Why this matters for a roofing company
Most homeowners buy a roof once or twice in their life. They can't judge a roofer by looking at a bid, and they've heard the stories about crews who took a deposit and disappeared. So before they call, they read what other homeowners said. Reviews show up right next to your name on your Google Business Profile, and they answer the questions a nervous buyer has: did the crew show up when they said, did they clean up the nails, did the owner come back when something leaked.
Property managers, HOA boards and realtors read them too. And after a hailstorm, when a dozen trucks are knocking on doors, reviews from real neighbors are one of the few ways a homeowner can tell a local roofer from someone who'll be gone in a month.
Your replies matter just as much. A buyer reading a mixed review is watching how you handled it. A calm, specific answer shows them how you'll treat them.
What you need
- A claimed Google Business Profile (see C1 if you don't have one yet)
- Your short Google review link
- A QR code that points to that link
- A leave-behind card or door hanger for the final walk-through
- Saved text and email templates on your phone or in your job software
- Ten minutes a week to read and answer new reviews
Step-by-step setup
- Get your review link. Sign in to Google Business Profile. Look for "Ask for reviews" or "Get more reviews." Copy the short link and paste it into a note so you always have it.
- Make a QR code. Use any free QR code maker and paste in your review link. Scan it with two different phones to make sure it opens your review page.
- Print a closeout card. Front: your logo and "Thanks for trusting us with your roof." Back: the QR code, "Tell your neighbors how it went," your short link, and a spot to write the install date and shingle color. Homeowners keep these with their house papers.
- Save your templates. Put the text and email requests below into your phone's text shortcuts, your job software's follow-up message, or your email templates. Fill in your link once.
- Tie it to closeout. Make the review ask a line on your job closeout checklist, right after the final walk-through, the magnet sweep and the warranty paperwork. If it's on the list, it gets done.
- Turn on review notifications. In your Business Profile settings, turn on alerts for new reviews so you see them the same day.
When and how to ask
At the final walk-through
This is the best moment. The dumpster is gone, the yard's been swept, and the homeowner is looking up at a new roof. Walk it with them, answer questions, hand over the warranty info, then ask. Hand them the card.
By text or email
Send it the same day or the next day. If they haven't left one, send one friendly reminder about a week later. Then stop.
After a repair
Repair customers review too, and they're often the ones who call you again. Ask after the first good rain, when they can say the leak is fixed.
Commercial and property manager jobs
Ask the person who hired you, not every tenant. Some managers can't post reviews for their employer. If so, ask whether you can quote them on your website, and get that in writing first.
On your invoice
Add a line at the bottom: "Reviews help a local roofer. [short link]"
Request templates
Say it at the walk-through
"Thanks for having us. Most of the folks who call us find us on Google and read what the neighbors said. If you have a minute this week, would you leave an honest review about how the job went? This card has the link. Good or bad, I read every one."
Text
Hi [Name], it's [Your Name] with [Company]. Thanks again for trusting us with your [roof / repair] on [Street]. If you have a minute, would you leave an honest Google review about how it went? It helps people around [Town] find a local roofer. [short link]
Subject: How did the roof job go?
Hi [Name],
Thanks for choosing [Company] for your [new roof / repair / flat roof coating]. Your warranty paperwork is attached so you have it in one place.
Would you take a minute to leave an honest review on Google? Say what we did and how the crew handled it: showing up, cleanup, communication. It's how other homeowners around [Town] decide who to call.
[short link]
If anything isn't right, reply here or call me at [phone] and I'll come look.
Thanks,
[Your Name]
[Company] · [Phone] · [License number, if your state issues one]
Reminder (send once, about a week later)
Hi [Name], quick reminder in case my last text got buried. If you have a minute for a Google review of your [roof / repair], here's the link: [short link]. No worries if not. Thanks again!
Repair customer, after the first rain
Hi [Name], it's [Your Name] with [Company]. We had a good rain this week. Is everything staying dry where we fixed the [flashing / valley / vent boot]? If it is, would you mind leaving a quick review? [short link]. If it isn't, call me and I'll come back out.
The rules. Break these and you risk reviews being removed, your profile being restricted, or trouble with the FTC.
