Business Tips

Why Your Roofing Company Needs SEO

why roofing companies need SEO

In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for any business, but it is especially important for a roofing company looking to dominate in their market. One of the most effective ways to improve your online visibility and attract potential customers is through Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

SEO refers to the process of optimizing your website and its content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords and phrases. In other words, it is a set of techniques and strategies that help your website appear at the top of search engine results when potential customers search for roofing services in your area. While Google is the most popular search engine, a well optimized website will also rank in the top results of other search engines as well (Bing, Yahoo!, etc.)

SEO is many times neglected in a roofing company’s overall marketing strategy in favor of focusing on social media and pay-per-click (PPC) ads. This is a major mistake. Although results may not appear instantly when first getting started, a properly optimized website can bring in high-intent leads over and over again at a much lower cost-per-lead than other paid marketing methods.

Here are a few reasons why SEO should not be neglected in your roofing company marketing strategy:

Increased Visibility

You’ve paid thousands to have a website designed, but what good is that investment if nobody will see your company when searching for a roofer in your area? The primary benefit of SEO is that it increases your online visibility, which means more people will be able to find your roofing company online. By optimizing your website for relevant keywords and phrases, along with implementing various other techniques, you can rank higher in search results and attract more potential customers to your website.

Higher Quality Leads

Paid ad campaigns can sometimes produce tire-kickers and other low-quality leads, which you still have to pay for. SEO helps attract high-quality leads– individuals who are actively searching for roofing services in your area. These leads are more likely to convert into customers as they are already interested in your services and actively seeking them out.

Competitive Advantage

By optimizing your roofing website for SEO, you can gain a competitive advantage over many other roofing companies in your area who are not investing in SEO. The higher you rank in search results, the easier it will be for potential customers to find you and choose your services over competitors.

Cost-Effective

In the long run, SEO is a cost-effective marketing strategy for your roofing company compared to other forms of advertising, such as pay-per-click advertising or traditional advertising methods. Once your website is properly optimized, it will be working 24/7 to attract potential customers to your website.  It is important to note that while SEO is highly effective in bringing in leads, additional lead generation may still be necessary through PPC and other methods. SEO doesn’t replace other types of marketing, but works in concert with them.

roofing seo

By investing in SEO, you can increase your website’s visibility, attract high-quality leads, gain a competitive advantage over other roofing companies in your area, and save valuable marketing dollars, which can be used to invest in other areas of your company.

Whether you are a new or established roofing company, today is the day to get started on implementing SEO into your marketing strategy. Your competitors may 

There are a few things to consider before going out and hiring a marketing company to do your SEO for you. SEO can be VERY expensive, besides the fact that there are many incompetent or dishonest marketers you will need to avoid. Hiring the wrong marketing company could cost you thousands of dollars PER MONTH, with little or no results, not to mention the additional costs in hiring another company to fix their mistakes. Make sure you research the marketing company you are considering diligently before signing a contract.

Another option you may want to consider is having your SEO done in-house, rather than outsourcing. Doing your own SEO can help your company potentially save thousands in ongoing costs, while allowing you to know exactly how your SEO marketing dollars are being spent.

Roofing SEO School can help you take control of your own SEO by teaching you or someone from your team the technical aspects of optimizing your website, creating content, building backlinks, monitoring your search results, optimizing and maintaining your Google business listing, and much more. Right now you can save $100 on signup with the code “RoofersHelper100”. Find out more HERE.

Need help choosing the right marketing company for your roofing business? CONTACT US

 

Roofing Social Media Management – Top 5 Fails

Roofing Social Media Fails

Many roofers love to see images and video of roofing “fails”. Whether it’s a ugly repair job done by a homeowner, or a botched install by a “chuck in a truck”, these type of posts often get a lot of attention.  While roofing fails can draw a crowd, unfortunately, social media account fails have the opposite effect.  After reviewing thousands of social media accounts over the past few years, I have seen a number social media account “fails”.  While the buck ultimately stops with the business owner, sometimes the fail is caused by an employee, family member or social media manager who is running the account.  If used properly, social media accounts can be a very effective and economical way to generate roofing leads. When not managed properly, they can waste valuable time and money, besides missing out on connecting with potential customers.

While there are numerous mistakes that can be made when running a social media account, here are the top 5 fails I have seen in the roofing industry, in no particular order:

1 . NOT POSTING FOR THEIR CUSTOMER

roofing customer profile

While this should be obvious, many roofing businesses on social media don’t seem to know who their audience is. Roofing business social accounts will often post images and videos that will draw a lot of attention from other roofers (through love or hate), but these same posts have little or no meaning whatsoever to a homeowner.

It is important to research your target audience (age, gender, location, economics, residential, commercial, etc.). If you take the time to develop a customer persona (avatar), you will have more clarity when deciding what images, video, and text should be posted. Don’t fall into the trap of posting what you personally enjoy or what other roofers will like. If you want to do that, create a separate influencer account aimed at roofers. For the social media account for your roofing business, create posts with your potential customer in mind.  

