# Recover Green Roofs

**Trade:** Landscaping · **Address:** 9 Olive Square, Somerville, MA 02143, USA · **Phone:** (617) 764-1310 · **Website:** http://www.recovergreenroofs.com/ · **Languages:** English

**Rating: 4.2/5** (low confidence) — from 6 reviews across 5 sources.
100% of sentiment-scored reviews read net-positive. Last 6 months: 2 reviews, 0 negative.

## The honest read

Recover Green Roofs has been building rooftop gardens, green roofs, and roof decks out of Somerville since 2009, when co-founders Mark Winterer and Brendan Shea, who met at St. Lawrence University, teamed up to start the company. Winterer still owns and runs it. Its Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration is active, and the Better Business Bureau gives it an A+.

The reviews describe a company clients keep coming back to. One client has worked with Recover for seven or eight years and calls the team reliable, detailed, knowledgeable, and easy to reach. A recent review describes the green roof at The Monty Boston, installed and now maintained by the team, with the client naming staff directly, Steph, Jonas, and designer Brendan Shea, and praising how much the crew shared about keeping the roof healthy long-term. In a 2025 review, another client walked through a full design-install-first-year process for a rooftop garden, with photos of a pollinator meadow, perennial and herb plantings, and creeping thyme a year after the work was done.

An industry trade publication reported, in a 2024 article, that the company marked its 15th anniversary with a landmark green roof project completed at Princeton University, a notable name to have on the résumé for a Somerville shop. The company's site also states it holds Certified Horticulturist and Accredited Green Roof Professional credentials.

Recover Green Roofs is a clear fit for anyone planning a green roof, rooftop garden, or roof deck rather than a standard landscaping job, the reviews and credentials point to a specialist, not a generalist, so it's worth confirming project scope and timeline directly for a job of this scale.

**Strengths:**
- Green roof specialist — decade-plus record on gardens, decks, and roofs
- Named staff, repeat clients — one relationship spans seven-plus years
- Documented results — photos show a garden thriving a year later

## Claims & citations

Every claim below is backed by real evidence rows — uncited claims are dropped in code before publication.

- Installed and now maintains the green roof at The Monty Boston, with the client naming staff and the designer directly _(confidence: high)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT210VmIzTlNWMlo2YW1weE5sWjZZVWRETTJ4a05GRRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0xf27b2133222cbc3e!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOmtVb3NSV2Z6ampxNlZ6YUdDM2xkNFE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recover Green Roofs has been an exceptional partner from installation through ongoing maintenance of the green roof at The Monty B…”
- One client has worked with the company for seven or eight years and calls them reliable, detailed, and great communicators _(confidence: high)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2xaSFJHNTFXbE10VVc1a1IzZGhibFI0VEdobmNYYxAB!2m1!1s0x0:0xf27b2133222cbc3e!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOlZHRG51WlMtUW5kR3dhblR4TGhncXc%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ I can't say enough good things about Recover Green Roofs.  We have been working with them for seven or eight years and they have always b…”
- In a 2025 review, designed, installed, and established a rooftop garden over its first year, shown a year later with a pollinator meadow and perennial and herb plantings _(confidence: high)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChdDSUhNMG9nS0VNMjJoTVBZejZTbGx3RRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0xf27b2133222cbc3e!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEM22hMPYz6SllwE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ Recover's team worked with us throughout the design, installation, and first year of establishing the rooftop garden of our dreams. They …”
- Founded in 2009 by Mark Winterer and Brendan Shea, and still owned and run by Mark Winterer, per the company's own site _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Official Website](http://www.recovergreenroofs.com) — “Company history (self-reported): Founded in 2009 by co-founders Mark Winterer and Brendan Shea, who met at St. Lawrence University and teame…”
  - [Official Website](http://www.recovergreenroofs.com) — “Ownership (self-reported): Owned and run by Mark Winterer, described as owner and captain of Recover.”
- Holds an A+ Better Business Bureau grade and has been in business 17 years, per BBB _(confidence: high)_
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/somerville/profile/green-contractors/recover-green-roofs-llc-0021-187808) — “Better Business Bureau grade: A+”
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/somerville/profile/green-contractors/recover-green-roofs-llc-0021-187808) — “Recover Green Roofs, LLC holds an A+ BBB rating but is not a BBB-accredited business, with 17 years in business since starting on 1/1/2009 a…”
- Its Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration is active _(confidence: high)_
  - [State License Registry](https://contractorhub.mass.gov/s/hic-contractor-search) — “MA hic license 176069 verified active”
- States on its site that it holds Certified Horticulturist and Accredited Green Roof Professional credentials _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Official Website](http://www.recovergreenroofs.com) — “Stated certification/affiliation: Accredited Green Roof Professional (GRP)”
  - [Official Website](http://www.recovergreenroofs.com) — “Stated certification/affiliation: Certified Horticulturist”
- An industry trade publication reported, in a 2024 article, that the company marked its 15th anniversary with a green roof project completed at Princeton University _(confidence: medium)_
  - [greenroofs.com](https://www.greenroofs.com/2024/11/19/recover-green-roofs-celebrates-15th-anniversary-with-major-princeton-university-project/) — “greenroofs.com — Recover Green Roofs (RGR) proudly celebrates its 15th anniversary this year with the completion of a landmark green roof pr…”
- Specializes in Landscaping _(confidence: high)_
  - [Official Website](http://www.recovergreenroofs.com) — “Recover Green Roofs is a Somerville, MA-based design-build firm specializing in the design, installation, and maintenance of green roofs, ro…”
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChdDSUhNMG9nS0VNMjJoTVBZejZTbGx3RRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0xf27b2133222cbc3e!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEM22hMPYz6SllwE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ Recover's team worked with us throughout the design, installation, and first year of establishing the rooftop garden of our dreams. They …”