- No paying for reviews. No discounts, gift cards, drawings, or "$50 off your gutters if you review us." Google doesn't allow incentives for reviews, and the FTC has rules against buying them.
- Ask everyone, not only the happy ones. Asking "Were you happy? Great, here's the link" and only sending it to pleased customers is called review gating. Google doesn't allow it. Send the same request to every customer.
- No fake reviews. Don't write your own, don't have crew or family pose as customers, and don't post bad reviews of a competitor.
- Never tie a review to a deductible. Don't offer to cover, waive or "eat" a deductible, or give a rebate that covers it, in exchange for a review or anything else. In many states that's illegal.
- Ask before posting job photos. If you share the homeowner's photo or their review on your site, ask first, and leave out the house number and address unless they say it's fine.
How to answer reviews
Answer every review within a few days. Keep it short, use their first name, and mention the job so it reads like a real person wrote it. Never share private details in public: no street address, no insurance claim details, no amounts paid.
Good review
Thanks, [Name]! That [architectural shingle re-roof / flat roof coating / chimney flashing repair] was a good one. Glad the crew kept your yard clean. Call us anytime you want it checked. [Your Name]
Mixed review
Thanks for the honest review, [Name]. Glad you like the new roof. You're right that [we started a day late because of weather and didn't call you soon enough]. We've changed how we [update homeowners on schedule changes] so that doesn't happen again. If there's anything else I can do, call me at [phone]. [Your Name]
Bad review
[Name], I'm sorry this wasn't the experience you should have had. That's not the standard we hold our crews to. I'd like to hear what happened and come look. Please call me directly at [phone] or email [email]. [Your Name], owner
Insurance frustration
[Name], I understand how frustrating the claim process can be. We don't control what the insurance company approves, but I'm glad to go over what we documented and what we can do from here. Please call me at [phone]. [Your Name]
Review you don't recognize
Hi [Name], I take every review seriously, but I can't find a job under this name. If we worked on your roof, please call me at [phone] so I can look into it. [Your Name]
Wait an hour before answering a bad review. Never argue, blame the homeowner, the weather or the adjuster, or go back and forth in public. Say sorry, give a way to reach you, and take it offline. If a review breaks Google's rules (spam, someone who was never a customer, hateful language), you can report it. Don't report reviews just because they're negative.
Keep it going: the weekly routine
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Every job | Ask at the walk-through, hand over the card, send the text or email that day. |
| Once a week | Send the one reminder to anyone from last week who hasn't reviewed. Answer every new review. |
| Once a month | Read the month's reviews together with your crew leads. If the same complaint shows up twice (nails in the driveway, a late start), fix it on the job. |
Checklist
- Short review link saved and tested
- QR code tested on two phones
- Closeout cards printed and in every truck
- Review ask on the job closeout checklist
- Text, email and reminder templates saved
- Review link on invoices
- New-review notifications turned on
- Asking every customer, the same way
- No incentives offered anywhere, in any wording
- Every review answered within a few days
Common mistakes
- Asking only when you remember, instead of at every closeout.
- Asking before the cleanup is done, while there are still nails in the grass.
- Sending a long link that breaks on a phone. Use the short one.
- Asking weeks later, after the homeowner has moved on.
- Copy-paste replies that say "Thanks for the review!" on every one. Mention the job.
- Arguing about an insurance decision in a public reply.
- Asking five times. One request and one reminder is enough.
Notes by kind of roofing work
| Work | What's different |
|---|---|
| Residential re-roof | Ask at the walk-through. Ask them to mention the shingle type and color and how cleanup went. That's what the next homeowner searches for and worries about. |
| Storm and hail restoration | Ask after the job is finished, not while the claim is still open. Homeowners may mention the insurance process. Don't coach them on what to say about the claim. |
| Commercial and flat roofs | Fewer, bigger jobs. Ask the facility manager, board chair or owner. A written testimonial for your website can matter as much as a Google review here; get permission in writing. |
| Repair and maintenance | Lots of small jobs means lots of chances to ask. Ask after the first rain proves the fix. Landlords and managers who use you often may be glad to review once and point to it. |
Want Annie's to do this for you? We can set up your review link, QR closeout cards and saved request messages, and write replies to new reviews for you to approve before they post.