Answer a few questions
Tell us whether you need work on the house, help with an insurance claim, or both. Then a short set of follow-ups — one question at a time.
Lake-effect country.
A person at The Exterior Desk recommends one local pro for your house — a contractor for the work, or help with a storm claim. Free for homeowners in Northeast Ohio.
We are a matching service, not a contractor, and we do not do the work ourselves. You decide whether to talk to the person we recommend, hire them, or do nothing.
The process
How a recommendation works
We recommend one person
A person at the desk reviews your answers and recommends one professional from a network we already know, when we have someone who covers your ZIP and your situation. We do not sell your request to a list of companies.
You decide what happens next
Talk to them, hire them, or do nothing. A recommendation is not a contract. The box for calls and texts starts unchecked, and consent is not required to request a recommendation.
This climate
Ice holds on at the eaves.
Homes from the lakeshore in Lorain and Cleveland through the snowbelt in Lake and Geauga Counties, and inland to Akron, Canton, Medina, and Youngstown, take freeze-thaw cycles all winter. Wind and spring hail leave their marks too.
If something looks wrong after a cold stretch, you do not need a national storm crew. You need a local company that already works this weather. If the insurance company is part of the problem, we also have a path for claim help. We do not climb on roofs, adjust insurance claims, or give legal advice.
We do not climb on roofs, and we do not invent coverage.
Photo: Caleb Oquendo. The house in the hero is by Sergey Platonov. These are licensed photographs, not projects we completed.
Two kinds of help
The house, or the claim — or both.
Work on the house
Roofing, siding, gutters, windows, or gutter cleaning. We recommend one local contractor when we have someone who covers your town.
See the tradesHelp with a claim
You do not need to know the difference between a public adjuster, an appraiser, and an attorney. Answer a few questions; we recommend one person to start with.
Read about claim helpThe work
The trades
I
Roofing
Ice at the eaves, wind, and spring hail are ordinary here. We recommend one local roofer from a network we already know. We do not climb on roofs.
Read about roofingPhoto: Budget Bizar. Illustrative, not a job we completed.
II
Siding
Wind-driven rain and freeze-thaw work on clapboard, vinyl, and trim. A local siding contractor can walk the wall and put a scope in writing.
Read about sidingPhoto: Erik Mclean. Illustrative, not a job we completed.
III
Gutters
Ice and spring thaw test a gutter line. If runs overflow or pull away, we can try to recommend a local company that does that work.
Read about guttersPhoto: Zeynep Sude Emek. Illustrative, not a job we completed.
IV
Windows
Drafts, fogged panes, and failed seals show up after a long winter. We match you with a local window contractor, not a national call center.
Read about windowsPhoto: Karolina Grabowska. Illustrative, not a job we completed.
V
Gutter cleaning
Fall leaves and winter ice are two different problems. A cleaning is often the right first request; a pulled hanger or a split downspout is a repair.
Read about gutter cleaningPhoto: Zeynep Sude Emek. Illustrative, not a job we completed.
Claim help
When the insurance company is part of the problem.
A claim that has not been filed, one that is moving slowly, a denial, or an offer that feels too low. We recommend one person from our network to start with. We are not a law firm, not an insurance adjuster, and this is not legal advice.
How claim help worksThe network
How we pick our pros
People we already know
A person at the desk personally knows, or has worked with, every professional we recommend. We recommend one person at a time. We do not sell your request to a list of companies, and we will tell you if we do not have someone for your ZIP or your situation.
What we check
We confirm liability insurance and city or state registration or license. For public adjusters and attorneys, we verify the license with the State of Ohio. For appraisers, we confirm registration or license where it applies. We also look at reviews and past customer feedback, and we follow up with homeowners after the job.
You should still review any contract or estimate. We do not guarantee the work. The full account is on How we pick our pros.
Gazetteer
Along the lake and inland
Coverage depends on whether we have a partner who covers your town. If your town is nearby but not listed, still send your ZIP.
Cuyahoga County
Stark County
Mahoning County
Medina County
Portage County
Trumbull County
Geauga County
If we do not have a partner in your town yet, we will tell you rather than invent coverage. A listed city is a page we write, not a guarantee. See the full city list.
FAQ
Questions, asked plainly
Are you a roofing or siding company?
No. The Exterior Desk is a free homeowner matching service. We do not install roofs, siding, gutters, or windows, and we do not run the job. A person at the desk recommends one local contractor from a network we already know, when we have someone who covers your area.
What does it cost me?
There is no fee for a homeowner to request a recommendation. You can hire the person we recommend, or anyone else, or no one.
Where do you work?
We intend to cover Northeast Ohio, including Cuyahoga, Lorain, Lake, Geauga, Medina, Summit, Stark, Portage, Mahoning, and Trumbull Counties, as partner coverage allows. Today we publish city pages for Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Parma, Lorain, Mentor, Youngstown, and Medina. If your town is nearby but not listed, still request a match with your ZIP. If we do not have a partner there yet, we will tell you rather than invent coverage.
How do you pick the people you recommend?
A person at the desk personally knows, or has worked with, every professional we recommend, and we recommend one at a time. We confirm liability insurance and city or state registration or license, look at reviews and past customer feedback, and follow up after the job. For public adjusters and attorneys, we verify licenses with the State of Ohio; for appraisers, we confirm registration or license where it applies. We do not sell your request to a list of companies, and we will tell you if we do not have someone for your ZIP or situation. We do not invent licenses or ratings. The full account is on the How we pick our pros page.
Will you call or text me?
Only if you check the consent box on the form, which is unchecked by default. Consent is not required to request a referral. You can also use the form for an email follow-up path, and a local phone number will be posted on this site once it is in service. You can revoke call or text consent by replying STOP or emailing privacy@theexteriordesk.com.
Can you help with an insurance claim?
Yes — there is a claim-help path on this site. Answer a few questions about the claim; you do not need to know the difference between a public adjuster, an appraiser, and an attorney. We recommend one person from our network to start with. We are not a law firm and not an insurance adjuster, and nothing on this site is legal advice. Document damage yourself, call your own insurance company, and be careful with door-to-door storm pitches.
Do I have to hire the person you recommend?
No. A recommendation is an introduction, not a contract with us and not a contract with them. Ask for a written estimate, check credentials yourself, and walk away if the pitch feels wrong.
Why is there no office address or star rating on this site?
We will not publish a fake storefront, a virtual office, or made-up reviews. When we have a real phone number and real partner coverage, we will add those facts. Until then, the request form is the way to reach us.
The same answers live on our FAQ page, along with the privacy policy and terms.