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Guides for roofing company owners

Each guide answers one question roofing owners keep asking

Each guide works through one question with published numbers and, where the map is the question, rank grids I've run across DFW.

Ladder against the new roof of a stone and stucco home with an arched entry
AR Global RoofingLadder up on a stone home

Getting leads

  1. Start here

    How to Get Roofing Leads When Referrals Dry Up

    Referrals bring one $11 million roofer more jobs than any ad. When yours slow, start with your Google profile and count what each signed job costs.

  2. Roofing Lead Companies Compared: What Exclusive, Shared, Per-Appointment and Pay-per-Close Leads Cost

    Owners report paying about $300 for an Angi lead. What a signed job costs depends on who else gets the lead and what you pay upfront.

  3. Angi and HomeAdvisor Leads for Roofers: What They Cost and Why Owners Quit

    Angi publishes no roofing lead price. Owners report paying about $300, and Angi won't credit a lead that another roofer won first.

  4. Is Door Knocking Still Worth It for Roofing Companies?

    Door knocking still signs storm roofing jobs, but owners say they can't keep canvassers, and a bad knock can sit in your one-star reviews for years.

  5. How Roofers Keep Work Coming in the Slow Season and No-Storm Years

    Winter cuts hail searches by about 70% and roof repair searches by far less, so repairs and retail roofs are the work to go after until spring.

  6. Why Your Roofing Leads Are Junk, and What to Check First

    Ad settings you never changed can pay for job seekers and out-of-area calls, and LSA no longer credits leads for jobs or areas you don't serve.

  7. Cold Calling for Roofers: Call Lists, Call Centers, AI Dialers and the Do Not Call Rules

    A bought list has to be scrubbed against the Do Not Call Registry before a roofer dials it, and an AI dialer needs written consent first.

  8. Roofing Referral Programs: Past Customers, Realtors and Insurance Agents

    Owners report paying past customers $200 to $500 a referral. On a job insurance pays for, Florida bans it and two other states restrict it.

  9. How to Cancel Angi or HomeAdvisor Without Losing Your Reviews

    Angi cancels only by phone and keeps the profile your reviews sit on. Keep the login when you cancel, and ask those customers for Google reviews.

  10. Picking Neighborhoods to Canvass With Roof Age and Permit Data

    Census data shows how old a neighborhood's houses are, and city permits show which already have a new roof. Use both to pick streets to knock.

  11. Do Roofers Need a Solicitor Permit to Door Knock?

    Each city sets its own solicitor permit rules for roofing canvassers, and approval can take two weeks, so file before storm season.

Marketing plans, budgets, agencies and tracking

  1. Start here

    Roofing Marketing: The Ideas That Bring In Jobs, Ranked by Cost per Job

    Referrals and your free Google Maps listing cost nothing when a homeowner says no. Mailers and bought leads bill you either way.

  2. How to Hire a Roofing Marketing Company Without Getting Burned

    A marketing company worth hiring leaves every account in your name and lets you check its reports against your own calls.

  3. How Much Should a Roofing Company Spend on Marketing?

    The 7-8% rule is SBA advice for any small business. Owners who posted full figures spent 2.2-5.5% of revenue, one after 10-15% in his early years.

  4. How to Track Which Marketing Brings In Your Roofing Jobs

    Judge each marketing source by its cost per signed roofing job. If one lead in four signs, a $200 to $300 lead comes to $800 or more a job.

  5. Roofing Close Rates by Lead Source: What Is Normal

    One referral-only roofer reports closing around 85%, a Google Ads owner 8% of inspections. Compare your sources by one count and price each signed job.

  6. A Roofing Marketing Plan for the Year, Month by Month

    A roofing marketing plan does its setup in the slow months and spends on ads and door knocking when storms hit. Copy the 12-month calendar below.

  7. Roofing Industry Statistics: How Many Roofers Compete, and on What

    The US had 24,532 roofing contractor locations with a payroll in 2022, and on Google Maps each one competes hardest near its own office.