## License

Status: **active** (#176069, hic) — verified against the official MA state registry on 2026-07-01, never self-reported.
Re-check at the official registry: https://contractorhub.mass.gov/s/hic-contractor-search

## Sources

- [Google](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Recover%20Green%20Roofs&query_place_id=ChIJw1-nPTV344kRPrwsIjMhe_I): 4.9★ from 15 ratings
- [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Recover%20Green%20Roofs&query_place_id=ChIJw1-nPTV344kRPrwsIjMhe_I): Listed on this source
- [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/somerville/profile/green-contractors/recover-green-roofs-llc-0021-187808): Listed on this source
- [Official Website](http://www.recovergreenroofs.com): 17 yrs in business · Self-reported profile and service details
- [Exa](https://leadsmartinc.com/services/remodeling-services/construction-company/massachusetts/somerville/recover-green-roofs/): 8 web mentions across the open web (each linked to its source)

## Mentions

Unverified third-party mentions found on the open web — relay with attribution ("a Reddit commenter said…"), never as Tavlee's own finding.

- “Recover Green Roofs (RGR) proudly celebrates its 15th anniversary this year with the completion of a landmark green roof project at Princeton University.” — greenroofs.com (2024-11-19) — https://www.greenroofs.com/2024/11/19/recover-green-roofs-celebrates-15th-anniversary-with-major-princeton-university-project/

## Recent reviews

- **5/5 · Google Reviews · paul grant · 2026-06-24**: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recover Green Roofs has been an exceptional partner from installation through ongoing maintenance of the green roof at The Monty Boston.

Working with Steph, Jonas, and the entire team has been educational, informative, responsive and wholly collaborative. What impressed me from the beginning…
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Laurence Lebowitz · 2026-03-26**: I can't say enough good things about Recover Green Roofs.  We have been working with them for seven or eight years and they have always been fantastic.  They are reliable, detailed, knowledgeable, timely, and great communicators.  I can't imagine anyone doing a better job than they do - five stars a…
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Curran Schiefelbein · 2025-06-01**: Recover's team worked with us throughout the design, installation, and first year of establishing the rooftop garden of our dreams. They made everything clear, easy, and beautiful. Photos attached of our garden 1 year after installation: pollinator "meadow", 1 perennial floral mound, 1 annual veggie…
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Amy Lieb · 2025-04-25**: I got a great introduction today to Recover Green Roofs at their site tour and presentation event. Thanks to Mark Winterer, Katina Bentley, and the Recover Green Roofs team for all of the time spent. I love hearing people so experienced and so committed show off their work!

So many of the same them…
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Ben Barkan · 2025-04-09**: Awesome company, amazing team, remarkable projects!
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · J R · 2024-04-14**: Very professional and they take care of their employees.

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Data freshness: last scanned 2026-07-01T19:34:01.430Z.
Cite as: Recover Green Roofs — Tavlee (https://tavlee.com/contractor/recover-green-roofs-somerville)
Source: https://tavlee.com/contractor/recover-green-roofs-somerville