The Roofer Who Gets 3 Extra Jobs from Every Completed Roof
Storm canvassing, realtor partnerships, and the neighborhood project approach. Client acquisition for roofers.
A roofing contractor in a suburb of Kansas City finishes a $12,000 shingle replacement on a Tuesday. Before his crew packs up, he puts a yard sign in the front lawn with a QR code. Then he walks 20 doors in each direction and hangs a simple flyer: "We just replaced your neighbor's roof. Free inspections for this street. 5% neighbor discount this month only."
By Friday, he has three inspection appointments. Two of them turn into full replacements. That is $24,000 in additional revenue from 40 door hangers that cost $12 to print.
This is the neighborhood project approach, and it is the single most effective client acquisition strategy in residential roofing. Every completed roof is not just a job. It is a marketing event surrounded by 50 households who can see the result with their own eyes.
Storm Canvassing: The 48-Hour Window
When hail hits a neighborhood, you have exactly 24-48 hours to capture 50-70% of the available work. After that window, out-of-town storm chasers flood in, homeowners get overwhelmed with door knocks, and the opportunity scatters.
The companies that win storm work are the ones with boots on the ground before the insurance adjusters arrive. Drive through affected neighborhoods the morning after a storm. Knock on doors. Offer free inspections. Document damage with photos on the spot. Help the homeowner understand what to tell their insurance company.
This is not aggressive selling. This is community service during a crisis. The homeowner standing in their driveway staring at dented siding and scattered shingles does not know what to do next. You do. That expertise is worth $8,000-$15,000 in roofing work, plus gutters, siding, and any other damage you identify.
Prepare a storm kit before storm season starts: 500 door hangers, a damage documentation checklist, and a one-page guide titled "What to Do After Hail Damage." When the storm hits, you deploy immediately while competitors are still checking the weather report.
Facebook Ads Outperform Google for Roofing
This surprises most roofers, but Facebook and Instagram ads consistently outperform Google Ads for roofing client acquisition. The reason is visual. Roofing before-and-after transformations stop the scroll in ways that text ads cannot.
A drone photo of a beat-up roof next to a gleaming new installation is compelling content. Run it as an ad targeted to homeowners ages 30-65 within a 15-mile radius. Include a clear offer: "Free roof inspection, limited spots this month." Budget: $500-$1,000 per month.
The leads from Facebook are different from Google leads. Google leads are actively searching; their roof is already leaking. Facebook leads are earlier in the funnel; they see your ad and think, "Our roof is getting old, maybe we should look into this." These leads require more follow-up but close at similar rates when nurtured properly.
One roofing company in the Atlanta metro spends $800 per month on Facebook Ads and generates 25-35 inspection requests. Their close rate is 35%, producing 9-12 jobs per month with an average ticket of $10,500. That is roughly $100K in monthly revenue from a $800 ad spend.
Master Xactimate or Lose Insurance Jobs
Insurance claims represent the largest revenue opportunity in roofing, and the roofers who close the most insurance work are the ones who speak the adjuster's language.
Xactimate is the software insurance companies use to estimate repair costs. If you can generate your own Xactimate estimate and present it alongside the adjuster's estimate, you demonstrate competence that most roofers lack. When your estimate aligns with the adjuster's scope, the claim moves faster. When it includes legitimate items the adjuster missed, you increase the job value.
Learning Xactimate costs $300-$500 for training. That investment pays for itself on the first insurance job where you successfully supplement the claim. Roofers who master Xactimate close insurance work at 60-70% while their competitors close at 30-40%.
The Realtor Certification Play
Real estate agents need one thing during a transaction: certainty. A roof in questionable condition creates uncertainty that can kill a deal. Smart roofers solve this problem by offering pre-listing roof certifications.
For $150-$250, you inspect the roof and provide a written certification: "This roof is in good condition with an estimated 8-12 years of remaining life." The seller uses this to reassure buyers. The agent uses it to keep the deal on track.
The certification itself is barely profitable. But 30-40% of the time, the inspection reveals issues that need repair before listing. Missing flashing, damaged boots, worn ridge caps. These repairs run $500-$2,000 and close immediately because the seller needs the certification to sell the house.
Build relationships with five listing agents. Offer to be their go-to roof inspector. One active agent doing 30 transactions a year generates 10-12 repair jobs and positions you as the trusted roofer when buyers in those same transactions need future work.