J B Kidney Co Inc Roofing & Sheet Metal
Local business · 41 Osborne St, Salem, MA 01970, USA
Their work
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Verified record
- A+ BBB rating
- 1 review in the last 6 monthsNo negatives
- 7 work photos
Highlights
- Historic slate roofing — outside write-ups call them among the best for old homes
- Strong directory scores — BuildZoom 97, BBB A+, 4.5★ on Google
- Multi-generation family shop — 4th-generation ownership with decades of continuity
- Not BBB Accredited — despite a long operating history
- Thin review volume — only a handful of ratings across all platforms
- Age claims differ — site says 1919, BBB lists 114 years
J.B. Kidney & Co. is a slate and copper specialist working out of Salem, MA. The company says it was founded in 1919, while BBB's file lists 114 years in business — accounts of its age that don't quite line up, but both point to a shop with real history behind it. Scott Kidney runs it now as the fourth generation of the family, after his father Kevin ran it for more than 40 years; the focus is slate and copper roofing, sheet metal fabrication, and restoration work on historic homes across the North Shore. Outside write-ups keep circling back to the same thing: historic and slate-roof work that a lot of roofers turn down. That reputation lines up with a BuildZoom score of 97 and a BBB A+ grade, plus a 4.5-star average on Google from eight ratings. The most recent review on file, a five-star rating from January 2026, calls the crew's work 'top notch' — though across every platform, the actual review count stays in the single digits for a company with this much history behind it. They aren't BBB Accredited, worth asking about if that carries weight for you. And because so few customers have left detailed reviews anywhere online, it's worth asking for references on a job similar to yours, particularly if it involves slate, copper, or historic-restoration work rather than a standard reroof. They're a reasonable call for an older or historic property that needs slate, copper, or custom sheet-metal work done right rather than a fast standard reroof — get a firm quote and ask to see recent, comparable work before booking.
Read the comments
Most recent comments
- 5.0Jan 28, 2026
Highly recommend! Scott and crew do amazing work! Top notch!
— Matthew LamontagneView on Google Reviews ↗ - 5.0Dec 19, 2022
Having a 150 year old Victorian house with a slate roof is both a blessing and a curse, no more so when trying to find adequate craftsman who can do repairs properly. Finding contractors who can also do more complex projects like replacing all the metal linings of your wooden gutters is even harder; in our case we looked for almost two years to find a crew that actually seemed to know what they were doing. JB Kidney was that company, and I have say they are probably one of THE best that I've ever had do work on the house (of any kind, not just roof-related). They were that extremely rare combination of being absolutely thorough down to every detail, AND efficient (so efficient that they finished a week sooner than expected). Many crews may have one guy who us the most highly skilled and rest are OK enough to follow his lead. Not the case with the crew we had; they had a "lead" but everyone was clearly very experienced and knowledgeable. Having been a professional craftsman in the past I can spot pretty quickly any shortcuts taken, or if the skillset of the workers is uneven; to a man these workers were absolute pros. Lastly, unlike most crews that start from scratch once they show up, they arrived with sections of the copper gutters that were going to be installed already formed and cut to rough lengths! Once all the old tin or lead lining was stripped out, they were able to very quickly lay in the new copper. Each section was given plenty of overlap to the next and the seams were all soldered together. As they said once they were done (which was plain to see from my windows): These gutters will outlast the life of any adult in the house, and maybe more. All the slate repairs were top-notch as well, with any flashing that needed fixing being replaced along the way. There was even an unexpected small section of regular asphalt shingles (over a porch) that needed replacing which they rolled into the project WITHOUT adding to the bill. Really, I can't see how you could ask for better service or results than we got.
— Douglas BowkerView on Google Reviews ↗
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Update history
Added 2 new comments, added 7 new photos, established rating 3.8
- behind the score: Not BBB Accredited — despite a long operating history