1) Save Money on Gas by Going Digital

One of the most significant holes your hard-earned cash can disappear into is gas. With gas prices at an all-time high and showing no signs of decreasing any time soon, hopping into the truck and heading out to job sites and homes multiple times a day or week simply won’t cut it anymore if you want to increase your roofing company’s profits.

An easy way to cut out excessive car trips and cut roofing costs while on the job is to “digitize” some of the work you’d normally head to the property to get done and use software instead. Two easy tasks you can accomplish faster with roofing software off-site are:

1. Roof measurement
2. Creating proposals and quoting homeowners 

Roofgraf’s roof measurement software allows roofing contractors to measure entire roofs in minutes and generate beautiful, easy-to-understand proposals for homeowners to e-sign straight from their emails. 

Instead of heading out to the home to meet the client, hop on the phone, measure the roof, and generate a quote and roof report alongside them through screen share. Not only are you saving gas money, but you’re also reducing the risks that come with climbing the ladder, and your clients don’t even need to plan to be home to meet you either!

2) Cut Roofing Costs: Don’t Overbuy Materials

These days, we’re living in a world where any amount of waste could mean taking a huge hit to your bottom line, and one of the biggest forms of waste when it comes to roofing projects is in overbuying the raw materials needed to complete a roofing job. 

Roofing material prices have been affected by the supply chain issues and inflation we’ve been seeing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, so oversupply issues could really eat into the profits your roofing business needs to make to stay successful. Not to mention that shortages can also affect your orders if you overbuy and then need to wait longer for shipments. 

Avoid overbuying materials by avoiding the mistakes that come with measuring roofs, to begin with. With Roofgraf’s A.I. assistant Liz and HD aerial imagery powered by Nearmap, you can trust that your roof measurements and pitch calculations will be accurate. Only order the materials you need to complete the job and improve profitability by never letting anything go to waste again. 

Let Automation Do The Work For You 

One of the easiest ways to keep your hot leads from cooling down and revive the older ones is by setting up some automation to keep them interested and keep your company’s name at the front of their minds.  

If you’ve been following our marketing advice, you’ll already know about the importance of building and maintaining an email list and using email automation features to touch base with clients and leads. Email workflows can be implemented to ensure that your leads hear from you with the information they need at precisely the right time.  

The majority of your new leads will either: 

1. Request a quote, receive it, and book your company for the job. 
2. Request a quote, receive it, and book a competitor for the job.
3. Request a quote, receive it, and go silent. Never to be heard from again. 

Your goal is to make sure that everyone who doesn’t get back to you after receiving their quote is sorted into one of two buckets: 

1. Closed with another roofing contractor. 
2. Warm lead, follow up later. 

The easiest way to learn this information is through automating an email send to trigger a week or two after your roofing business sends them a quote for their job.  

This email could include a question asking whether or not they’ve completed their roofing project or could be more detailed and invite them to get back in touch with their feedback on your roofing proposal to allow you to provide them with an updated proposal or special offer.  

Still haven’t heard back? Don’t lose hope! Create another quick email flow that sends emails at set intervals to keep your cold leads aware of your products or services. Offer a discount three months down the line, or highlight a few of the shingles your roofing company installs.  

You can also send informational emails to get homeowners thinking about work other than a roof replacement, such as signs they may need roof repairs, or if you do business in a hurricane-prone area, send tips on protecting their roofs from storm damage. Even if they’re not interested today, they may need your services later on.  

The goal here is to ensure that every potential customer that reaches out to you is occasionally reminded of your roofing business without feeling like they’re being bombarded with emails and calls so that when the time comes, they’ll know who to get in touch with.  

In Conclusion 

Many people will say that the best way to manage dead roofing leads is not to let them go cold and die in the first place, but as any roofing contractor will tell you, that’s easier said than done. Implementing these three tips is the best way to ensure that you keep your cold lead list as short as possible while increasing your sales and saving you precious time.   

With accurate roof measurements, roof reports in seconds, and beautiful proposals with Good, Better, Best options, Roofgraf’s roofing software is the key to fast and easy quotes. Give it a try, risk-free today, and see why it’s your competitor’s best-kept secret.  

What is a Complex Roof? 

A complex roof could be anything that differs from your average flat roof, mansard roof, hipped roof, or gabled roof. Often, the larger or more expensive the home is, the more complicated the roof tends to be, especially if it was designed by an architect with a great eye for the overall aesthetics of the property.  

Complex roofs tend to have tons of different roof sections and slopes, with features such as dormers and skylights, chimneys, towers, or overhangs. All of which makes getting accurate measurements both time-consuming and often dangerous for the roofing contractor tasked with the job.  

Complex roof measurements are often very involved, have many opportunities for errors, and could pose to be an overall challenge for even the most seasoned roofing contractor. On the upside, though, due to the complicated nature of the job, complex roofs can be very profitable roofing jobs and should never be passed on.  

