Why it matters for a roofing company
When a homeowner finds a water stain on the ceiling, or a hailstorm rolls through town, the first thing many people do is pick up a phone and type "roofer near me," "roof repair" or "roof inspection" into Google or Google Maps. The results often include a map with business listings. Your Google Business Profile is that listing. It is free, and for a lot of small roofing companies it is the first thing a stranger sees: your name, your photos of real roofs, your hours, your reviews and a button to call you.
A filled-in profile does not guarantee where you show up. Google decides that, and nobody can promise you a spot. What a complete, accurate profile does is give Google and homeowners the facts they need, and show real proof of your work to the people who do find you. After a storm, when a dozen trucks with out-of-town plates show up, a local profile with years of real roofs and real reviews is how a homeowner tells you apart.
What you need
- A Google account you will keep (use a company email, not a personal one you might lose)
- Your business name exactly as it appears on your truck, yard signs, contracts and license
- Your office address, or your service area if you run the company from home
- A phone number somebody answers, and your website if you have one
- Your regular hours, plus how you handle emergency tarping calls
- Your state or local contractor license or registration number, if your state issues one
- 15 to 25 clear photos of real roofs: finished homes, tear-offs, crews working safely, your trucks
- A list of the work you do (you will turn these into Services)
Step-by-step setup
- Search for your business first. Look on Google Maps for your company name. If a listing already exists (sometimes Google creates one, or a past employee made one), use "Claim this business" instead of making a duplicate.
- Create or claim the profile. Go to business.google.com and sign in with the company's Google account. Enter your business name exactly as customers know it.
- Pick your primary category. This is the most important choice. For most companies it is Roofing contractor. Start typing and choose from Google's list; you cannot invent your own.
- Add secondary categories that are true. Depending on what you really do: Gutter cleaning service, Siding contractor, Commercial roofing contractor or Metal roofing contractor if Google offers them, General contractor only if you truly work as one. Do not add a category just because it gets searched.
- Set your location. Most roofers work at the customer's house, not at an office. If homeowners do not visit you, choose that you serve customers at their location, hide your address, and set a service area: the towns or counties you really cover, such as "Norman, Moore, Edmond, Oklahoma City." Keep it to the area your crews can reach.
- Verify. Google will offer one or more ways to verify: a phone call or text, email, a video, or a postcard. The options vary. Follow what Google shows you. A video usually needs to show your area, your lettered truck or equipment, and something that proves you run the business (a sign, tools, paperwork).
- Fill in the basics. Phone, website, hours, holiday hours and a plain description (template below). If your state lets you show a license number, put it in the description.
- Add photos. Logo, a cover photo, and real finished roofs. Add tear-off and install shots that show clean decking, drip edge, ice & water shield and flashing going on. Add your crew and trucks. Do not use stock photos or photos from a manufacturer's brochure.
- Add Services. One entry per kind of work: "Residential roof replacement," "Storm and hail damage inspection," "Commercial flat roofs (TPO, EPDM)," "Roof leak repair," "Annual roof inspection," "Gutters." Give each a short description. Only add a price if you are comfortable, and label it "starting at."
- Turn on messaging and set up Q&A. If someone in the office can answer messages within a day, turn on chat. Then post answers to the questions you hear most (templates below).
Keep your name clean. Your profile name must be your real business name. Do not add words like "Best Roofer OKC" or "Hail Damage Roof Repair Norman" unless that is truly your legal, on-the-truck name. Stuffing keywords into the name breaks Google's guidelines and can get the profile suspended.
Your weekly routine (15 minutes)
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Monday | Upload 2 or 3 photos from last week's finished roofs (with the homeowner's OK, and no house number showing unless they said yes). |
| Wednesday | Publish one Update post: a roof you just finished, a seasonal reminder, or open inspection days this week. |
| Friday | Reply to every new review and message. Check that your hours are right for next week (holidays, weather days). |
| After a storm | Post a short, calm Update: that you are booking inspections and how to reach you. No scare words, no promises about claims. |
| Once a month | Read your profile top to bottom as a stranger would. Fix anything out of date. Check for edits Google or the public suggested. |
Copy-ready templates
Business description
[Business name] is a [family-owned / local] roofing company based in [town], serving [list of towns]. We do residential re-roofs, storm and hail repairs, commercial and flat roofs ([TPO, EPDM, metal, coatings]), and leak repairs and inspections. [Licensed / registered] in [state], [license no. if allowed], and insured. We pull permits where required, clean up every day, and run a magnet sweep for nails before we leave. Call or use the quote button to book an inspection.
