SUMMIT ROOFING

Roofing

By Aimee L. Cook | Photography by Dung Hoang

LAST WINTER, UTAH HOMEOWNERS FILED MORE ROOFING-RELATED INSURANCE CLAIMS THAN IN ANY OF THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS. Ice dams, wind damage, and aging materials exposed a persistent problem: not enough quality contractors to handle the work. Many jobs went to crews that moved fast, charged plenty, and left quietly when something went wrong.

Byron Raxtun had watched that pattern for years. In May 2025, the father-son duo decided to do something about it.

Byron moved his family from Guatemala to Utah in 2013 and had worked in the construction industry for 20 years. Five years ago, he worked for another roofing company as the project manager. He understood, going in, how easy it is for roofing work to go sideways — not always through incompetence, but through indifference. Rushed timelines. Verbal agreements that fall apart when something leaked. Homeowners who didn’t know who to call, or whether anyone would pick up.

“We are experienced, so we thought, why not start our own company," Byron explained. "An opportunity came to us, so we took it.”

The Division of Labor

Byron holds the title of Director of Operations, but the role is more hands-on than the name suggests. He manages quality control, oversees project delivery, and maintains relationships with manufacturers that determine which materials Summit can offer.

Oscar handles sales and is developing a CRM system for the company, and he approaches the role with a different kind of discipline. In a trade where aggressive sales tactics are common, and warranties are sometimes more marketing than guarantee, Oscar has built his approach around taking the time to explain what a homeowner actually needs, rather than pushing the option with the highest margin.

Between them, they cover the full arc of what a roofing job requires: finding the client, earning the trust, doing the work, and standing behind it.

How They Lead

Summit is structured more formally than many companies its age. Four certified installation crews handle everything from architectural asphalt shingles and standing-seam metal roofing, to flat roof membranes and premium synthetic shake and tile. Exterior work rounds out their scope of work: gutters, soffit and fascia, snow retention, and attic ventilation systems suited to Utah's wide temperature swings.

Every crew undergoes monthly training provided by Summit’s providers, which isn’t standard in the industry. But for the Raxtuns, it’s a non-negotiable way of keeping skill and standards from drifting apart as the company grows.

Summit backs all labor with a five-year workmanship warranty. Manufacturer warranties are passed directly to clients, and the company helps with registration and interpretation — an area where many contractors go quiet once the final invoice is paid.

“We want to have the best communication with our clients and be totally transparent with them, give them an honest assessment and advice,” Bryon added. “We are not just selling jobs because we need the job; when we are running the job, we keep that communication open through the entire project.”

The Values Behind the Work

Summit's core values: Quality First, Communication, Accountability, Integrity. And they operate by them. That means written change orders instead of verbal agreements. Transparent pricing instead of surprise line items.

“Respect and honesty are the values we bring to the culture of the company,” Byron said.

Oscar reflected on how taking on the business has brought a new level of responsibility into his life. This includes managing client expectations, ensuring every project aligns with the company’s values, and making sure everyone has what they need. He says not a day goes by that he does not think about the business and how he can improve things.

“We realized that our crews needed more work; they were able to get jobs done pretty fast with the quality that we were looking for as well,” Oscar said. “Our biggest challenge was realizing we needed to get more customers, so we hired a dedicated salesperson.”

Summit currently serves Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, Weber, and Summit counties, and holds statewide licensing.

“Managing the growth has been challenging; we have grown pretty fast,” Oscar added. “It has been an eye opener; there is more to it than I expected. But I think we have handled it well.”

Working together as a father-son duo has brought its own set of challenges, Oscar noted. Balancing family dynamics with professional decision-making hasn’t always been easy. However, Oscar emphasized that mutual respect and a shared vision for the business have helped them overcome these hurdles and strengthen their working relationship.

“He [Byron] still takes care of me. If I am up on a roof, he still tells me to be careful, and I get embarrassed,” Oscar jokes. “Changing that dynamic and being a business partner has been really awesome.”