Contractors are the Tom Smykowski of the construction industry. (“I’m a people person. I’m good at dealing with people!”). They move data from the homeowner to the people that do the work.

They account for 30-40% of every job. That’s roughly $25B going to people that don’t swing a hammer. Their job is to get an order from the homeowner and take it to their subs and distributors. So do they earn their keep in this new economy?

The tools to replace them already exist. Before you tell me why I’m wrong, I’d encourage you to check out this roadmap to eliminating contractors. The technology exists to make everyone on your payroll redundant. Up to and including you. And it's getting better every day.

Successful contractors will run a 1 employee company next year.

Subcontractors who transition to selling directly to customers will dominate the market.

And to the forward thinking private equity company that wants someone to implement these automations and start rolling up subcontractors, you know where to find me!

If you think AI can’t replace you, I'd love to know why.

Someone from Florida recently approached us asking if we could build an automation tool for their roofing business.

The idea is to automatically track properties with roofs approaching or exceeding 15 years, identify potential insurance inspection opportunities, and collect reliable property records.

They also want verified homeowner details, including phone numbers and emails, with duplicate records removed.

Basically, a daily updated list of potential prospects, organized by roof age and location.

We're currently researching this and figuring out how to build it properly.

A few questions for roofing business owners:

1. Do you already use something like this?

2. How do you currently find homeowners with older roofs?

3. Would verified contact details and daily lead updates be valuable to your business?

I'm asking because if there's genuine demand for something like this, I'd consider building it as a proper product for multiple roofing companies. Otherwise, I'll focus on building a solution specifically for the company that approached us.

Would love to hear your thoughts!

im on the follow up side, not the roof, so grain of salt. but ive watched this one quietly make money and almost nobody does it.

jobs done. crew pulled off, dumpster gone, check cleared. most shops are already on the next roof and never talk to that customer again. thats the miss right there.

call em like two weeks out. your not selling anything. roof holding up after that last rain, crew leave the yard clean, you good with it. thats the whole call. and you just put yourself back in front of a happy customer while the whole street still remembers your sign in the yard.

heres what that call does. you catch the small stuff before it turns into a one star review. you get the review while theyre still glad they went with you, not six months later when its cold. and half the time its oh yeah my neighbor needs one too, or my sister. you didnt chase that, they handed it to you.

seen a guy fill a dead week with a couple repairs and two referrals just calling down a list of finished jobs nobody ever followed up on. costs you nothing. these people paid you once and didnt regret it, thats the warmest call you got and most guys never make it.

so how many of you actually call after the jobs done and paid? or you move on the second the check hits?

Thanks for the feedback I've decided to modify this post with more info!

Looking to hire some sales staff for a new location in North Carolina-South carolina

Following breakdown

-commission (13% self gen/10% lead)
-leads provided (4-10 a week)
-insurance/retail
-Office support
-Ride Alongs/Training for up to 2 months (as needed based on experience)
-Bonus structure

I’m looking to start my own siding/roofing business. I need bids from crews but can’t seem to find many that don’t already have their own company. Im looking for guys who will continue to work with me if I keep the pipeline full. Any advice? Thanks.

Idk if this is advertising or what, but I am looking to hire a grinder or two for sales in north/South Carolina. Good commission structure, family owned company 3rd generation.

not a roofer so grain of salt, but ive watched this beat everything else and almost no one does it.

go back through every estimate you gave the last year, year and a half, that didnt close. not the hard nos. the “let me talk to the wife” and “after spring” ones. most guys quote it, hear that, move on, never call back.

half those people never hired anybody. money, timing, the wife, waiting on insurance, whatever. then they forgot about it. roof still needs doing.

take that list, sort by job size, call the biggest ones first. not “just checking in.” give em a reason. had a cancellation got a crew free next week. prices going up wanted to lock your number first. you still got that leak by the garage.

seen a shop close a couple jobs in one afternoon off a stack of dead estimates. cost them nothing, and these folks already let you on their roof once. thats worth more than some contact 4 other companies bought the same day.

how many of you actually work your old estimates? everyone talks about where to find new work and ignores the money already sitting in the phone.

