How to use this page: Find the kind of work you want most below. Pick three places from its table to start with: one online, one local, and one in person. Work those for a month before adding more. Every site and program has its own rules and fees, so read them before you sign up.
Places every roofer should set up first
These apply to all four kinds of work. Do them before anything else.
| Place | What to do there |
|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Claim or create your free profile. Add your service area, hours, phone, website, and photos of real roofs you have done. Ask every customer for an honest review (see C1 and C6). |
| Facebook business page | Post finished roofs, turn on messaging, and list your services. Many homeowners check here before they call. |
| Nextdoor | Create a free business page. Neighbors often ask "does anyone know a good roofer?" Answer when it fits. |
| Better Business Bureau | Check how to get listed or accredited. Many older homeowners look here before hiring a roofer. |
| Local chamber of commerce | Ask about membership and events. Chambers connect you with building owners, realtors, and property managers. |
| Your own website | Show your service area, the four kinds of work you do, photos, reviews, and a way to book an inspection (see C4). |
Residential re-roof
| Type | Where | What to do there |
|---|---|---|
| Local buyers | Neighbors around every job | Deliver a courtesy note before you start and a thank-you after. Put up a yard sign with the owner's okay (see G1). |
| Local buyers | Realtors and home inspectors | Offer same-week roof inspections with photos and a condition letter (see G2). |
| Local buyers | Neighborhoods built 15 to 25 years ago | Many of those roofs are near the end of their life. Focus your yard signs, door notes, and posts there. |
| Organizations | HOAs and neighborhood associations | Ask to give a short talk on roof care and what the HOA's rules say about colors and materials. |
| Directories | Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, Yelp | Some charge for leads or ads. Read the current terms, try one at a time, and track what each job cost you. |
| Events | Home and garden shows, neighborhood fall festivals | Bring shingle samples, before and after photos, and an inspection sign-up sheet. |
| Online places | Local Facebook groups, Nextdoor, your website | Post finished roofs every week (see C2). Answer roof questions honestly. |
Storm and hail restoration
| Type | Where | What to do there |
|---|---|---|
| Local buyers | Homeowners in the storm path | Offer inspections with photos. Be clear and calm. If you knock doors, check your town's solicitation rules and permits first, and skip every "No Soliciting" sign. |
| Local buyers | Past customers near the storm | Text or email them (if they agreed to hear from you) to offer a free check of their roof (see C10). |
| Organizations | Local insurance agents | Introduce yourself before storm season. Leave a sample photo report so they know how you document damage. |
| Organizations | Churches and community groups | After a big storm, offer free tarping help for people who can't afford it. Serve first, sell later. |
| Directories | Google Business Profile, Nextdoor, BBB | People search right after a storm. Keep your hours, phone, and photos current, and answer messages fast. |
| Events | Community storm-prep or safety days | Offer a table with a "how to spot hail damage from the ground" handout. |
| Online places | Local Facebook groups, your website | Post a plain guide: what to do after a storm, how an inspection works, and what the adjuster visit looks like. |
Storm work rules
Never offer to waive, pay, or "eat" a deductible, or give a rebate that covers it. In many states that is illegal.
Don't negotiate the claim unless you are a licensed public adjuster in that state. You can document damage and meet the adjuster.
If you travel to work storms, be registered or licensed in that state, pull permits, and carry the insurance that state requires.
Never offer to waive, pay, or "eat" a deductible, or give a rebate that covers it. In many states that is illegal.
Don't negotiate the claim unless you are a licensed public adjuster in that state. You can document damage and meet the adjuster.
If you travel to work storms, be registered or licensed in that state, pull permits, and carry the insurance that state requires.
Commercial and flat roofs
| Type | Where | What to do there |
|---|---|---|
| Local buyers | Property managers and building owners | Offer a free roof survey of one building with photos and a written report. Follow with a maintenance plan. |
| Local buyers | Small-business owners in strip centers | Ask who owns or manages the building. The tenant often sees the leak first but the owner pays. |
| Organizations | Churches, schools, and school districts | Ask who handles buildings and how bids work. Plan around budget votes and summer break. |
| Organizations | Local property management and apartment associations | Attend meetings. Tell people what you do: TPO, EPDM, coatings, metal, repairs. |
| Directories | Public bid notices from the city, county, and schools | Check the rules for getting on the vendor list. Public jobs often need bonding and extra paperwork. |
| Directories | Membrane and coating maker contractor programs | Only claim a program or badge you actually hold. Read each program's training and warranty requirements. |
| Events | Chamber mixers, building owner and facility manager meetings | Bring a one-page capability sheet and photos of flat roof jobs. |
| Online places | LinkedIn, your website | Post commercial job photos with the owner's okay. Have a page just for commercial work. |
Repair and maintenance
| Type | Where | What to do there |
|---|---|---|
| Local buyers | Landlords and small property managers | Offer fast leak repair and a yearly inspection for every property they own. |
| Local buyers | Realtors getting a house ready to sell | Offer repair-before-listing and a written letter after the work is done. |
| Local buyers | Older homeowners | Offer yearly check-ups and gutter cleaning. Be patient and never pressure. |
| Organizations | Senior centers, churches, civic clubs | Offer a short talk on spotting leaks early. Leave a card, not a sales pitch. |
| Organizations | Handymen, plumbers, HVAC and gutter companies | Trade referrals. They're on roofs and in attics and see leaks you don't. |
| Directories | Angi, Thumbtack, Yelp, Nextdoor | Small repair jobs are often searched here. Check the fees and terms, and track which ones pay off. |
| Online places | Your website quote form | Let people send a photo of the leak or stain with their request (see C5). |
What to bring and what to say
Bring every time
- Business cards with your phone, website, and license number if your state requires it
- A one-page service sheet showing the kinds of work you do
- A sample photo inspection report, with any address blurred
- A copy of your certificate of insurance for commercial buyers
- A phone or tablet with before and after photos
Walk-in script for a property manager or office
"Hi, I'm [name] with [company], a local roofing company here in [town]. I won't take much of your time. I wanted to drop off a card and a sample roof report. We do [repairs / inspections / flat roofs] for buildings like yours. Who handles maintenance for the property?"
Message to a Facebook group admin
Hi [name], I run [company], a local roofing company in [town]. I'd like to share roof tips and some of our work in the group now and then. Are business posts allowed, and is there a certain day you'd like me to use? Thanks for running the group.
Email to an insurance agent
Subject: Local roofer for your clients in [town]
Hi [name],
I run [company], a roofing company in [town]. When your clients call after a storm, they often need someone to look at the roof and document what they find.
We inspect the roof, take clear photos, write a report, and can be there when the adjuster visits. We are licensed and insured in [state].
I've attached a sample report so you can see how we write things up.
[Your name]
[Company] | [phone] | [website]
Home show or event checklist
- Read the event's rules on booth setup and what you can hand out
- Shingle and membrane samples people can touch
- Before and after photos on a tablet or poster
- Inspection sign-up sheet with a box to agree to hear from you by email or text
- Sign with your company name and a QR code to your booking page
- Follow up with every lead within two days
Read the rules before you sign up or knock. Directories, lead sites, and programs each have their own fees and terms, and they change. Check the current terms yourself. Check local door-to-door rules and respect "No Soliciting" signs. Get consent and include an unsubscribe for marketing emails and texts. Never pay for reviews.
Keep a simple list of every place you have listed or visited, the date, and any jobs that came from it. After a few months, put more time into the places sending you work and drop the ones that aren't (see C9).
Want Annie's to do this for you? Annie's can set up and manage your Google Business Profile, directory listings, and inspection booking page so you show up in more of the places roofing buyers look.