Starting, buying and selling a roofing company

  1. Start here

    Starting a Roofing Company: What It Costs and How to Land the First Jobs

    Owners report general liability quotes of $1,200 to $10,000 a year, and word of mouth took one new roofer six to seven months to pick up.

  2. Roofing Business Plan: A Free Template With Real Startup Numbers

    A roofing business plan should total its startup costs from your own quotes and state rules. Copy the free eight-section template below.

  3. Buying a Roofing Company: Where the Listings Are and What to Check

    A roofing company's asking price is the seller's number. Check whose customers they are, the license, unpaid tax and the Google profile before you pay.

  4. What Is a Roofing Company Worth? Valuation, Buyers and Exit Planning

    If your buyer uses an SBA loan, the lender orders its own valuation of your roofing company, and the loan can't fund any price above it.

  5. Roofing Business Partnerships: Splitting Roles, Money and the Exit

    Roofing partners who sign nothing get state law's terms on pay, debts, deadlocks and buyouts. Texas law shows what that means.

  6. Roofing Franchises: What They Cost and Whether to Buy One

    A roofing franchise's fees sit in Items 5, 6 and 7 of its disclosure document, and the royalty is usually owed on gross sales, even in a losing month.

Websites

  1. Start here

    Does a Roofing Company Need a Website? What It Costs and What It Has to Do

    Over half of people check a business's website after reading good reviews, so a roofer needs one that loads fast on a phone and counts every call.

  2. Roofing Website Design Examples: Real Contractor Sites and What Each Gets Right

    A 579 KB logo slowed one roofer's phone homepage and casino spam replaced another's testimonials. What a roofing site that works does instead.

  3. Should Roofers Publish Prices? What a Roof Cost Page Should Say

    A roof cost guide that gave no price sat near 85th on Google. Publish a dated market range from named sources and keep your own price for the inspection.

  4. Roofing Website Templates and Builders: Wix, Squarespace, WordPress or Custom

    Google names no preferred website builder for ranking. Pick Wix, Squarespace, WordPress or custom on who edits the site and what you keep if you leave.

  5. Roofing Landing Pages That Turn Ad Clicks Into Calls

    Google scores the page behind a roofing ad. Match the homeowner's search, make the number ring your office and count every call and form.

Software and tools

  1. Start here

    Roofing CRM Software: What It Costs and When You Need One

    Roofr starts at $0 a month and Leap at $79 for one user. AccuLynx and JobNimbus quote privately, and their exit terms can cost you your job history.

  2. Roofing Estimating Software: What It Costs and Which Fits Your Jobs

    Roofing estimating software charges for the plan and again for a report on every roof, from $10 to $139 a report as of October 2026.

  3. AI Tools for Roofing Companies: What Works in the Office and in Marketing

    AI can take paperwork off a roofing office. An AI voice making sales calls needs written consent first, and AI-written fake reviews break an FTC rule.

  4. Roof Measurement Reports Compared: EagleView, Hover, RoofSnap and Roofr

    EagleView lists a small-roof report at $32.75 and Roofr charges $19 on its free plan. Buy a cheap report to bid and the full one after signing.

  5. Drones for Roof Inspections: The FAA License and Which Drone to Buy

    Anyone flying a drone for a roofing company needs an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate, even with a drone under 250 grams. Here's the test and what to buy.

  6. Door Knocking Apps for Roofers: SalesRabbit, Spotio and the Rest

    SalesRabbit, Knockio and RepCard publish prices from $20 a rep a month, and Spotio quotes only. Crew size and contract terms decide more than price.

  7. AccuLynx vs JobNimbus vs Roofr vs Leap: Pricing and What Owners Report

    AccuLynx and JobNimbus quote privately, while Roofr and Leap post prices. What owners report paying, and what each makes you do to leave.

Pricing, estimates and templates

  1. Start here

    How to Price a Roof: Price per Square, Overhead and Target Margin

    Owners report 27% to 50% gross margins on a roof. Price from your own cost per square, since a 30% markup on cost leaves only a 23% margin.