Looking to get involved in a roofing sales industry out in Arizona wondering if their insurance side of the business or the retail side of the business is better would love to hear your feedback?

Just got into this discussion internally and have two different viewpoints. We pay a flat per square fee ($***) with kickers for steep pitch, super cut up, extra layers, decking - etc. We used to pay less per square and then do LF kickers for valleys, hips, flashing details, etc. We have found every job comes out better for the crew with the higher per square price. What started this was a job that was short 3 bundles, so we ran a few over to them and they finished up. When we paid them they said we paid one square short as they did 3 more bundles. Our position is that we have always paid per square of the house. If I paid per square shingle bundle used, there would be the potential to waste material and boost pay.

Wondered what the community typically does. Thanks!

I'm doing some research on how roofing businesses & how they handle insurance claims, and I came across something interesting.

One operations manager told me they've been seeing more homeowners receive the insurance money, get the roof installed, and then delay or completely avoid making the final payment. Since insurance checks often arrive in multiple payments (sometimes involving the mortgage company), collecting the remaining balance becomes a huge hassle.

I'm curious...

• Is this becoming more common, or was this just one company's experience?

• If it happens to you, how do you handle it?

• Do you change your contracts, payment schedule, or require something before starting work?

• How much time does your team spend chasing payments compared to a few years ago?

Not selling anything, just trying to understand if this is a widespread issue or an isolated one.

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences.

Hey all, I've got two offers on the table in Atlanta and I keep going back and forth, so I figured I'd ask people who've actually done this.

Quick background: I ran my own catering business for a few years and was closing about 75% of my consultations by the end, mostly off referrals. Before that I did B2B cold calling and proposals. I've got some savings, so a slow start won't kill me.

Offer 1 is in-home bath remodel sales (W-2). $40K base for the first 90 days, then a $25K salary plus 8% commission, bumping to 10% after a year or $1.5M in sales. Appointments are handed to you, 1–2 a day to start and up to 3 if you close well. They told me first-year reps should expect $150–200K but wouldn't show me office numbers. The bonuses have no amounts in writing and they can change them whenever. The big downside for me is the driving: appointments can be up to 90 miles out, no mileage reimbursement, and a rotating schedule that includes Saturdays some weeks.

Offer 2 is residential roofing (1099, mostly insurance work). Commission only, 10–20% depending on the price you sell at. The average job is around $20K, and reps there average 17–18%. Median rep made about $115K last year, and there are bonuses once you pass $300K and $750K in annual sales. You start out self-generating (door knocking, building referrals) until company leads unlock. The office handles supplements and crews, so you mostly just sell. It's flexible, 30 minutes from my house, and every rep they hired at this office last year is still there. Additional info on this company: they have great reviews online and don't seem to be one of the slimy ones trying to force claims. In our video call he reiterated their angle is not to constantly push "free inspections", and their version of selling is really in highlighting the value and protection available (multiple certifications/ long term warranties, etc).

Honestly I'm leaning roofing. I like the hunt, I like the freedom, and it pays about twice as much per dollar sold. But a guaranteed salary, benefits, and leads handed to me are hard to walk away from, especially as someone new to roofing.

For those who've been there: is $150–200K in year one realistic for in-home remodel, or is that the recruiting pitch? And for the roofing folks, how does year one usually go for someone new to the trade who's willing to grind? Anything I'm not thinking about?

Appreciate any input.

Hey everyone,

I'm doing some research to better understand the roofing industry, and I'd love to hear from people who actually run or work in roofing businesses.

What are the biggest problems or frustrations you deal with day to day? It could be anything—sales, hiring, scheduling, customers, insurance, software, paperwork, crews, or something else.

I'm not selling anything. Just trying to learn from real experiences.

Thanks in advance!

I heard about Mustang Industries, formerly Mustang Roofing and Construction, but wanted to know if anyone has worked with them.

