roofing’s coverage connects those stories to the trade’s broader identity.

The magazine’s own design recognition reinforces its commitment to clarity

Professional Roofing has received recognition for its magazine and digital redesign work. In 2018, the publication received a National Silver Award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for its magazine redesign launched in June 2017, as well as an Upper Midwest Regional Silver Award for magazine redesign. Its website redesign also received an Honorable Mention in the 2018 Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Awards.

These honors matter because clarity is a functional requirement in technical trade publishing. Roofing professionals need to find relevant information quickly, understand the content accurately, and return to it when a project, safety question, or business issue demands attention. A well-designed magazine and website can make complex content more usable without simplifying the work itself.

The awards recognize Professional Roofing’s publishing and design standards, not the broader industry honors it covers. That distinction is important. The magazine’s own recognition reflects its editorial presentation; the Gold Circle, Piper, Bradford, and MVP programs recognize professionals and companies in the roofing field.

The editorial platform connects technical information to business and risk

Professional Roofing publishes monthly coverage across print and digital channels. Its editorial subjects include roofing technology, systems, materials, installation, building science, business management, hiring, regulations, legal issues, safety, insurance, technical research, products, and industry trends.

The publication’s coverage treats these areas as interdependent. A new system or material can create training needs. A code or regulation can affect estimating and liability. A safety decision can affect employee retention, insurance and company culture. A workforce issue can affect quality, backlog and customer experience. Contractors need a platform that can show how these pieces fit together, not merely present them as disconnected departments.

Chrystine Elle Hanus is executive editor of Professional Roofing. Her work and the publication’s broader contributor network support a magazine that must translate technical, regulatory and association information into credible, practical editorial material for working roofing professionals. Other individuals and companies without confirmed official hyperlinks are mentioned without added links, consistent with the linking standard for this release.

The publication’s monthly format gives it a durable rhythm for deeper reporting, while its website, event calendar and NRCA connection allow it to respond to more immediate developments. A contractor can use the platform to study an installation issue, follow a regulatory shift, review an award-winning project, find an industry event or understand the programs and services available through the professional association.

Its No. 17 placement recognizes institutional roofing authority while preserving the distinction between association media and cross-trade platforms

Professional Roofing scored highly for its professional roofing authority, technical and regulatory usefulness, safety and risk-management relevance, connection to NRCA education and resources, and the depth of the award programs it covers. HG HomeClub assesses the publication as a vital resource for roofing contractors seeking timely, credible information in a trade where quality, safety and professional standards carry substantial consequences.

Its No. 17 placement reflects structural scope. The publication is closely connected to NRCA and serves a specialized roofing audience, so it is less directly useful to leaders in remodeling, HVACR, plumbing, electrical construction, landscaping, pools, pest management and other trades. Its association ownership is also a meaningful consideration: it provides professional access and authority but is structurally different from independent editorial platforms. The program’s awards and research are often member- or association-centered rather than universal market measurements.

The 16 titles ranked above it occupy different forms of influence across contractor media: Qualified Remodeler, Roofing Contractor, Power100, ACHR NEWS, Pro Remodeler, Lawn & Landscape, Journal of Light Construction, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, Contracting Business, CONTRACTOR Magazine, Pool & Spa News, BUILDER, Fine Homebuilding, Landscape Management, Pest Management Professional and Green Industry Pros. Within the NRCA-connected roofing community, Professional Roofing is unmatched in its direct integration of association knowledge, industry recognition, technical coverage and professional-service values.

Roofing needs trusted information because risk, regulation and technical change do not pause

Roofing companies operate in a market shaped by materials, building science, safety, labor, insurance, weather, regulation, technology and customer expectations. Each change can carry a practical consequence. A new product may require different installation knowledge. A regulatory shift may alter compliance responsibilities. A safety failure can affect a worker, a project, an insurer and a company’s long-term reputation. A labor shortage can compromise capacity and quality at the same time.

Trusted trade media is more valuable in such an environment, not less. Contractors need reporting that connects technical information to field practice, rules to business risk, industry recognition to professional standards and association resources to the people who can use them. Professional Roofing provides that connection through a platform shaped by the professional community it serves.

Its central contribution is durable: it helps a demanding trade remain connected to the standards, knowledge and people that make professional roofing possible. Systems will evolve, regulations will change and the market will continue to place new pressure on contractors. The need for timely, credible and objective information will remain.

The complete ranking: HG HomeClub’s 25 most influential publications and media platforms serving home improvement, home services and outdoor living

About HG HomeClub

HG HomeClub is a curated media platform serving homeowners, contractors and the broader home improvement, home services and outdoor living economy. Built on a principle of informed transparency, HG HomeClub publishes rankings, research and editorial coverage that make the standards behind its conclusions visible, so that homeowners and professionals can judge the reasoning as well as the result. More information is available at Sources: hghomeclub.com.

About Professional Roofing

Professional Roofing is the official monthly magazine of the National Roofing Contractors Association. It provides roofing contractors and other professionals with technical, business, regulatory, safety, insurance, research, product, and industry-trend coverage in print and digital formats. The publication also covers NRCA education and recognition programs, including the Gold Circle Awards, J.A. Piper Award, John Bradford Volunteer Award and Most Valuable Player Awards. Learn more at Sources: professionalroofing.net.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is HG HomeClub?

