Some people have horror stories when it comes to contractors. Jobs not done right. Homeowners overcharged.
Ben Pascal got into the roofing business because he wanted to offer a different experience, one that prioritized quality and reliability.
“My main focus is helping people with their problems,” Ben said. “I’m not trying to run a multi-million-dollar advertising company that happens to sell roofing and siding.”
Ben is focused on offering the best-quality products and installation at the best price, while attending to each customer’s personal needs.
He grew up with aspirations to be an architect. In his 20s, he flipped houses, working on high-end bathrooms and kitchens. After a five-year stint in sales, he opened Great Oak Roofing and assembled a team of licensed, insured and bonded professionals with more than 40 years of experience in the roofing industry. What’s more, they are all GAF installers, meaning they have specialized training from one of the leading roofing materials manufacturers in North America.
Now, he is tasked with handling one of the most important assets a family can own: a roof.
“It’s not an expense. It’s an investment,” he said. “A house with a new roof [can] sell twice as fast.”
How does someone know if they need a new roof? Cracked or missing shingles are one giveaway, as is moss growth or discoloration. But short-term fixes are usually not the best way to resolve the problem.
“[A homeowner] can get one leak and they patch it, and then they get another leak and they patch it,” Ben said. “Then their drywall is damaged, and it destroys the floor.”
When customers call Great Oak Roofing, the company will order a three-dimensional model of the house — that day or the next day — using drone photography paired with EagleView or Hover software. That way, the Great Oak team can design the homeowner’s ideal roof while staying within a budget.
“From shingles to slate to cedar, we can do any kind of roof,” Ben said, adding that supplies can match the homeowner’s color preference.
The process progresses as a project manager reviews the roof options and builds a contract for the homeowner’s ideal roof while staying within that homeowner’s budget. Once the contract is complete, Great Oak Roofing will answer any questions and set an installation date. The certified crew will arrive that day, making sure all the colors, materials and tools are accurate for the job.
Ben said the process is low-pressure. He does not push his staff to meet a sales quota and instead wants them to make sure they are doing what is best for each customer.
“The customer doesn’t pay anything until we do the drone flyover and they are 100% happy,” Ben said.
Not only does the company offer roofing products, but it also offers six-inch gutters with gutter guards at cost. Great Oak also provides CertainTeed and James Hardie siding.
“Siding is your most dramatic aesthetic feature,” Ben said. “It’s the most important thing you can do to improve the look of your house.”
Ben takes great pride in his work and giving back to his community. He takes “wounded warriors,” or veterans, hunting on his family’s farm on the Eastern Shore. He also donates to Universal Aid for Children, which is dedicated to fulfilling the medical, educational and emotional needs of orphans, orphanage graduates, displaced children and young people with disabilities in the Odessa region of Ukraine.
His aunt, Miami resident Clara Pascal, is both the founder of the organization and mother to an adopted son from Ukraine.
“She went to these orphanages and fell in love with the children there,” said Ben, who made several trips to Ukraine with his family during his youth. “I took them to play sports and to get clothing when they were younger.”
Great Oak Roofing also donates any reusable materials to Habitat For Humanity.
Ben is the grandson of former Anne Arundel County Executive Robert “Bob” Pascal, who was known for his philanthropy. He opened Robert A. Pascal Youth and Family Services Inc. and the Pascal Crisis Stabilization Center to help people with behavioral and mental health struggles.
He also donated more than $3 million to area hospitals. A Glen Burnie senior center and a performing arts center at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold have been named in his honor.
“He was a pillar in the community,” Ben said. “I just want to keep the tradition going and follow in his footsteps.”
Great Oak Roofing offers a 5% discount to seniors, veterans and active-duty military members, and previous customers. Financing is available, with 0% and low-payment options.
The team’s work comes with a satisfaction guarantee for the installation and workmanship.
Great Oak Roofing serves homeowners within a 40-mile radius of Severna Park. For more information, call 443-346-4790, email bpascal@greatoakroofing.com or visit www.greatoakroofing.com.
Members of the community can also meet Ben during Great Oak Roofing’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce, located at 1 Holly Avenue, June 3 at 11:30am.
“I just want people to have a good experience, a smooth experience,” Ben said. “I’m willing to do whatever they need.”
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