Roofing from a Byrd’s Eye view

Danny Federico

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When Daniel Byrd decided to start his own roofing company in 2020, he wanted to build more than a business -- he wanted to create something his family could build together and, perhaps one day, pass down to the next generation.

That idea can be found right in the name of Byrd’s Eye Roofing.

“My dad was a Byrd, my sons are Byrds, and I knew if I ever started my own company, I wanted our family name to be part of it,” he said. “Byrd’s Eye Roofing just had a ring to it, and I think the name had been in the back of my mind for a long time. I wanted to build something that represented our family and that my boys could be proud to see their name on.”

Daniel’s path to owning the Branford-based roofing company began long before its doors opened. He entered the roofing industry at 17 years old, starting at the bottom as a laborer for a local roofing company.

From there, he worked his way through nearly every aspect of the industry, serving as a crew lead, foreman and superintendent before moving into residential and eventually commercial sales. That growth gave Daniel experience not only performing the physical work on roofs, but also with estimating, sales and the business side of the industry.

“I think having that experience from the ground up has made me a better contractor,” he said. “I understand what I’m asking of my crews, what goes into doing the job right, and what our customers should expect from us.”

After years of gaining experience in the industry, including working as a commercial roofing estimator, Daniel reached a point where he felt ready to take the next step.

“I had spent years learning the roofing business, and I reached a point where I was ready to take a chance on myself,” he said. “I wanted to keep growing in the industry while also building something of our own.”

Finally, in 2020, Byrd’s Eye Roofing was born.

For Daniel and his wife, Lauren, the company offered an opportunity to build something together that could support their family and, they hoped, eventually become something they could pass down to their two sons.

From the beginning, he said, the company has truly been a family business.

Today, Daniel handles the company’s day-to-day ownership and sales, while Lauren serves as secretary and helps keep the business side of the operation running. Their longtime friend and colleague, Katie, serves as project coordinator, while Mario is the company’s superintendent.

They are joined by the company’s crews and employees, many of whom have remained with Byrd’s Eye for years along with several of whom have been with the business since its early days. That consistency is something Daniel takes pride in, particularly in a profession where employees can move from company to company.

“When you work alongside the same people year after year, you get to know each other’s strengths, you know what’s expected, and you learn to work well together,” Daniel said.

He added that the company tries to maintain a family-type environment among its team and make sure employees understand that they are an important part of what Byrd’s Eye is building.

“We really do care about the people who work for us,” Daniel said. “I think that carries over into the work we do and the experience our customers have with our company.”

For the Byrds, Branford was a natural place to build the business.

Daniel moved to North Central Florida from Tennessee with his parents and brother when he was just 5 years old and has called the area home ever since. His mother grew up in North Central Florida, while his father is from Tennessee.

Lauren’s ties to Branford stretch back generations. Her grandfather was a local cattle and peanut farmer, and her family had already been part of the community for generations before him.

“North Central Florida is home,” Daniel said. “It’s where we grew up, where we’re raising our boys, and where our family’s roots are. When I decided to start Byrd’s Eye Roofing, there really wasn’t anywhere else I would have wanted to build it.”

Byrd’s Eye Roofing provides residential and commercial roofing services throughout North Florida, including roof repairs, replacements, inspections and maintenance, along with metal and shingle roofing.

For homeowners, Daniel said one of the biggest misconceptions about roofing is that the first indication of a problem will always be a visible leak inside the home.

“A roof can have a problem long before you ever see a leak inside your house,” he said. “By the time water makes it to the ceiling, it may have already been getting in for a while.”

That makes seemingly small issues important. Missing shingles, loose flashing, exposed fasteners or a small area of damage may not initially appear serious; however, Daniel said those problems can become much more expensive if they are ignored.

Florida’s hurricanes, high winds and heavy rains have also reinforced lessons he has learned throughout his career.

“Working in Florida, you learn pretty quickly that a roof is only as good as the way it was installed,” he said. “After seeing roofs go through hurricanes, high winds, and heavy rain, I’ve seen firsthand how much the details matter.”

