Why this matters for a roofing company
A homeowner buys one roof every twenty years or so. A property manager with forty rentals has a leak somewhere every month. A realtor has a roof question on half their listings. An HOA board, a church or a school district has a building that needs inspecting every year and a flat roof that needs recoating on a schedule. These buyers call again and again, and they send you to their friends.
Once you know their properties, their access rules and how they want invoices, every job after the first goes faster. Chasing these buyers on purpose, instead of waiting for storms, is one of the steadiest ways to keep crews working between the busy seasons.
What you need
- A one-page capability sheet: what you do, the areas you cover, your response time for leaks, your license number if your state issues one, and contact info
- A certificate of insurance (COI) and a W-9 ready to send the same day someone asks
- A sample photo roof report (see R2)
- A simple account sheet (spreadsheet), laid out below
- A folder for each account: property list, roof photos, past reports, invoices
- A calendar or reminder app
Buyers who call again
| Segment | What they need again and again |
|---|---|
| Property managers and landlords | Leak calls, turnover inspections, missing shingles after wind, gutter cleaning, a re-roof when a roof reaches the end of its life |
| Realtors | Pre-listing inspections, condition letters for buyers, repairs before closing, a roofer to recommend to every new homeowner |
| Home inspectors | A roofer to refer when they flag a roof, and a second opinion on a hard-to-read one (see G2) |
| HOAs and condo associations | Annual inspections, reserve study input, storm checks across many buildings, phased re-roofs |
| Churches, schools and nonprofits | Flat roof inspections, coating and patching, budget-year planning for replacements |
| Small commercial owners | TPO, EPDM, metal and modified bitumen repairs, drain and flashing checks, maintenance plans (see R1) |
| Insurance agents | A local roofer to point clients to after a storm, and roof condition info for policy reviews |
Step-by-step setup
- Pick two segments to start. Don't chase all of them. A residential company might start with realtors and landlords. A commercial crew might start with property managers and churches.
- Build a list of 20 names in each. Use Google Maps ("property management near me," "realty in [Town]"), your chamber directory, the local realtor association, HOA management companies, church directories and your own past customers. Write down the company, the person who hires roofers (property manager, maintenance lead, broker, board president, facilities director), phone and email.
- Bring something useful. For a realtor, a sample one-page condition letter. For a property manager, a sample photo roof report. For an HOA or church, a simple roof checklist for their building. Leave the capability sheet with it.
- Make first contact. Stop by in person when you can. Use the scripts below. Follow up by email the same day with your capability sheet attached.
- Follow up twice, then move on. One follow-up a week later, one more two or three weeks after that. If there's no interest, mark them "not now" and try again before the next season.
- When they hire you, set up the account. Save their properties, access notes and billing rules, fill in the account sheet, and set the next reminder before you leave the first job.
First-contact scripts
Walk-in to a property management office
"Hi, I'm [Name] with [Company]. We're a local roofing company here in [Town]. Who handles roof calls for your properties? ... I brought a sample of the photo report we send after every inspection, so you can see the roof without climbing a ladder. When a tenant calls about a leak, we try to get someone out [the same or next business day]. Could I leave this with you along with our insurance certificate?"
Realtor office
"Hi, I'm [Name] with [Company]. When one of your listings has a roof question, we can inspect it and send a one-page condition letter with photos that buyers and sellers can both read. Here's a sample. Can I leave a few cards for your agents?"
Phone
"Hi, this is [Name] with [Company] in [Town]. Who handles roofing for your [properties / buildings / church]? ... We do inspections, repairs and replacements, and we send photo reports. Could I send over our capability sheet and insurance certificate?"
Follow-up email
Subject: Roofing for [Company / Property Name]
Hi [Name],
Thanks for your time today. As promised, here's our capability sheet and certificate of insurance [attached].
Quick summary:
- [Residential shingle / flat roof / metal] inspections, repairs and replacements
- Photo report after every visit
- Leak calls: we aim to respond within [X business days]
- One invoice per property, set up the way you need it
If you have a roof you're worried about, reply with the address and I'll set up an inspection.
[Your Name]
[Company] · [Phone] · [License number, if your state issues one]
Standing plans and reminders
Offer a standing plan
When a buyer has a pattern (an HOA that wants every building checked each spring, a landlord who wants gutters cleaned each fall), offer to put it on a schedule.