  2. Free Roofing Estimate Template (Excel and PDF)

    A roofing estimate needs a cost sheet that prices each square from your own costs and a one-page estimate the homeowner signs. Both are here.

  3. Roofing Contract Template: The Clauses a Residential Roofing Contract Needs

    A residential roofing contract needs scope, price, payment terms and a right to cancel, plus a deductible clause on insurance jobs. Copy the template.

  4. Roofing Invoice Template, Including the Invoice an Insurance Carrier Expects

    Two free roofing invoice templates: one for retail jobs, and one for insurance jobs that tracks the claim number and the depreciation still owed.

  5. Roofing Proposal Template: Good, Better and Best Options on One Page

    A roofing proposal fits on one page: three options priced at one margin, warranties spelled out, a price end date and the cancellation notice.

  6. Roof Inspection Report Template and Checklist

    A roof inspection report should mark every part of the roof and give each defect a photo. Copy this template and checklist.

  7. Roofing Profit Margins: What Gross and Net Margin Look Like

    Roofers report gross margins from 27% to 50%. After overhead and the owner's pay, remodelers of similar size netted 6.3% in 2024.

  8. Roofing Workmanship Warranty Template

    A free roofing workmanship warranty template, and the FTC rules that set its title and wording once it covers materials too.

  9. Roofing Certificate of Completion Template (and What the Carrier Needs on It)

    Free roofing certificate of completion template. On a replacement cost claim it goes with the final invoice to release held-back depreciation.

  10. Free Roofing Business Templates: Estimate, Contract, Invoice, Warranty and Work Order

    Five roofing templates to paste into Word: estimate, contract, invoice, warranty and work order, with the cancellation notice a sale at the house needs.

  11. Roofing Subcontractor Agreement Template: Scope, Insurance, Payment and a No-Poach Clause

    A roofing sub agreement should name the customers you send the sub and bar him from taking their work for a set time. Copy the template here.

Social media, video and email

  1. Start here

    Does Social Media Bring Roofing Jobs?

    About a quarter of homeowners in a 2025 survey used social media to find a roofer, and Nextdoor and Meta both limit how roofers can advertise.

  2. Email and Text Marketing to Past Roofing Customers

    Sales emails to past roofing customers need your postal address and an opt-out, and autodialed marketing texts need their signed consent.

  3. Video Marketing for Roofers: What to Film and Where It Brings Calls

    Film inspections and tear-offs for the sales meeting and your Google profile. YouTube ads bill for views and showings, so track calls before you pay.

  4. Does Nextdoor Work for Roofers?

    Nextdoor bars advertising a roofing company from a personal account. A free Business Page that past customers recommend is what's left to work.

  5. Roofing Social Media Post Ideas, With Examples From Real Roofers

    The roofing posts worth making come from your own finished jobs. Ten ideas with captions to copy, and the OSHA and FTC rules a post can break.

Follow-up, selling and closing

  1. Start here

    How to Win Roofing Jobs Without Being the Cheapest Bid

    Owners report losing to bids with cheaper shingles. Name your materials and warranty on every bid, and give homeowners proof they can check.

  2. Missed Calls Cost Roofing Jobs: How Fast to Answer and How to Follow Up

    Text a missed caller back inside a minute and call back inside the hour. Google says missed calls may count against your Local Services Ads rank.

  3. Roof Financing for Contractors: Dealer Fees, Lenders and When It Helps Close

    Wisetack charges the roofer 6.9% on a 12-month 0% loan and 3.9% on a standard one. Every close-rate number I found came from a company selling financing.

  4. Selling Retail Roofs When Insurance Work Slows

    Home sellers and homeowners left short by an ACV claim are paying for a roof anyway. Two owners report lower prices and margins on retail work.

  5. Why Homeowners Ghost After the Roof Inspection, and How to Keep the Job

    Homeowners who go quiet after a roof inspection are often collecting bids, as regulators advise. Name your shingle so a cheaper bid shows what it changed.