Roof Measurement Software and Complicated Roofs 

Roofing software is the key to measuring even the most complex, multi-sloped roofs without ever having to drive out to the property and climb a ladder. Not only can you get your roof report generated in minutes rather than in the time it takes to measure the roof yourself, but you don’t even need to wait for a roof report order to be returned to you in your inbox as you would if you were ordering your reports from a third-party service.  

Quickly get the roof pitch, identify roof line types such as hips and valleys, and get your squares for any roof type from the comfort of your desk, saving you the headache of manually measuring out each part of the roof, and leaving you extra time in your day to spend growing your business.   

Choose from measuring off of HD aerial imagery, satellite imagery, drone photos, or blueprints to make sure that you get the best possible view of the home, and therefore the most accurate roof measurements possible.   

You can also use roof measurement software at the site to impress your clients with the speed at which you can generate an accurate roofing proposal for their property, getting them the numbers they need to make a decision much faster than your competitors.   

In Conclusion 

Measuring complex roofs doesn’t have to be as difficult as it has been in the past. With the use of a good roof measurement software like Roofgraf, you can get your measurements done for any roof in a matter of minutes, shaving hours off of your workday which is time you can easily reallocate to making more sales and growing your roofing business. 

Have a complicated roof in your sales pipeline today? Start your free trial of Roofgraf to learn more about all our other features such as SmartQuote and FastQuote templates, proposals with Good, Better, Best options, automatic e-signature capabilities, and let our software show you how quick and easy the job can actually be.  

1) Centralize your work to one digital platform.

Staying organized is nearly impossible when you don’t have a single consistent location for all of your documents and files. Do some documents live in paper format on your desk while others are saved on your hard drive, while more still are saved somewhere in the cloud? When all your documents are scattered around and hard to find, any simple roofing project can become a challenge, especially if things have duplicates or are saved in different locations.

Choose a software that allows you to save all your projects, measurements, roofing materials, templates, contracts, lead and client info, and proposals in one single location that everyone at your company can access if necessary. This ensures that no time is wasted digging around and searching for the right information every time you need to start working on a new roofing job.

2) Automate your workflow wherever possible.

If you’re someone who spends a lot of time per client inputting roof measurements into spreadsheets and then transferring those into your proposal template while calculating your material costs by hand, there’s a better way.

Using roofing software like Roofgraf takes what used to be a tedious process and makes it incredibly fast and easy to put together your roofing quotes and measurements without any extra effort.

Once you set up your account with your templates, materials, and pricing, every single quote becomes a piece of cake to put together. Just outline the roof, let the software measure and identify line types and boom – your roof report, bill of materials, and proposal are ready to go in a click!

Additionally, any extra files you’d like to send your clients along with your proposals can be added to the software and automatically added to your quotes. You can also add tax information and set up the terms and conditions your clients will be agreeing to inside the app so everything is centralized and easy to access for everyone involved in the project.

3) Use a roof measurement software for accuracy

One less-obvious way to reduce the amount of roofing paperwork needed in your day-to-day is to make sure you get your measurements right on the first try. Having to go back and measure the house, whether in person or with software costs you time, but it can also result in extra paperwork. All this extra work can take valuable time away from growing your business and working on other projects. Instead, use software that can guarantee you the right measurements without the extra travel. 

Using a combination of a proprietary algorithm powered by our A.I. assistant, LIZ, and HD Imagery provided by Nearmap, Roofgraf provides the most accurate roof measurements on the market. 

Don’t have the time to measure yourself? We have you covered with our Roof Reports as a Service option where our team will measure for you in one business day or less. Be confident in your roof reports and bills of materials knowing that your roofing costs and measurements are accurate enough that you can get started on your job faster than ever before and with fewer mistakes.  

Conclusion

When it comes to running a business, everything you do should be optimized so you can make the most out of every day with the least amount of effort. Reducing paperwork with the tips above is one of the easiest and most effective ways to get more done while also reducing daily stress. 

Have you made it to the bottom of this article without signing up yet? Give Roofgraf a try risk-free now and let our industry-leading software and customer support show you why we’re the best in the game at helping roofers like you close more sales, grow their businesses and save valuable time. 

1) Employees can’t leave home

Have a work-from-home policy written up for anyone who can stay in, whether it’s full or part-time. Have more than one person with a laptop and the right software tools ready to come out with proposals and measurements so everyone can work and close jobs remotely without any hiccups.

Make sure to make it clear to your salespeople that this is not the time for face-to-face interactions and encourage them to limit the number of people they see regularly. Keep in mind that the safety of your crews is still your number one goal. Set up guidelines for proper distancing and safety for everyone on site.

2) The city shuts down and requires all non-essential services to close

Non-essential businesses closing means that most people are home with more time than ever to get started on all the home improvement work they’ve been putting off while having to go in to work every day. On top of that, urgent fixes to leaky roofs will still need to be done. Become a knight in shining armor and be available to help in any way you can.

