Meet April, the roofer who checks every roof

April earned her cosmetology license at 20 and spent about 32 years as a professional makeup artist, working news, TV, film and weddings. In 2020 the pandemic shut that work down.

“At 52, I had to recreate myself after having a successful career for 32 years.”

She had already seen enough of how some contractors treat homeowners. In her words: “It wasn’t just the lack of workmanship but also the lack of communication and care after hiring their company.”

So she went to work for a roofing company to learn the trade properly. At a National Women in Roofing booth she met a roofer who shared her contacts and pushed April to go out on her own. Bootstrap Roofing started in October 2020 and became an LLC in 2023.

Three people, one roof at a time, and no salespeople. “We only work on one roof at a time, so I can give full attention to the homeowner’s project.”

April is detailed, and she knows it: “My crews are very patient with me because they know how detailed I am.” On one Dallas-area job she read the shingle manufacturer’s manual and found the porch could take shingles, still under warranty, instead of the roll roofing that had been planned.

She looks after the crew too. Lunch doesn’t happen on your lawn: “I want to take care of my guys. They should have a place where they can sit and eat.”