  6. Answering Services and AI Receptionists for Roofers

    Live answering for a roofer starts near $250 a month. AI answering costs less per call, and one roofer said most callers hung up on it.

  7. Roofing Sales Pitch Examples: The Door-Knock Script and the Kitchen-Table Close

    A door script that books the inspection and a kitchen-table close that states the three-day cancel right, minus the lines regulators list as scam signs.

Licensing, insurance and contracts

  1. Start here

    Roofing License Requirements by State, and How Qualifiers Work

    Texas has no state roofing license. Florida, California and most states I checked do, and in some, losing your qualifier can leave you unlicensed.

  2. Roofing Contractor Insurance: What Coverage a Roofing Company Needs and What It Costs

    Insureon's averages put a small roofer's general liability at $3,808 a year and comp at $2,101, and comp climbs with every roofer on payroll.

  3. Florida Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Florida's certified roofing license takes two state exams and four years of work under a licensed contractor, which DBPR checks after you pass.

  4. General Liability Insurance for Roofers: What It Costs and What It Leaves Out

    NEXT's roofing customers average $125 a month for general liability, and the standard policy leaves out your employees and redoing your roof.

  5. Illinois Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Illinois licenses the roofing company once its qualifier passes a state exam. Fees start at $351, and a lapsed bond or policy cancels the license.

  6. Roofing Workers' Comp and General Liability: What It Costs and How Audits Work

    Owners report roofing comp quotes near 30% of payroll, and in several states an audit can count a sub with no comp policy as your own employee.

  7. Oklahoma Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Oklahoma registers roofers with the CIB for $75 a year. Commercial work needs an exam now, and residential work needs an endorsement from 2027.

  8. Roofing Contracts and 1099 Rules: What a New Owner Needs in Writing

    A 1099 label alone won't make a roofing crew independent, and a contract signed at the homeowner's house carries a three-day right to cancel.

  9. California Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    A California roofer needs a C-39: four years of roofing work, two closed-book CSLB exams, a $25,000 bond and workers' comp even when working alone.

  10. Texas Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Texas has no state roofing license. RCAT's voluntary one needs a company two years in Texas, insurance on file, online exams and $550 to $1,050.

  11. Alabama Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Alabama's roofers license has no exam. A local contractor business license and a $10,000 bond qualify you, and board fees run $250.

  12. Louisiana Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Since January 2026, a Louisiana home roof job of $7,500 or more needs a Residential Roofing or Residential Construction license, even to advertise it.

  13. North Carolina Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    North Carolina requires a roofing license only on jobs of $40,000 or more. The S(Roofing) exam is open book, and exam and Board fees start at $154.

  14. Georgia Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Georgia has no state roofing license, exam or fee. Roofers work under a specialty exemption until a job goes past the roof.

  15. Kansas Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Kansas has no roofing license or exam. Roofers register with the Attorney General and carry at least $500,000 of liability insurance.

  16. Arizona Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    An Arizona roofing license needs a qualifier with four years in the trade and a recent exam. The law caps the specialty residential fee at $350.

  17. South Carolina Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    South Carolina residential roofers register for $100 with no exam. Commercial roofing over $10,000 needs a qualifier who passed two state exams.

  18. Colorado Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Denver's shingle roofing certificate has no exam. You prove two years of work with notarized letters, then the company can get its contractor license.

  19. Wisconsin Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Roofers pulling permits on Wisconsin homes need a Dwelling Contractor certificate and a qualifier who took a 12-hour course in place of a trade exam.

  20. Michigan Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Michigan has no roofing-only license. Roofers need a residential license and 60 hours of courses, and without it they can't sue or lien to get paid.

  21. Roofing Contractor Bonds: Which States Require One and What It Costs

    California, Illinois, Washington, Arizona and Oregon tie a bond to the roofing license. Texas has no state roofing bond.