HG HomeClub is a curated media platform serving homeowners, contractors and the broader home improvement, home services and outdoor living economy. It works from informed transparency, the principle that readers should be able to see the standards and reasoning behind editorial rankings and conclusions. The platform curates useful information and publishes original rankings, analysis and coverage designed to help decision-makers evaluate both an outcome and the method behind it. Its media ranking assesses the publications and platforms that contractors, company owners and other professionals use to learn, operate, connect and prepare for change.

What is the ranking that Professional Roofing placed seventeenth on?

Professional Roofing placed No. 17 on HG HomeClub’s ranking of the 25 most influential publications and media platforms serving home improvement, home services and outdoor living. The ranking evaluates organizations that offer useful reporting, technical education, research, recognition, events and professional connection to contractor-led industries. It includes broad platforms and specialized trade authorities. Professional Roofing earned its placement through roofing-specific technical, safety, regulatory and business coverage, its NRCA connection, and the professional education and recognition programs it helps extend to the roofing community.

How was the ranking determined?

HG HomeClub evaluated each organization using six standards: industry influence and professional recognition; practical value to contractors and company owners; quality and depth of original content; reach among professional decision-makers; strength of rankings, research, events and recognition programs; and the ability to educate and connect the contractor community. The list is not a ranking of website traffic, social-media followers, advertising volume or publication age. Longevity and circulation were considered but were not automatically decisive. Specialized titles were assessed in their own markets because deep authority in one trade can be more useful to working professionals than broad but shallow coverage.

What is Professional Roofing?

Professional Roofing is the official monthly magazine of the National Roofing Contractors Association. It serves roofing contractors and professionals with coverage of roofing technology, materials, installation, building science, safety, insurance, business management, hiring, regulations, legal issues, technical research, products and industry trends. It also reports on NRCA resources, training, recognition programs and professional events. Its stated editorial purpose is to offer timely, credible and objective information that helps roofing professionals stay current on the news, events and industry research relevant to their work.

What are the Gold Circle Awards?

The Gold Circle Awards are NRCA recognition awards for member companies that make outstanding contributions to the roofing industry. The program highlights exceptional workmanship, innovative solutions and distinctive roofing projects. Winners receive formal recognition at the NRCA Industry Awards & Reception and coverage in Professional Roofing, allowing other contractors to learn from the work and decisions behind the honored projects. The awards are open to NRCA members and therefore are not a census of every high-quality roofing project, but they provide a visible professional benchmark inside one of the industry’s most important associations.

What is Professional Roofing’s relationship to the International Roofing Expo?

Professional Roofing is closely connected to NRCA’s annual convention and the International Roofing Expo. The publication covers and promotes NRCA education, resources, awards and industry conversations that occur around the event. It does not claim to own the International Roofing Expo. Its role is to extend the value of the gathering through timely reporting, event coverage and information for roofing professionals who need to follow product, safety, technical, regulatory and business developments. The NRCA Industry Awards & Reception, held during the convention and IRE, is also a major venue for awards covered by Professional Roofing.

Who leads Professional Roofing’s editorial operation?

Chrystine Elle Hanus is executive editor of Professional Roofing. The publication also draws on roofing-industry contributors with expertise in safety, building enclosure, technical systems, business, regulations and industry service. Its editorial work translates these complex subjects into practical information for contractors and professionals. Where individual contributor pages or standalone professional profiles are not confirmed, people are mentioned without additional hyperlinks in accordance with the article’s linking standard.

What are the J.A. Piper, John Bradford and MVP awards?

The J.A. Piper Award honors sustained service to NRCA and the roofing industry; Lindy Ryan received the 79th award in 2026. The John Bradford Volunteer Award recognizes outstanding volunteerism within NRCA and community service; Dennis Runyan received it in 2026. The Most Valuable Player Awards, administered by the Roofing Alliance, honor roofing workers for performance, leadership and community involvement. Kenny Rodriguez, Ariel Lemus and Armando Landeros Solis were among the 2026 honorees. Professional Roofing covers these programs and co-sponsors the MVP Best of the Best distinction with OMG Roofing Products.

Why does Professional Roofing emphasize safety, insurance, and regulation?

Roofing work carries substantial physical, technical, and business risk. Safety failures can harm people and disrupt a company’s future. Insurance affects the ability to operate, bid, and protect the business. Regulations and codes can shape installation methods, documentation, estimating, and liability. Professional Roofing emphasizes these subjects because contractors need to understand the full consequences of decisions made in the field and office. Its coverage places safety, risk management, insurance, code, and business practice alongside technical roofing content, helping companies operate more responsibly and protect both their people and their customers.

Why did Professional Roofing place at No. 17 rather than higher?

Professional Roofing scored highly for roofing-specific professional authority, technical and regulatory usefulness, safety and risk-management relevance, access to NRCA resources, and the strength of the recognition programs it covers. HG HomeClub considers it a vital resource for the NRCA-connected roofing community. Its No. 17 placement reflects scope: the platform is centered on roofing and association programs, making it less directly useful to other contractor trades. Its association ownership also distinguishes it structurally from independent editorial platforms. Within NRCA-connected professional roofing, Professional Roofing is unmatched in its integration of association knowledge, technical coverage, and industry recognition.