Author: Rich Prue

Contractor Resource List Whether you are just starting your business, or are a seasoned professional, you may find you need advice or direction from other roofing contractors from time to time.  Here are a number of helpful roofing-related forums, websites, and organizations to check out: The Roofer’s Helper on Instagram The Roofer’s Helper on Facebook National Roofing Contractors Association Roofer’s Coffee Shop Roofpedia Roofing Contractor Magazine Roofing Talk Forum Contractor Talk Forum Metal Roofing Alliance Forum For roofing education and training sites: Roofing Education and Training Trade Shows and Media Partners International Roofing Expo

Roofing Training and Education WebsitesRoofing can be a rewarding career.  Depending on what type of roofing you are interested in, education and training is essential.  If you have your own roofing company and are looking to expand services, you may need to have your employees get additional training or get certified for certain roofing applications.  As roofing products continually change, installation practices may need to be updated. Roofing training courses can include information and/or hands-on training on asphalt shingles, slate and tile, modified bitumen, TPO, PVC, EPDM, torch-down, and many other types of roofing applications.  Other roofing courses may include…

Before you get started, you need to decide on the scope of your business.  Do you want commercial work, residential, or a mix?  Will you specialize in asphalt shingles, metal roofs, slate, or some other type?  Will you focus on repairs, new installation, or both?  Will you offer other services such as chimney work, gutters, siding, windows, or other?  Do you want to be independent, or join a union?  Do you want to stay small, or grow into a large company?  How will you structure your business tax-wise: Sole-Proprietor, LLC, Corporation, etc.?  Not all of these questions need to be answered…

Finding a niche, or specialty, can help set you apart from other roofers.   It can help bring not only first-time customers, but also referrals.  If you are able to specialize in a particular aspect of roofing, you could set yourself up as the expert in your area. Do you have a particular area of roofing you are good at, or enjoy doing?  Is there a particular type of repair that you think is the best?  This is what you want to promote in your advertising, and when talking to potential clients.  An estimate will look more appealing when a…

Short Term Goals: Plan your business Complete legal requirements Acquire necessary equipment Advertise/ build clientele Long Term Goals: Hire employees Increase sales Exit strategy/retirement

Some questions you need answered before hiring your roofing crew: What is the candidate’s experience? This may be an obvious question, but is still important when forming your overall evaluation of the candidate.  Just having a person say “I roofed for the last five years” isn’t enough.  What type of roofing did you do?  What size crew were you on, or did you work alone?  What were your responsibilities? What are the candidate’s skills? Be careful of the candidate that says he is an expert in everything.  That is tell-tale sign of over-confidence.  A cocky roofer is often a careless…

It can sometimes be tricky when deciding what services you want to offer as a contractor.  While wanting to appeal to as many customers as possible, you could become the “Jack-of-all-trades and master of none”.  You could possibly just blend in as an average roofer along with all the other average roofers.  One of the best strategies in marketing is to establish yourself as a specialist in one particular area.  Market yourself as “THE” slate guy to call, or the “Leak Repair Specialist”.  You can certainly offer many other services too, but in establishing yourself as an authority in one…