3) Your current contracts need modifications

You will most likely need to look through the language in your contracts and make changes. Do you have any clauses in place for situations where a job can’t be done in the stated time if at all?

Now is the time to double-check what is laid out in your paperwork and add or remove anything that may affect future jobs. Take some time to consult a legal professional if you must, just make sure that your business, employees, and clients are taken care of in any way possible.

4) Your financials are taking a hit

Now is the time to take stock of how much money is coming in and going out on the daily. Decide where you can save money while still offering the quality service your guys are known to deliver. Start bulk-buying on key materials. Save on gas by planning your day and your route in advance. Now is the time to deploy your resources on smaller, higher-margin jobs. You also shouldn’t be using three separate tools to measure roofs, get roof reports and generate quotes, for example.

If it comes down to it, educate yourself or speak to an expert for instructions on how to properly lay workers off or cut hours until things improve.

If you rely on people calling in to book meetings with you to make sales, it’s time to pivot and try something new, or increase the other efforts you’re already making to create new leads.

The best way to replace face-to-face sales is by taking advantage of all the ways you can create leads online. Here are some of the best ways to set yourself up for online lead generation:

Create useful content that shows off who you are

Generate leads with useful content so your website shows up when people search for the services and products you offer. Be active on your website with articles answering common questions you get asked and show off pictures of jobs you’ve done to build trust.

Run ads with Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising

Set up ads on search engines like Google and Bing for keywords you’d like to be found for. For example, if you want your leads to be people looking for your services in your state, you can create campaigns for keywords and phrases like “best roofing company <state>” or “roofing quotes” targeting people in your service area.

These campaigns will run for as long as you’d like and can be modified or paused at any time. Anyone clicking on your ad will be sent to your landing page to get more information about your company and services.

Use Social Media

Have company pages set up for your business on a few of the major social media sites. Having a Facebook page active for your company should be your top priority if you either don’t have one yet or you already do but haven’t been updating it as you should. Make sure your page is visually appealing with a profile picture and a captivating cover photo (we suggest your company logo or a photo of a job you’re particularly proud of).

You can also put a little money into paid social ads. On Facebook, for example, you can choose to either “boost” a post made on your page and have it be seen by people who are interested in your services, or you can create specific, targeted ads for anyone who may be interested in getting their roof fixed or replaced.

Pick a budget that you’re comfortable with (you can start with as little as $5 a day), create an ad or a post that links to the landing page you’ve created and watch the potential buyers and engagement roll in.

In times where meeting people in person is difficult, a good roof quote software can be your best friend. Working remotely doesn’t have to be hard if everything you need can be accessed from your desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone.

Roofgraf is an all-in-one measurement and roofing proposal tool that allows you to create jobs anywhere, any time. Just enter an address, trace the outlines of the roof and let the software do the rest. From auto-detecting roof pitch, creating smart templates, offering “good, better, best” options and automating roof reports, all while using the best in HD imagery from Nearmap, Roofgraf has you covered from the start of your remote process from lead to sale.

1) Attend a screenshare demonstration to learn more about how the roof measuring tool works.

So, you’ve landed here, and you’re wondering what Roofgraf is all about and how it can help you? Let us show you with a tailored demonstration of our measurement tool and proposal generator.

The first thing you’ll want to do is set up a demo with one of our reps, who will give you a full walkthrough of what our estimating and measurement software can do. They’ll take 15 minutes of your time to go over how to use our map services: Nearmap, Google, and Bing, and our specially designed algorithm to measure the area of a roof and generate accurate bids for your leads and clients. 

You’ll also learn how Roofgraf can not only generate roofing quotes for you but can also be used as a lead and customer management tool for your entire roofing company and staff. 

Your rep will also give you access to a 10-day free trial where you can take the roof measurement software for a spin on unlimited roofs. Give it a try on a desktop computer, phone or tablet since our roofing quote software is completely mobile friendly. 

Still have questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer service agents by phone, email or LiveChat through your account dashboard. We have live support on weekdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm CST. 

Not only is Roofgraf the best roofing software for calculating square footage and roof pitch but it’s highly customizable as well. Let the tool know your costs for roofing materials and labor as well as any extras or services you offer so that you can then add them to any project created at the click of a button. 

Do you offer any warranties or discounts? What about any extra costs added to your jobs? Set it up and toggle between options either at your desk, on the road or in front of a prospective client. Set up “Good-Better-Best” templates so that you can present multiple options to your buyers on each proposal and nab each sale by becoming your own competition.

Make sure to also send invites to your team members so that they can create accounts and use the software as well.

Now that you’ve seen what modern technology has to offer in the roofing industry, implement these tips and comment below how they’ve transformed your business. If you know of anything we didn’t mention, please do not hesitate to let us know as well in the comments so we can share it going forward.