2. NO POSTING STRATEGY

Another social media mistake some make is not putting much thought into what, when, and how they post. They will post various images or video throughout the week or month, seemingly without any rhyme or reason. These social posts may not even include any descriptive text or hashtags.

Planning and consistency are important for effective social media outreach. After developing a customer persona (mentioned above), creating a social posting calendar can help in organizing a variety of post types and content. With proper planning, content for a whole month (or more) can be created from just a few roofing jobs. When and how often you post can help improve the chances that a customer will see your post.

3. NO SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

There are some who may actively post quality content, but never make the effort to interact with their audience. They post, and then disappear from their social account until they login to post again. Comments (negative or positive) are ignored, and they don’t even check their DM’s. Basically, they aren’t very “social” on their social media account.

If you are going through the work of creating high-quality content aimed at your audience, you need to do everything possible to prompt them to see your content. Be active on the social platforms you are posting on. Respond to comments, and definitely be checking your inbox regularly (although you may have to weed through the marketing spammers). Interact with your potential customers on their accounts, and on other primary accounts they are following. Responding to their posts with genuine comments can help build a relationship not only with that account owner, but also their followers.

4 . TOO MUCH SELLING/SPAMMING

spamming customers

Some fall into the trap of always using social to only promote their business. Their posts mostly consist of asking people to hire their roofing company. Their “engagement” on other social accounts is what most would describe as “spam”. They are more focused on trying to force an instant sale, than on first building a relationship of trust. They are constantly bombarding others with their sales pitch.

There are many creative ways to use social media to build brand awareness and trust rather than annoying customers by always trying to get them to hire you. Try to provide genuine interaction with customers without including any sales pitch. Contribute valuable input when posting or responding in social groups and on other business and personal social accounts. Building trust through relationships takes time, but is a much more effective sales strategy in the long run.  Many top marketers recommend that only 20% of your social posts should involve promoting your business and the remaining 80% should be used to educate and entertain your prospective customer.

5. NOT STUDYING ANALYTICS

One final mistake is to be working hard to consistently create and post content, and taking the time to engage with your audience, without knowing the effectiveness of what you are posting. Social media business accounts (along with some personal/creator accounts) provide helpful analytics which many business owners have never looked at, much less studied. Likes, comments, and views can easily be seen under a post, but they don’t necessarily give a complete representation of the impact a particular post has.

Don’t just focus on vanity metrics, or even “going viral”. There are other important metrics to study including impressions/reach, saved posts, shares, and the demographics of your viewers. You may be discouraged that a post doesn’t get many likes, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. You may have more potential customers checking out your business than you think. Most people aren’t going to be actively liking and commenting on posts from their local home improvement contractors. Don’t be discouraged by that. Instead, focus on increasing reach/impressions in your local area to draw attention to your business and build brand awareness.

Need help developing a solid social media strategy for your roofing business? CONTACT US

20 Proven Ways to Get Roofing Leads

This is one of the most-asked questions by roofing contractors: “How do I get more roofing leads?”  It’s a loaded question, as there are many methods to generate solid leads.  Often, the bigger problem is that contractors are already getting leads in various forms, but don’t know how to capitalize on them.

Another common complaint is cold-calling or door-knocking  While not for everyone, if done well, it is still an effective means of acquiring new customers.  Still, there are many ways to generate roofing leads without door-knocking or having strong sales skills.

Research and get references before handing over your money to marketers.  Marketing dollars can disappear quickly with no return.  Some marketers are scammers, while others may just be inexperienced or incompetent.  While not every advertising campaign will be successful, you need to make sure the company/individual you hire is trustworthy.

Here’s a list of proven paid and free lead-generation sources.

Branding

Branding is an under-rated, but powerful source of leads.  A roofing brand that includes a good business name, quality logo, catchy tagline, and is backed up by a variety of well-designed marketing materials can generate countless leads.  Your advertising should center around your brand.  Invest in brand-building for long-term results.

A High-Quality Website (plus SEO)

Many times contractors overlook the power of a well-designed, SEO-optimized website because they are looking for the phone to ring immediately.  A quality website will bring in qualified leads consistently over the long-term.

A website with an attractive home page, an about page, a services-offered page, and a contact page is a minimum requirement.  roofing leads from your websiteA call to action along with contact information on every page is very important.  SEO (search engine optimization) will give your website an edge that other roofers may not have.  Search algorithms are constantly changing, so SEO is not a once-and-done thing.  Make sure the company you hire to do your SEO uses “white-hat” techniques (methods Google deems non-spammy).  Otherwise, your site could be severely penalized.

Don’t forget user experience.  Your website should load quickly, and be easy to navigate.  Make sure your website is responsive and mobile-friendly (adapts to various screen sizes and devices).  A well-designed website is a great form of advertising because it is promoting your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Also, in contrast to social media, your website is an asset that you own and have full control over.