  22. Tennessee Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Tennessee requires a license to bid roofing jobs of $25,000 or more, subs included. Your finances set the job limit, and the board charges $250.

  23. Missouri Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Missouri has no state roofing license. Kansas City and St. Louis set their own rules, and one state law covers every insurance-paid roof contract.

  24. Ohio Roofing License: Requirements, Exam and Cost

    Ohio has no state roofing license, exam or fee. Any license comes from your city, and two state laws still cover big home contracts and door-knock sales.

  25. Is It Legal to Pay Roofing Referral Fees to Realtors, Agents and Past Customers?

    Florida, Kentucky and Minnesota limit roofing referral rewards on insurance jobs, and realtors and public adjusters have rules of their own.

  26. Roofing Deposits: How Much to Take and What Your State Allows

    California caps a roofing deposit at $1,000 or 10%, whichever is less. Florida, Massachusetts and Texas set other limits on the money.

Sales reps and canvassers

  1. Start here

    How to Pay Roofing Sales Reps: 10/50/50, Profit Splits and Draws

    At a 30% gross margin, 10/50/50 pays a roofing rep the same as 10% of the contract. Above that the split costs you more, and below it, less.

  2. How to Hire and Train Roofing Sales Reps Who Find Their Own Leads

    A rep on r/RoofingSales puts it at one good hire in eight. One owner's bar for a solid rep is $500,000 a year in roofing he finds himself.

  3. Hiring and Paying Roofing Canvassers

    A canvasser job description has to say where the job ends, because that line decides how you can pay a knocker and what the law calls them.

Insurance claims and storm work

  1. Start here

    Roof Insurance Supplements: How Roofers Get Carriers to Pay the Full Scope

    A roofer may discuss scope and price with the adjuster and ask Verisk to recheck a low Xactimate price. In Texas, coverage stays the homeowner's to argue.

  2. Hail Maps for Roofers: Which Storm Data to Trust After a Hailstorm

    Over DFW in 2026, radar called hail bigger than a nearby ground report 63 times in 83. Use radar to pick streets and treat its size as an estimate.

  3. Storm and Hail Leads: Buying Them or Working the Storm Yourself

    Bought storm leads and your own canvass start from the same early hail data. Your past customers under the hail are the list no vendor can sell.

  4. How an Insurance Roofing Job Works, From Inspection to Final Check

    On a replacement cost policy the carrier pays for a roof in two checks, and the second waits on your final invoice. Here is each step.

  5. What a Roofer Can Legally Do on an Insurance Claim, From Deductibles to Contingency Agreements

    Texas, Florida and Minnesota bar roofers from offering to cover a deductible. This contingency agreement template keeps it with the homeowner.

  6. Insurance Company Referral Programs for Roofers: How Contractor Connection and Alacrity Work

    Contractor Connection and Alacrity charge a fee on each carrier job you sell, and approval doesn't guarantee a carrier will pick you.

  7. Xactimate for Roofers: Which Line Items Matter and Whether You Need It

    Xactimate costs $2,390 a year. On a carrier's roof estimate, match labor efficiency and overhead and profit before you dispute any one price.

  8. Roofing Supplement Companies: What They Charge and When to Outsource

    Outsource supplements when the fee costs less than the items you let slide. Ask what a firm's percentage is taken from and when it falls due.

Reviews, reputation and trust

  1. Start here

    How Roofers Get More Google Reviews (and Deal With Fake Ones)

    Google lets roofers ask every customer for a review and bans any reward for one. A fake review comes down only if it breaks a Google policy.

  2. GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed and Atlas Certification: What It Takes and Whether It Wins Jobs

    GAF and Owens Corning start with $1 million in liability insurance, and Atlas is free to join. Only the higher tiers can offer the longest warranties.

  3. Roofing Callbacks and Customer Disputes: Contracts, Warranties and the Review After

    GAF's and Owens Corning's standard warranties won't pay for an install callback. What belongs in the contract, and how to answer the one-star after.