Update post: finished roof
Just finished: a [squares]-square tear-off and re-roof in [neighborhood or town]. New [shingle type and color], [ice & water shield in the valleys / new drip edge / new ridge vent], and fresh flashing at the chimney. Thinking about your roof? Book an inspection through the button on this page.
Update post: after a storm
Hail and wind came through [area] on [day]. If you're worried about your roof, we're booking inspections this week. We'll get up there, take photos, and tell you plainly what we see, even if the answer is that your roof is fine. Call [phone] or book online.
Q&A you can post yourself
Q: Do you do free inspections?
A: [Yes / Yes, for homeowners in our service area / We charge $[amount] (example only), credited toward any work]. We send photos of what we find.
Q: Do you work with insurance claims?
A: We can inspect, document damage with photos and meet your adjuster on the roof. Your claim is between you and your insurance company.
Q: Are you licensed and insured?
A: Yes. [State license or registration no.] We're happy to send proof of insurance.
Q: Do you do flat or commercial roofs?
A: [Yes, TPO, EPDM, metal and coatings / No, we focus on homes].
Q: How long does a re-roof take?
A: Most homes take [1 to 3] days, depending on size, weather and what we find under the old shingles.
Review reply
Thanks, [first name]. Glad the new roof came out the way you wanted, and thanks for putting up with the noise and the dumpster. Call us any time you need something checked.
Asking every customer for a review
Thanks again for choosing us for your roof. If you have a minute, an honest Google review helps other people in [town] find a local roofer: [your review link]. Good or bad, we read every one.
For the full review routine, see C6: Ask Every Customer for a Review, and Answer Reviews.
Checklist
- Profile claimed and verified
- Name matches your truck, contracts and license exactly
- Primary category "Roofing contractor"; secondary categories all true
- Address hidden with a service area set, unless customers visit your office
- Phone, website, hours and holiday hours filled in
- Description in plain words, with license info if your state allows
- At least 15 real photos: finished roofs, tear-offs, crew, trucks
- Services entries for each kind of work you do
- Messaging on only if someone will answer it
- 3 to 5 Q&A answers posted
- Weekly routine on the office calendar
Mistakes to avoid
- Keyword stuffing the name, or a service area stretched to cities you never work in. Both break Google's guidelines.
- Making a second profile instead of claiming the existing one. Duplicates confuse customers and Google.
- Stock photos or brochure photos. People want to see your roofs.
- Showing a manufacturer's badge or "certified" wording you don't hold. Only use a shingle maker's name, logo or certification if you actually have it, and get their permission before you reproduce any logo or seal.
- Posting a customer's house number or address without asking them first.
- Crew photos without fall protection. Every photo of people on a roof should show proper fall protection.
- Drone shots flown without an FAA Part 107 certificate. Flying a drone for business needs one.
- Storm posts that promise anything, like "we'll get your claim approved" or "no cost to you." Never offer to waive, pay or cover a deductible; in many states that is illegal. And don't offer to negotiate the claim unless you're a licensed public adjuster in that state.
- Buying reviews, offering discounts for reviews, or asking only happy customers. Ask everyone the same way.
- Believing anyone who promises you a "#1 ranking." No one can promise that.
Notes by kind of work
| Kind of work | What's different |
|---|---|
| Residential re-roof | Photos of the whole house from the street (house number hidden or approved) show the look. Service entries for shingle, metal and specific upgrades like ridge vent or ice & water shield. |
| Storm & hail restoration | Keep Updates calm and factual after storms. Q&A should say you document damage and meet adjusters, and nothing about deductibles or approvals. |
| Commercial & flat roofs | Add a Commercial roofing category if Google offers one and it's true. Services by system: TPO, EPDM, metal, modified bitumen, coatings. Ask the owner before posting any building that can be identified. |
| Repair & maintenance | Services for leak repair, flashing, missing shingles, gutters and annual inspections. Close-up before-and-after repair photos work well here. |
Want Annie's to do this for you? We can set up, verify and fill in your Google Business Profile for roofing, then post your finished roofs to it each week.