Door Knocking

Although knocking on doors is difficult for some, taking an effective sales pitch to key neighborhoods is still a useful tool for lead generation for many companies.  Some roofing companies depend on door-to-door sales more than anything else.  Getting proper sales training will greatly increase your chances of signing up jobs.

Door Flyers

Well-designed flyers can be very effective in advertising your roofing services.  If you hate cold-calling/door-knocking, this is a gentler alternative.  Targeting the right neighborhoods is the key to getting the most bang for your buck.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

One way to get your company to the top of search engine results is through PPC (pay-per-click) advertising.  Google is the #1 search engine to use, but good results can also be had from Bing and Yahoo.  Costs per lead will depend on the competition from other roofers also trying to advertise.

Home Improvement Networks

There are multiple popular referral/review networks that connect homeowners with contractors such as HomeAdvisor, Angi, Thumbtack, Nextdoor etc.  Be aware that while some contractors are satisfied with these services, many others have had very negative experiences due to shared leads, poor customer support, billing issues, etc.  Due your research before signing a contract.

Google PPC Ads

PPC (Pay-per-click) ads can help bring traffic to your website or help get the phone ringing.  PPC ads can be costly, especially if not set up properly.  Make sure you hire a marketing company you can trust in order to get the best results from Google ads.

Google Local Service Ads

If your company passes the screening process, you may be eligible for Google Local Service ads.  Your company can get a Google Guaranteed or Google Screened badge, and potentially show up at the top of the Google search page.

Referrals

A happy customer can be one of your best roofing lead sources.  Don’t be afraid to leave some business cards and/or flyers with a satisfied customer and ask them to refer you.

Reviews

Reviews are a type of referral that can also provide leads for your roofing company.  Google and Facebook are two of the most common places for customers to leave reviews.  While some customers may leave a review on their own, many more will gladly leave positive feedback if you would simply ask them.  Sharing a link to the review page will make the process easier.

Get Featured on The Roofer’s Helper

Getting your company featured on The Roofer’s Helper not only exposes your brand to over 200,00 followers on social media, but also provides a custom landing page with company info, images, links, and contact information.  These landing pages will help boost your SEO and overall web exposure.  On top of that, your company will be featured in The Roofer’s Helper Directory. Find out more here: Get Featured

Google Business Listing

An often-overlooked powerhouse for roofing leads is the free Google Business Listing. Not only can you show up at the top of searches (even though your website might be on page 10), but potential customers can get all your contact information, see reviews, and more.

Positive Online Reviewsroofing leads through reviews

Often, one of the first things a potential customer will do when deciding on a roofing contractor is to look online for reviews.  Ask loyal customers to leave a positive review for you or to email you a review for your website.  Don’t forget to highlight your positive online reviews on social media and your website.

Facebook Ads

Facebook ads allow you to hyper-target your audience, so you can help determine where your leads are coming from.  You can choose how much you want to spend, and specify who you want the ad to be seen by (age, location, etc.).  If setting up an ad campaign seems too daunting, you may want to hire a marketing agency to run the campaign for you.

Yard Signs

Yard signs are all over the place because they are effective.  Make sure the sign is easy to read and provides basic contact information.

News Media

If you have donated to charity or done something else newsworthy as a roofing company, let your local newspaper or television station know about it.  They may just choose to run your story, for free!  roofing leads from the newsOther ways to possibly get featured are providing roofing-related information such as reasons to get your roof inspected, how to avoid a roofing scam, preparing the exterior of your home for winter, etc.

Vehicle Advertising

Vehicle wraps, or some other type of advertising on your vehicle will bring brand awareness everywhere you go, whether you are on a roofing job, parked at a local diner, or driving down the street.

Community Sponsoring and Events

Help sponsor a local sports team, or advertise at a community event such as a charity walk.  Having your business name fully or partially featured on a shirt or banner can help bring in roofing leads, while also benefiting your community.

Many communities have annual events where local businesses can set up booths.  This is a great opportunity to feature your business and get a chance to interact with potential customers.   Have people sign up with their emails.  You could offer a particular service or a gift certificate to the winner.  You could also choose to offer all contestants a consolation prize such as 10% off any roofing service.

Social Media

Social media is a great way to promote your brand, and it’s free!  Currently, two of the best social media platforms to advertise your roofing company are Facebook and Instagram.  If you choose to start a social media account, be sure to use the business analytics settings to see how your posts are doing.  roofing leads through social mediaThis will help you maximize your time and effort in order to attract quality roofing leads.  Also, it is important to post regularly (at least once every week or two at minimum) to let prospective roofing customers know the account is active.

Real Estate Agents

Teaming up with real estate agents can be a win-win for both parties.  Many times a roof needs to be repaired or replaced before a home sale can be completed.  Roof inspections can be a great way to get your foot in the door to sell a new roof to either the seller or the buyer.