  4. How a Newer Roofing Company Earns Trust Before the First Call

    A newer roofer can show most of what homeowners are told to check on its first bid. BBB accreditation takes six months, RCAT's Texas license two years.

  5. Paid Listings for Roofers: Whether Yelp Ads and BBB Accreditation Pay Off

    BBB dues buy a seal and Yelp ads buy clicks, and both say paying won't change your rating. Judge each by the signed jobs it brings in.

Commercial and service work

  1. Start here

    How Residential Roofers Win Commercial Roofing Work

    One owner gets commercial roofs by referral and another credits manufacturers more than Google. An estimator who bid about 225 GC jobs rarely heard back.

  2. Commercial Roofing Leads: Where Property Managers and GCs Find Roofers

    Property managers hire roofers off approved vendor lists. GCs post projects on bid boards, free locally on PlanHub and $129 a month on ConstructConnect.

  3. Roof Maintenance Agreements: Building a Service Division

    A roof maintenance agreement sells the spring and fall inspections NRCA recommends. Template inside, plus the Texas rule on repair coverage.

Money, crews and growth

  1. Start here

    Growing a Roofing Company Past the Owner: Systems, Hires and New Services

    Roofing companies take in about the same per employee at every size up to 99 staff, so growing means hiring, and an office hire costs less than a roofer.

  2. How to Find and Keep Reliable Roofing Sub Crews

    Owners say good crews come through other crews and the supply house. Posted rates run $70 to $140 a square, and a sub without comp can cost you at audit.

  3. Opening a Second Roofing Location, and Getting the Google Profile to Rank There

    A second roofing office gets its own Google profile only if your staff work there, and it ranks partly on how close it sits to the searcher.

  4. OSHA Rules and a Safety Program for a Roofing Company

    OSHA wants competent-person job inspections and signed fall training records from a roofer. This free safety plan template covers both.

  5. Bookkeeping and QuickBooks for a Roofing Company, Including Job Costing

    QuickBooks Online Plus is the lowest QuickBooks plan that shows profit per roof and tracks inventory. Make each roof a project and tag every cost to it.

  6. Hiring Roofing Installers and Foremen: Job Ads, Where to Post Them and What to Pay

    A roofing crew leader ad should say W-2, no subs, and show the pay range. Roofers' national median was $26.65 an hour in May 2025. Template inside.

  7. Roofing Cash Flow: Depreciation Checks, Final Payments and Liens

    In Texas, a carrier can hold the depreciation until the deductible is proven paid, and a lien on a roof finished in March is due by June 15.

  8. How Much Do Roofing Company Owners Make?

    Roofing owners report pay from $25,000 a year part-time to a $150,000 salary, and that salary didn't tell one family whether the company made money.

  9. Roofing Business Coaches and Consultants: What They Charge and Who They Help

    One roofing coach lists $350 an hour, while SCORE mentors and SBDC consultants advise owners for free. Here is how to test a paid coach first.

  10. Taxes for a Roofing Company: Sales Tax, Deductions, Quarterly Payments and the Year-End Bill

    Roofing's IRS business code is 238160. Self-employment tax and skipped quarterly payments build the year-end bill; here is how to plan for both.

  11. Roofing Labor Rates per Square: What Sub Crews Charge and How They Get Paid

    Roofers post sub crew rates for shingle labor from $70 to $140 a square, plus up-charges for pitch, stories, layers and hot work.

  12. Who to Hire First in a Roofing Company: Office Manager, Estimator, Production Manager or Sales Manager

    Hire office help first and an estimator once your reps are stuck writing bids. A sales manager waits until there is a sales team to run.

  13. Sub Crews or Your Own Crews: Which Model Fits a Roofing Company

    A sub's price per square already covers his taxes and comp, but those costs stay off your books only while he is independent and insured.

  14. Roofing Supplier Accounts: Getting Better Pricing and Terms From Distributors

    A young roofing company's supply account can cost more and, at ABC, needs a personal guarantee. Get two quotes and claim the OC rewards on top.