Storm damage isn't always obvious from the ground, either, he added. A roof may look fine but still have issues that need attention, making experience important when assessing potential damage. However, he believes experience should also mean knowing when work isn't necessary.

“You need to know what you’re looking for and also be honest enough to tell a homeowner when their roof is fine and doesn’t need to be replaced,” Daniel said.

Since opening in 2020, Byrd’s Eye Roofing has grown each year.

At first, a lot of the company’s business came through word of mouth and some Facebook advertising. Its reach expanded as customers continued recommending the company.

Today, Daniel said Byrd’s Eye receives calls from customers throughout North Florida. Despite that growth, becoming the biggest roofing company in the area has never been the goal.

“We’ve definitely grown, but we’re still a small, local business at heart,” Daniel said. “We’ve tried to grow at a pace that allows us to keep the same quality of work and personal service that we started with.”

For Daniel, having the family name attached to the company adds another level of responsibility.

“Our name is on every job we do, and that means something to us,” he said. “We’re building something that supports our family, our employees and their families, and hopefully something our boys can be proud of one day.”

Being locally owned also means the relationship between the company and a customer may not end when the roofing job is finished.

“We live in the same communities we work in, so there’s a good chance we’ll see our customers again at the grocery store, a ballgame, or around town,” Daniel said. “We want to be able to shake their hand and know we did right by them.”

That connection to the community extends beyond the company’s customers. Among the projects Byrd is most proud of are Byrd’s Eye Roofing’s two appearances in Habitat for Heroes, a program that provided free roofs to area veterans.

Byrd’s Eye first became involved in 2024 when Mission Metals in Old Town asked the company to participate in a project benefiting a veteran in Dixie County. Byrd’s Eye donated all of the labor necessary for the installation, helping provide the veteran with a completely free roof.

The company returned to the program in 2025, helping provide another free roof, this time for a veteran in Lafayette County.

For Daniel, the projects have a personal significance. His father and brother are both veterans, and he comes from a long line of veterans.

“There are plenty of roofs we’ve completed over the years that we’re proud to put our name on, but these projects mean something different,” he said. “Being able to use our trade to give back to someone who served our country makes them especially meaningful to me.”

Giving back locally is something Daniel said the company intends to continue as it grows.

Along with Habitat for Heroes, Byrd’s Eye tries to support area organizations, schools, events and programs whenever possible. Youth sports are particularly important to the company, which supports school, recreation and travel sports through sponsorships and donations when it is able.

“Our kids are the future of these communities, and we believe in supporting the programs and people that are investing in them,” Daniel said. “At the end of the day, this community supports our business, and we feel like it’s important for us to support the community in return.”

Daniel said one of the most rewarding parts of the past six years has been watching a company he and his family built from the ground up become established in the area. The business has allowed the Byrds to provide for their family, while also creating jobs and building relationships with customers who continue to recommend the company.

“Seeing our name become one that people recognize and trust in the area is something we’re really proud of,” he said.

Owning a business, however, also comes with a level of responsibility that goes beyond the Byrd family.

“You’re not only responsible for your own family, but you also have employees and their families depending on the company,” Daniel said.

Weather, material costs, scheduling and the everyday ups and downs of running a business all present challenges. However, Daniel said those challenges have also helped the company to grow and improve.

Looking toward the next five to 10 years, Daniel hopes to continue expanding the commercial side of Byrd’s Eye Roofing, an area he has specialized in and worked in for many years. He does not envision growth simply for the sake of getting bigger, though.

“Our goal has never been to become the biggest roofing company around,” Daniel said.

Instead, he wants the company to grow at a gradual pace, allowing it to remain financially strong through both the busy and slower seasons of the roofing industry without sacrificing the qualities on which the Byrds have built the business.

“Ultimately,” Daniel said, “we’d like Byrd’s Eye Roofing to continue being a strong, stable, locally owned company that provides great work, takes care of its employees and customers, and is still here serving this community many years from now.”