Contractor Networking

Connecting with other home improvement contractors is an excellent way to generate roofing leads.  Often plumbers, carpenters, electricians, etc., get asked if they know a roofer, just like you may often get asked for a reference for another home improvement contractor.   Building a good relationship with contractors and other home-related businesses can help bring in a steady source of roofing jobs.

Need Help?

Contact us and we’ll do our best to refer you to an agency that can meet your marketing needs.

How To Get A Flat Roof Insurance Claim Approved

How to get a Flat Roof Insurance Claim Approved

On the surface, flat roofs seem simpler than your average sloped roofs. But, with several different types of flat roofs and three different ways to install them, flat roofs are far from simple. Many adjusters don’t understand the intricacies of flat roofs and will often select the cheapest materials in Xactimate (i.e., Roll Roofing) – which often isn’t the correct material.

Because adjusters don’t have in-depth knowledge when it comes to flat roofs, the burden of proof falls heavily on you as the contractor. For example, if the adjuster doesn’t include enough modified bitumen, because he/she doesn’t understand how it is installed or ordered, you need to submit supporting documents – measurements, code requirements, core samples, invoices, etc. – that prove these funds and additional materials are needed.

So, what do you need to submit to get your flat roofing jobs approved?

1. Inspection Checklist & Measurements.  At Elite, we require a filled-out inspection checklist for all flat roof jobs. Why? We need to know what types of products are currently on the roof and how they are applied. We also need to know what type of penetrations the roof has. For example, the number of drains, pipe jacks, exhaust vents, etc. 

Measurements are super important when it comes to ordering the correct amount of materials, and for proving to adjusters why you need that amount. For flat roofs, the wall height is especially important to determine how much material to install. The wall could be anywhere between 1 and 6 feet high and most times this is left off an adjuster’s scope of loss.

Download Elite’s Roof Inspection Checklist.

2. Photos from the photo checklist. As always, you will need photos to prove your case. Damage photos, flashing photos, photos showing access issues, core sample photos, etc. will be necessary to show why you need what you’re asking for.

Download Elite’s Photo Checklists

3. Roof Core Sample. We recommend taking a core sample to give us a better indication of what lies beneath the top layer. A roof core sample is a process in which you bore or drill out a two-inch diameter hole in the flat roof, from the top layer to the deck, to see how many layers of roofing material and insulation exist. Core samples are critical to establish how much labor and debris charges should be included on the Xactimate estimate and, when documented correctly, it is very difficult for the adjuster to deny those funds.

Core samples are typically taken with a tool known as a core cutter, roof core sample tool, or a roof core sampler.  Roof core sample tools can be manually operated or attached as a drill bit and range in price from $50 to $200. 

Example of manually operated core sample tool

Example of power drill core sample tool

Remember to take pictures showing you completed a core sample and to prove the number of layers present!

roof core sample

roof core sample thickness

4. Thermal Imaging. There are a couple different ways to detect a leak, but we recommend using thermal imaging. In fact, we’ve gotten total roofs approved based on thermal images. When moisture penetrates the membrane, it causes the area to hold heat. So, if there are red areas on the thermal image, it means water is underneath the cap sheet/flat roofing system. If the image is as red as the image below, code will require the roof to be replaced. 

roof thermal image

Photo Caption: The red across the roof shows areas where moisture has penetrated the membrane

There are plenty of services out there that you can use to have thermal images taken for you. You can also ask your local supplier if they have a thermal imaging camera for purchase.

For more information about flat roof supplementing, check out Elite’s Flat Roof Supplementing page.

What Can A Contractor Do If The Insurance Claim Is Denied?

There are a variety of reasons WHY an adjuster denies a roofing or siding insurance claim; they dispute the storm date, they didn’t perform a thorough inspection, there wasn’t enough damage to warrant a replacement, or maybe they felt that the roof could be repaired instead of replaced. The WHY doesn’t really make a difference. What matters is what the contractor can do about it.

Some roofing contractors and sales reps view a denied claim as the end of the road for that job, potentially missing out on thousands or even millions of dollars per year. Savvy contractors who understand what damage looks like and perform thorough inspections view a denied claim as just another minor setback and actively work to appeal a denied claim and convert it into a profitable job. 

Supplementing a denied roof or siding claim is the best way for you to bring an insurance storm claim back to life, but as Kenny Rogers used to say, “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, Know when to fold ’em, Know when to walk away, And know when to run.” roofing insurance claim denied

Denied claims are more work for the contractor AND the homeowner. The denied claim supplementing process involves submitting a detailed Xactimate estimate with corresponding photo documentation and educating the homeowner on how to challenge the adjuster’s initial findings. If you don’t want to lose credibility with carriers, you should only supplement denied claims when you feel confident the house has enough damage to warrant an approval. By choosing the right denied claims to challenge, you will increase the likelihood of getting approvals, but even if you eventually lose the fight, you will likely have gained a long-term customer and even get referrals.