"Since you'll want these checked every [spring / fall], want me to put it on a schedule? I'll email you [three weeks] ahead with the list of addresses, and you'll get a photo report on each one."
Set the reminder
Every time a repeat buyer hires you, put a reminder in your calendar for their next likely need. Put their name and what you did in the title.
Subject: Time for your [spring / fall] roof checks?
Hi [Name],
Last [spring / fall] we inspected [number] roofs for [Company] and sent reports on [date]. I still have the photos, so we can compare this year.
Want the same again? Reply with any addresses to add or drop, and I'll get it on the schedule.
[Your Name]
Keep the account organized
- One folder per account. Inside: property list, access and gate codes stored securely, past photo reports, roof ages and materials, warranty papers, invoices.
- Write down what you found. Roof age, material, number of layers, known trouble spots, last repair. Next time you won't be starting over.
- Back it up. Keep a second copy in cloud storage.
- Keep paperwork current. Update the account's COI when your policy renews and send it before they ask.
The account sheet
One row per repeat buyer, in any spreadsheet.
| Column | Example |
|---|---|
| Company | Lakeview Property Management |
| Contact and role | Dana Lee, maintenance coordinator |
| Phone / email | (555) 555-0100 · dana@example.com |
| Segment | Property manager |
| Properties | 12 single-family rentals, 1 small strip center (TPO) |
| Last job | March 4 · vent boot repair, 118 Elm St |
| Usual timing | Spring inspections, fall gutters |
| Next reminder | February 15 |
| Paperwork | COI on file through [date] · W-9 sent |
| Billing | One invoice per address · net 30 (example only) |
| Notes | Needs approval before any repair over $[amount]; call tenant 24 hrs ahead |
Mistakes to avoid
- Paperwork that isn't real or current. Be registered or licensed as your state requires, pull permits, and carry the insurance your state requires. Managers and boards will ask for the COI; send the real one.
- Deductible deals. Don't offer to waive, pay or "eat" a deductible, or give a rebate that covers it, to win an account or a referral. In many states that's illegal.
- Negotiating claims. Don't negotiate an insurance claim for an owner unless you're a licensed public adjuster in that state. You can document damage and meet the adjuster.
- Referral payments. Check your state's rules before paying anyone for referrals. Rules differ, especially for realtors and insurance agents.
- Badges you don't hold. Only put a shingle manufacturer's name, badge or certification on your capability sheet if you actually hold it, and get permission before reproducing any logo.
- Inflated findings. Never overstate damage to a realtor or manager. They'll find out, and that's the end of the account.
Keep it going: the weekly routine
- Monday, 30 minutes: check the account sheet for reminders due this week and send them.
- One visit or call a week: reach one new name from your list of 20.
- After every job for an account: send the photo report, update the row, set the next reminder.
Checklist
- Two segments picked
- List of 20 prospects in each
- Capability sheet, COI and W-9 ready to send
- Sample photo report and condition letter
- Account sheet started
- Folder for every repeat buyer
- Next reminder set for every repeat buyer
- Standing plan offered to anyone with a pattern
Common mistakes
- Talking to whoever answers instead of the person who actually hires roofers.
- Only calling these buyers after a storm, when every roofer in town is calling too.
- Slow response on a small leak call. That's the test for the big job.
- Losing the photos and notes, then re-inspecting from scratch.
- Waiting for the manager to remember you. Send the reminder.
- Letting your insurance certificate on file expire.
Notes by kind of roofing work
| Work | What's different |
|---|---|
| Residential re-roof | Realtors, inspectors and landlords send the most re-roofs. Stay in touch between jobs so you're the name they give. |
| Storm and hail restoration | Insurance agents and property managers are the repeat contacts. Be the roofer who documents clearly and never oversells damage. |
| Commercial and flat roofs | Long relationships with facility managers, HOA boards and churches. Many plan replacements a year or more ahead and want written condition reports for their budget. |
| Repair and maintenance | The best door into every other segment. Fast, clean repairs win the trust that leads to re-roofs and maintenance plans. |
Want Annie's to do this for you? We can build your prospect lists, capability sheet and account sheet, and set up the reminder emails to your property managers, realtors and boards.