Why it matters for a roofing company
Most homeowners buy a roof once or twice in their life. They have no idea what a good one looks like up close. What they can judge is proof: clean lines, straight courses, tidy flashing at the chimney, a yard with no nails in it, and a lot of finished roofs from the same company in their own town. Every job you finish is that proof. A steady weekly post keeps it in front of people who already follow you and gives new visitors something recent to look at on your Facebook page, Instagram and Google profile.
Posting doesn't guarantee likes, calls or signed contracts. It's a habit that makes your work visible. The trick is to make it so small you actually keep doing it, even in the busy season.
What you need
- A phone with a clean lens (wipe it; granule dust and sweat smear photos fast)
- One person on each crew whose job is to take the photos, every job
- A shared album or folder called "To Post," so crew photos reach the office the same day
- Your Facebook page, Instagram account and Google Business Profile logged in on the office phone
- A line in your contract or a quick text asking the homeowner's OK to post photos
What to photograph on every job
Take the pictures before the crew leaves. Once the dumpster is gone, the chance is gone. For each roof, try to get:
- The before. The old roof from the street: curled or missing shingles, moss, a sagging ridge, tarps.
- The tear-off. Bare decking, any rotted boards you replaced. This is where homeowners learn what they pay for.
- The layers. Ice & water shield in the valleys and eaves, underlayment, new drip edge, flashing at walls and chimneys, pipe boots.
- The finished roof from the street. Same angle as the before. Late afternoon light is kind to shingles.
- A close-up. Ridge vent, a clean valley, a new chimney flashing, a neat metal seam.
- The clean yard. Driveway swept, magnet sweep done, dumpster gone. Neighbors notice this more than the shingles.
Get safe shots, not risky ones. Photos are taken from the ground, from a ladder that's tied off, or by someone on the roof who is already tied in. Nobody walks to the edge for an angle. If a photo shows people on the roof, it should show proper fall protection.
Light and angles
- Shoot the street view from across the street or from the corner of the lot, phone held level, so the house doesn't lean.
- Morning or late afternoon light shows texture and color. Midday sun washes dark shingles out.
- Match your before and after. Stand in the same spot both times. A matched pair is the best post you have.
- Flat and commercial roofs look best from a raised angle. A ladder at the parapet, taken safely, works. Drone photos are great, but flying a drone for business needs an FAA Part 107 certificate.
- Hide what shouldn't show: house numbers, license plates, a family's kids in the yard. Crop, or retake.
Say what it is
A caption that only says "Another one done!" wastes the photo. Homeowners want to know what they'd be getting. Every caption should name:
- The job (full tear-off and re-roof, hail repair, TPO over a flat section, leak repair at a chimney)
- Size in squares if you like (a square is 100 square feet of roof)
- The material and color (architectural shingles, standing-seam metal, TPO, EPDM, a coating)
- One detail that shows care (replaced 6 sheets of rotted decking, new drip edge, ice & water shield in every valley)
- The area in general (a home in north Edmond), never the street address unless the owner said yes
- How to book (one line)
Getting the homeowner's permission
Most people are glad to have their new roof shown, but ask. It's their house. Put a line in your contract, and send a quick text before you post.
Hi [name], your new roof is done and it looks great. OK if we post a few photos on our page? We'll keep your house number and address out of it. Either way is fine.
Commercial buildings, churches, schools and HOAs: get the OK from the person who signed, in writing, before you post a building people can identify.
Caption templates
Finished re-roof
Just finished: a full tear-off and re-roof on a home in [area].
[Squares] squares of [shingle type] in [color]. New drip edge, ice & water shield in the valleys, and [ridge vent / new pipe boots / chimney flashing].
[One sentence: what we found under the old roof, or what the homeowner wanted.]
Wondering about your roof? Book an inspection: [link]
Before and after
Before and after in [area]. The old roof was [about 20 years old / missing shingles after the last wind / leaking at the chimney].
Now: [material], [color], [one detail].
Clean yard, magnet sweep done, dumpster gone the same day.
Book an inspection: [link]
What's under the shingles
This is what we found under the old shingles on a home in [area]: [soft decking / no drip edge / old flashing that was letting water in].
Here's how we fixed it: [what you did].
It's why we look at the decking on every tear-off. Questions about your roof? [link]
Repair or commercial
Repair of the week: [leak at a skylight / lifted flashing / wind-blown shingles] on a [home / rental / small office] in [area]. Fixed in [time], with photos to the owner before and after.
[For flat roofs: new [TPO / EPDM / coating] on a [size] flat section.]
Need something looked at? [link]
The weekly 30-minute routine
| Time | Step |
|---|---|
| Every job | Crew photographer shoots before, tear-off, layers, finished and clean yard. Drops the best into "To Post." About 5 minutes a job. |
| Minutes 0–10 | Pick 1 to 3 jobs. Crop, straighten, and brighten slightly with the phone's editor. Hide house numbers. Don't over-filter; roof colors need to look true. |
| Minutes 10–20 | Write captions from the templates. Check you have the homeowner's OK for each one. |
| Minutes 20–25 | Post or schedule to Facebook and Instagram. Meta Business Suite lets you post to both at once and schedule later in the week. |
| Minutes 25–30 | Add the best photo to your Google Business Profile (see C1). Reply to comments from last week's posts. |
Pick a fixed time. Monday morning before the trucks roll, or a rain day. The routine only works if it's on your calendar.
Checklist
- One photographer named on each crew
- Before, tear-off, layers, finished and clean-yard shots on every job
- Homeowner's OK recorded
- No house numbers, addresses, plates or people's faces without permission
- People on the roof shown with proper fall protection
- Caption names the job, material, color and one real detail
- Caption ends with how to book an inspection
- Posted to Facebook, Instagram and Google Business Profile
- Comments answered
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for a "perfect" job. One honest roof a week is enough.
- Posting a house number or address without the homeowner's OK.
- Photos of crew without fall protection. They reflect on your company, and they can show a safety problem.
- Using a manufacturer's logo or "certified installer" badge in a post if you don't hold that certification. Only use it if you do, and get permission before reproducing any logo or seal.
- Drone shots without a Part 107 certificate. Business drone flights need one.
- Storm-season captions that promise a free roof, an approved claim, or "we'll cover your deductible." Never offer to waive, pay or rebate a deductible; in many states that's illegal.
- Other people's photos. Only post roofs your company actually did.
- Captions with no details. "Done!" tells a homeowner nothing.
Notes by kind of work
| Kind of work | What to show |
|---|---|
| Residential re-roof | Matched before-and-after from the street, tear-off decking, a clean valley, the swept driveway. |
| Storm & hail restoration | Close-ups of the damage you documented (with a chalk circle or a coin for scale) and the finished roof. Keep the words calm and factual. |
| Commercial & flat roofs | Seams, terminations, drains and a wide shot of the finished membrane or coating. Name the system (TPO, EPDM, metal, modified bitumen). |
| Repair & maintenance | Tight before-and-after of the fix: the lifted flashing, the new boot, the replaced shingles. Small jobs make good, quick posts. |
Want Annie's to do this for you? We can set up a shared photo folder for your crews, write the captions and post your finished roofs to Facebook, Instagram and Google each week.