What Are Your Options?

When you want to convert a roofing insurance claim from a denial to a full replacement, there are six main options at your disposal: Re-inspections, Estimates, Engineer Reports, Public Adjusters, Arbitration, and engaging State Insurance Regulators.

  1. REINSPECTION: A reinspection is when a homeowner requests that a different adjuster perform a second, full inspection of the property. You should come to the reinspection prepared to walk the adjuster through all the documented damage. Clearly marking damage and performing test squares can give you credibility with the adjuster but be careful and know your local adjusters; this can sometimes backfire if they want to be the ones to mark any damage found. When re-inspections are done correctly, you can expect conversion rates as high as 50%.
  2. REQUEST AN ESTIMATE: Requesting an estimate from a 3rd party supplementing company is a great option for contractors who do not have experience challenging denied claims or lack experience writing Xactimate estimates. Having a well written Xactimate is the first step in the denied claim supplement process. During this stage, a 3rd party supplementing company will also be able to quickly look at the existing documentation and provide their professional opinion on the damage photos and the case to move forward. An honest 3rd party can save contractors time just by helping them avoid denied claims that have a low probability of approval.
  3. ENGINEER REPORT: Engineer reports are another tool to challenge a denied claim. If the adjuster and contractor cannot agree on whether the damage is storm related or if there is enough damage to warrant replacement, then in most cases the homeowner may hire an engineer, at his or her expense, to inspect the property. In most cases if the engineer determines that the damage warrants replacement then the insurance company will reimburse the cost of the engineer. However, if it is determined that there is not enough damage to warrant replacement, then the homeowner will likely be out the expense of hiring the engineer.
  4. PUBLIC ADJUSTER: Another option is to get a public adjuster involved. The public adjuster works on behalf of the homeowner to provide another expert inspection and has the ability to negotiate with the insurance carrier. It is a good idea to have a few vetted, trustworthy public adjusters ready to recommend. Public adjusters can be very expensive and typically should be a last resort as in most cases if there is valid damage on a property then any one of the other items mentioned in this post should ensure a similar outcome at a fraction of the cost.
  5. ARBITRATION: Arbitration is the formal means to dispute a denied claim. The process involves both parties sending an arbitrator to inspect the property in question. Typically, the carrier is represented by a senior adjuster or some other highly credentialed inspector, while the contractor represents the homeowner. Remember arbitration takes time (hours and hours in most cases), time that could be spent going to find another deal instead of fighting a tough battle that distracts you from helping more clients. It is warranted in some cases however we at Elite feel that arbitration and public adjusters for that matter, have become vastly overused in our industry when a contractor’s focus should be on getting the next deal and repairing as many homes as possible. Like Kenny said…know when to fold ‘em.
  6. DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE COMPLAINT: In cases where storm damage is obvious, well-documented, and there exists a clear storm date, etc., and the carrier refuses to engage the claim in good faith, a contractor could recommend that the homeowner file a complaint with the Department of Insurance in that state. This action is not intended to change the outcome of a specific claim, but more so to level the overall playing field moving forward. This could help state regulators identify and weed out bad actors on the insurance side. 

No matter the step, denied claims require more buy-in from the homeowner. Sometimes the homeowner will not want to move forward with the claim but when they do, they often become more emotionally invested and determined to get the denied claim overturned. That’s why it’s so important for the contractor to educate their clients on the process, set expectations and communicate every step of the way. Remember it all starts with being well-trained on how to identify damage, performing an accurate thorough inspection, and only working on properties with valid damage. If you start there, your likelihood of having a denied claim overturned goes up significantly. 

How Roofing Contractors Can Turn Partial Approvals into Full Approvals

When it comes to storm related insurance claims, partial approvals are going to happen. Some contractors just accept the adjuster’s initial findings and leave thousands or even millions of dollars on the table. Experienced contractors view a partial approval as part of the process and actively work to convert those initially small claims into large, profitable jobs. 

What are partial approvals and what can contractors do about them?

A partial approval is when an insurance carrier only approves replacement for part of the roof and/or siding. If the contractor feels strongly that the job requires a full replacement or additional trades, he or she can submit a partial approval supplement along with supporting documentation to attempt to get approval for a full replacement. 

Let’s say you’ve inspected a 30 square roof and found enough storm damage to warrant a claim. An adjuster may agree that a section of the roof was damaged by hail but will only approve replacement of 5 of the 30 squares. In order to get the other 25 squares approved, you need to determine if the supplement is Product Related or Damage Related. (In our experience, it’s about a 50-50 split.) Both scenarios require additional documentation. 

What type of Documentation do you need?