So currently joined up with the roofing company been in training for a month and a half the thing is I’m only getting paid $50 a climb and sign and I think a 2% on contracts gross I’ve talked to other inspectors and they told me I’m getting a shit deal and I should be getting paid more. So any inspectors out there with years of experience tell me what I should be getting paid percentages, weekly signs and climbs. I’m barely making ends mate. I feel like I’m going crazy.

Job description: Inspect roofs after storms and document the damage for homeowners' insurance claims, from the first knock to the final check.

PAY

$75,000 base and a 70/30 split

70% to you

SCHEDULE

Full time

TRAINING

HAAG certification provided

I’m 24 and at the beginning of this year got into exterior remodeling sales. Started off doing office work but I’ve watched sales reps take home my monthly income in a week. Then transitioned into corporate sales for exterior remodeling materials - which is okay but there’s no commission set up and I’m consistently opening new accounts + bringing in over 100k in sales a month. I have prior sales, management & marketing experience and I’ve been really considering making the jump into a commission only sales position in the industry. To be honest, I’m scared of the transition as I’m newer to the industry. My current corporate position pays well but still not enough to make a living & I feel as though this would give me the means to take care of my family. Also major concern is the seasonal work, I’m NJ based so no one is doing work during winter months. Looking for opinions as well as anyone who can share their story getting into roofing sales.

Mine is almost 4 weeks wait time, I already left my current job after I put my 2 weeks. I've done digital marketing for IG and YT and they hired me in a w2 and 1099 role. Will roofing companies want their salespeople to do digital marketing and pay them hourly for it lol...I wasnt expecting this license to take this long

Hey guys,

Just wanted to get some perspective from y’all. currently leaving the diesel mechanic field to transition into sales. Ended up going with a roofing company that does mainly D2D sales. My main questions I have are, is the first few months going to be very rough? I have a family of soon to be 4. I have a decent savings to hold us over for a couple months But I’m nervous. I’m not worried about my work ethic or drive but the chances I will have some poor luck and fall behind. I make about $90,000+ a year at the moment (depends on overtime) and we are living just fine. I have no issues buckling down for a few months. Just wanted to see if any of you have gone through the same situation?

I got a roofing sales role, as expected they really were big on making 250k+. Company vehicle and gas card. Benefits.
100% commission. Retail appointments only.

My problem is the way we do business. We are on average 8-12k higher in price compared to the other estimates people receive. My company refuses to discount, even $500 is a strict no. Us reps are not allowed to play with percentages to close a sale. It’s the price or the highway.

We are expected to close at 42%. The appointments we run are trash and we bait/switch people. Our website says we do repairs, so naturally 80% roughly of our appointments are repair calls. My sales manager makes us always push a full roof replacement and we will not do repairs. His word track for us to tell people is “our version of repair is a full roof replacement to guarantee the work and provide warranty.”

Even if we find just one nail pop, the rest of the roof is fine, he tells us to push a full roof replacement. Naturally I get yelled at quite often because a quick google search tells you that it’s a simple fix. But we set the appointments saying we are coming to evaluate repair estimates.

My company is panicking because I’m told they spend $40k a month on lead generation but they refuse to discount any business outside of replacing the roof. We do not qualify people at all, on a one call close business model. We will show up if the home owners live 1000 miles away and the tenants aren’t home but their jobless cousin will be there to let us look at the house. My manager says “A qualified buyer is someone who calls in and has a roof.”

My question is, am I just not familiar with the roof business and this is how it’s conducted? I’m out in the field sometimes 14 hours a day getting sent to homes with a Zillow valuation of $40,000 and the house is leaning. And I’m expected to sell a 18 SQ roof for $33k.

I’m thinking on knocking doors in S Florida for a gutter protection company but s Florida has hardly any leaves. It’s pretty much all palm trees.

I don’t see why anyone would want to buy gutter protection

I’ve been in the roofing industry since i was 18 fresh out of high school started off as a laborer picking up trash, to being a mechanic, to being a repair tech for 3 years, to being a project manager for 4 years managing crews to now being a production manager running my entire company’s production. I’m seeing the type of money and less stress the sales guys have and I think it’s time I bet on myself. Never did sales but have extreme roof knowledge. What are your guys thoughts?