If the argument is Damage Related, additional damage photos and photos of test squares need to be taken and submitted along with a thorough list of accessories and components not included in the original scope of loss. (This is why you should use your inspection checklist on your inspection!) Some states even have building code requirements that limit the number of repairs that can be made on a roof, like the Florida Building Code 25% Rule. If there is a code requirement in your area, submit that, too.insurance approval roof

If the argument is Product Related, then you need to include documentation that the shingles or siding are discontinued, unavailable, etc. ITEL reports with the receipt, letters from the supplier, or “do not mix” documentation from the manufacturer should be included with the supplement.   

How many partial approvals should you supplement?

Experienced contractors will know from the inspection if the house has sustained enough damage to warrant a claim. That, combined with proper documentation will allow you to easily know which partial approvals to focus on fighting and which ones to shift to retail jobs if the homeowner still wants a full replacement. 

Should you use a 3rd party supplementing company to process partial approval jobs?

For contractors that are inexperienced with challenging roofing and siding partial approvals or repairs, a 3rd party supplementing company can be a good option. A roofing supplement company will be able to quickly determine if enough documentation exists to move forward. 

Learn more about documentation you should use on every job on Elite’s YouTube channel.

What Is Supplementing, And How Much Can Roofing Contractors Make If They Do It Right?

If you’re new to the roofing business or just getting into storm restoration, you’ve likely heard the word “supplement” (or Supplement) thrown around but probably don’t have a good grasp on what it means. Let’s walk through what a supplement is and how supplementing will benefit your roofing company.

What is a supplement?

A roofing supplement or contractor supplement is when a contractor asks for additional materials, labor, or trades to be added to the insurance claim. An adjuster may not include enough shingles, ice and water shield, siding, etc. on the scope of loss to get the job done correctly. In some cases, these missing items are required by local building code. When this happens, a contractor writes a new Xactimate Estimate to include those missing items and submits it to the insurance company for approval. Contractors must also include supporting documentation such as photos, measurements, local code requirements, and invoices to explain why these funds are needed.insurance supplement wood damage roof

Why should you supplement?

Well, the simple answer is so you get paid what you deserve.

While we don’t believe the insurance company is the enemy, they sometimes make mistakes. It’s up to the contractor to find and correct those mistakes, not just for their business but also for the homeowner. Homeowners hire roofing contractors to be the expert on filing, settling, and managing insurance claims. Supplementing is a great opportunity for roofing contractors to demonstrate their expertise. When done correctly, it can improve customer service and even generate more referral leads.

How many of your jobs should you supplement?

You should review all your jobs to see if there is a need to file a supplement (there usually is). Supplementing roofing jobs is all about consistency and process. Having a standardized process for more thorough inspections makes it easier to determine if an insurance job requires a supplement and makes it easier to file one.

The best way to do this is to give your sales reps very clear rules on how ALL roof inspections are performed. Top contractors use inspection checklists and photo checklists to make sure they correctly document all of the damage and materials required to install the job. The person putting together your supplements will then compare the adjuster’s scope of loss to the inspection checklist and photos taken by the rep to see if there are any discrepancies.

While this type of process may add an additional 15-30 minutes to what your sales reps are currently doing, it will benefit your roofing business in several ways. In terms of supplementing, contractors will earn more money and get paid faster. When it comes to operations, the same process used for supplementing can also result in more accurate material orders and prevent “fire drills” like driving to a supplier to pick up materials when a crew is waiting on the roof.

How much can supplementing really make you?

At the end of the day, supplementing is like anything else – you get what you put into it. Roofing Contractors will typically earn $2,000-$6,000 per job when they supplement. That means a possible 10-25% increase in yearly revenue.

This increase in revenue means you get paid what it actually costs to do the job correctly. You spend time and money to make sure you have the right amount of material, follow local building codes, use installation best practices to comply with manufacturer warranties, etc.insurance supplement shingle roof

Even the insurance carriers agree you should be paid for those things. But the catch is, you must ask for it. Bottom line, if you’re not taking the time to supplement, you’re losing money on every single job.

Why should you consider a 3rd party supplementing company like Elite Claim Solutions?

It takes time to learn the intricacies of supplementing. You need to know Xactimate and Symbility, code items in your area, how to document and so on and so forth. AND you have to learn how to ask for supplements using the carrier’s language. Now, some contractors have the time, dedication, and staff to do it on their own. More power to them.

But if you’re a small roofing company or a contractor just getting into insurance restoration, you may not have the time to do it yourself. After all, storm roofing is all about sales. Anything that takes you away from sales hinders your revenue and business growth. 

You need somebody on your side who has a solid background in supplementing and gives you all the tools you need to get the supplements approved. If that is the case for your business, using a supplementing company like Elite Claim Solutions is a good option for you.

With Elite, there is no need for you to have in-depth Xactimate supplementing knowledge. We do all the heavy lifting and build honest supplement packages for you.

Why Photo Documentation Matters To Your Roofing Business

Why Photo Documentation Matters to Your Roofing Business

by Micki Parks


As a roofing contractor, staying on top of jobs, projects, and crews can be overwhelming. And it doesn’t help when you’re dealing with lost documents, unaccountable crews, or weak marketing campaigns. It’s a lot. But what if your crews’ photo documentation process was your marketing? And held everyone accountable? And improved business-client communication? How efficient would that be?

The CompanyCam app embodies that opportunity for contractors. Better documentation encourages clear communication with your clients and crew. Clear communication leads to increased referrals. Increased referrals means organic, effective marketing! Accountability, communication, and marketing all begin with having a thorough process of documentation, and everything else will fall into place.

If your company doesn’t have a photo documentation process, STOP READING and go figure that out NOW. Not only is photo documentation key to obtaining marketing content to promote, it also establishes accountability and transparency throughout your entire business process.

Nailing down an efficient business documentation system will save you time, money, and headaches–promise.  Say goodbye to clutter phone folders, constant email and text streams, missing images, and frustrated clients! Texting clients is a fine short-term solution, but it gets complicated quickly. CompanyCam makes it easy for you!

Follow along below as Jeremy Mauck, owner of Integrity Roofing and a proud CompanyCam user, explains why photo documentation is a deal breaker for roofing businesses.


With CompanyCam, Jeremy engages with clients, communicates with his crew seamlessly, and has reduced company costs significantly.

Here’s the situation. Photo documentation benefits roofing companies in three main ways:

1. Improved Accountability
2. Thorough Communication
3. Marketing Materials: Before and After Photos

Improved AccountabilityIf things go wrong (or don’t!), you have it on record.

Photo documentation, particularly when using the CompanyCam app, means “you can have everybody on the same page,” says Jeremy. Projects tend to have a lot of moving parts (estimates, sales involvement, admin/office work, crew work, client questions, etc.)–with a clear photo documentation process, everyone is in the loop on what is and what isn’t happening.

For example, Integrity Roofing works with a contractor who completes supplements for them. Integrity Roofing employees communicate through CompanyCam using photos, so in this case, Jeremy invites the supplement contractor to join their process. Jeremy is then able to stay updated on the progress through real-time photos uploaded by the contractor. If there are questions or concerns, Jeremy is informed immediately.

Jeremy’s office team needs to see those supplement photos, too. And so does the quality control team! After the supplement photos are in, the quality control team goes to the jobsite to take progress photos and eventually document the after photos of the final product.

This step alone takes accountability to a new level. Is the team making progress? Who is on the jobsite? What still needs to be done? When did they get there this morning? All questions answered on CompanyCam.

Jeremy’s sales team also has access to this documentation. When approached by insurance companies, the sales team can simply select images in CompanyCam, put them into a PDF report within the app, and send it to the companies. The insurance company, as well as Jeremy’s team, has a clear, honest view of what they are (and aren’t) responsible for. Win-win!

Each photo taken on CompanyCam is geo-tagged and time-stamped. There’s no confusion on which crew member was where, at what time, working on which project. All answers are securely stored on CompanyCam. Accountability accomplished!

CommunicationKeep tabs on the crew and keep customers in the loop with visuals.

Using features like the project feed, tags, or the shareable gallery timeline links, photo documentation enhances client-business communication all the more!

Before CompanyCam, Jeremy was using Google photos. He’d build a folder, go to the jobsite, take photos, put a file together, and send it off to the client or carrier. But many carriers couldn’t accept the folders or files because they were encrypted. Either he couldn’t open it, or they couldn’t open it.

Then he’d try sending the images through email. But emails can only send so much. Roadblock after roadblock! “It was a pain in the butt,” he said. It was time for Jeremy to evaluate his team/client communication goals and documentation process.

With a clear, concise, company-wide photo documentation process, there is no more running around. “I used to have to drive two hours out of my way to get pictures. But now, my crew can jump right on CompanyCam, select the photos I need, and send them to me,” Jeremy said. “It’s very easy.”

A few Integrity employees don’t climb the roofs. As Jeremy said, “They’re not on the roofs, but they’re good at selling them!” They stay on the ground while Jeremy and his crew are on the roof taking pictures. They stand with the customer on the ground, showing them real-life, real-time photos from their very own roof through CompanyCam. Let the photos do the talking!

Photo documentation improves crew and client communication. Photos and videos explain context and show progress.

Marketing Materials: Before and Afters photos are a game-changer.

As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” And it’s true! Photos and videos tell the whole story. One may be able to question a review of an overjoyed client online, but once photos are involved, the claims become undebatable. Needless to say, photo documentation is marketing’s best friend.

Documenting your work organically creates marketing materials! Taking before photos and after photos of a project is an easy way to show off your team’s abilities. From the rusty old roof to a brand new or significantly improved roof, that Before and After photo is going to blow future customers’ minds. CompanyCam offers several Before and After filters for these photos.

At Integrity Roofing, clients are now fully informed, thanks to their photo documentation process. When the crew arrives and when they leave–there is documentation for that! The progress on the roof–also available for viewing! Before and Afters of their own home–check, check, check!

Another way to help with marketing and referrals is using the CompanyCam PDF reports. Jeremy said, “You go through select pictures, create your PDF, and then you’re able to send it off to clients. To me, it’s great. It’s very easy and simple to do. The whole app is user-friendly!”

PDF reports can demonstrate your professionalism and that you’ve been responsible and thorough in your reporting. This leaves clients pleased and wanting more (ie. they’ll tell their friends!).

The improvement of communication and accountability betters marketing efforts. Clients speak highly of roofing businesses who treated them with respect and kept them informed. Being intentional with your photo documentation will check those boxes.


Photo documentation has “saved [Integrity Roofing] a bunch of money.” And it all comes down to having a solid photo documentation process. Take photos, take photos, take photos–can’t say it enough. Better too many than not enough.

Nailing down a photo documentation for your roofing business will produce positive results, be it stronger accountability, improved communication, or stellar marketing materials–it’s guaranteed.


After reviewing the importance of your photo documentation process, do you think it’s time to give CompanyCam a try? CompanyCam makes life easier for roofers. Jeremy said, “CompanyCam will help you see everything: what’s going on, all your jobs, where your guys are–it’ll help everybody!” With CompanyCam, you can keep your photos organized and saved indefinitely. Every photo is uploaded in real-time! Check out CompanyCam’s unique features!

Sign up for CompanyCam today! It’s free.

CompanyCam is one of the best roofing apps for iPhones and Androids. Read about the
additional roofing app recommendations.


Jeremy Mauck works for Integrity Roofing. Through combining their experience, they have created a company that delivers a quality product coupled with customer service that is second to none.  Integrity Roofing LLC has quickly become the go-to for storm restoration claims in both the Hickory & Charlotte area.  They’d love to be your contractor! Check them out at: https://integrityroofingnc.com

Solar Business Name Ideas

Solar is a growing source of energy and a solar business can provide year-round income.  Besides solar installation, services can include solar cleaning, and solar repairs and maintenance.  Sometimes a solar company can be integrated with a roofing company.

Choosing a good name for your new solar business is one of the first steps when starting your business.  You could use your own name in the business name, or the name of the town or city where you are located.  You may also try to come up with a creative solar name or logo. You could also have a catchy tagline connected to your business name.  Try to choose a name for your solar installation or service company that is easy for potential customers to remember and to spell.  If you are specializing in a particular solar service, you can focus just on your specialty.  If you want to offer a variety of services such as consultation, installation, cleaning, maintenance, etc., you should pick a broader name.  Make sure the name is not used by any other solar contractors in your area.

Below are some examples of solar business names you can use as a guide in choosing your own name.  Some names may be already used in your area, or might be trademarked, so make sure you properly research the solar company name you choose before registering it and having any marketing materials printed.  There are a number of reasons why you should register your own website domain name for your business at this time also.

You can get a FREE domain with web hosting purchase and check for website name availability here.

How To Start A Business In Your State

For more tips on choosing a new business name: How To Choose A Business Name

Solar Business Name Ideas

  • Bright Eye Solar
  • Evoke Solar
  • Keystone Renewable Energy
  • PA Michael Solar Electrical Systems
  • Sonic Solar Energy
  • Solare America
  • Sun Run Solar
  • SunPower Builders
  • SUNation Solar Systems
  • GreenLeaf Solarsolar business name ideas
  • PowerLutions Solar
  • Solar Me
  • Geoscape Solar
  • Son Energy Systems
  • Solar Energy World
  • Standard Solar
  • Helios Solar Systems
  • Sun Up Zero Down
  • Vivint Solar
  • Off Grid By Design
  • Future Renovations
  • ION Solar
  • Convert Solar
  • Affordable Energy Concepts
  • POWERHOME Solar
  • US Solar Supply
  • Sun Dollar Energy
  • Green Power of North Carolina
  • Sun4Light Inc.
  • Get Solar
  • Boss Energy
  • Alder Energy Systems
  • Solarize U.S.
  • Coastal Solar Power
  • Solapros LLC
  • Wayne’s Solar
  • All American Solar
  • Sunvena Solar LLC
  • Simpler Solar Systems
  • Elevate Solar Energy
  • Energy Center
  • Go Solar Power
  • All Pros Solar
  • Solar Alternatives
  • Awake Solar
  • Uptown Solar
  • Rising Sun Solar
  • Hesolar
  • Texas Green Energy
  • Solar CenTex
  • Encore Electric Delivery
  • Taylor Electric Cooperative
  • Alamo 6 Solar Farm
  • Xcel Energy
  • Endless Energy
  • Infinity Solar Solutions
  • Front Range Renewable Energy
  • Sierra Electric Co-Op
  • Net Zero Solar