You set up your Instant Estimator. You embedded it on your site. Homeowners are getting free roofing estimates online, and you're getting leads. Good. Now let’s talk about the part most roofers skip.
Roofr’s Instant Estimator is more than a widget that spits out roofing estimates for free. It's a full lead generation system with features that (when you use them all) can improve your close rate, fuel your referral pipeline, and drive homeowners to call you — not someone else.
Here are four ways to get more out of your Instant Estimator starting now:
1. Add Google reviews to your estimator (and let your reputation do the selling)
You know that moment when a homeowner gets their roof estimate and just… stalls? They've got the number. They're interested. But something’s holding them back.
That hesitation usually comes down to one thing: trust.
82% of homeowners check online reviews before hiring a roofer. And 64% say online reviews are more important than personal referrals. They're going to look you up anyway. So why not show them what they need front and center?
Roofr now lets you display your verified Google Reviews directly on the Instant Estimator results page, right alongside pricing. Five-star reviews. Real names. Real feedback. And all of it showing up at the exact moment a homeowner is deciding whether to contact you or close the tab.
Your estimator is your first proposal — so you better make it count.
What’s this mean for you? Fewer second-guessers. More submissions. And warmer conversations when you do pick up the phone.
Here’s how to set it up:
- Enable Google Reviews in your Instant Estimator settings.
- Connect your Google Business Profile.
- Choose which reviews to highlight.
Just set it up once. It’ll work for every estimate after that, forever.
→ Read the full setup guide: Google Reviews on Instant Estimator
2. Preview your estimator after every update
Would you send a proposal to a client without proofreading it? Probably not. So why publish an Instant Estimator without seeing what a homeowner actually sees?
Roofr's Preview feature lets you walk through your estimator as a homeowner would before a single lead comes through. You'll catch pricing that looks off, questions that are confusing, or a flow that just doesn't feel as sharp as it should.
70% of homeowners prefer digital estimates and proposals. That means your estimator is probably the first real impression prospects get of your business. If it's clunky or confusing, even for a moment, you’ll lose them.
The preview feature also keeps test leads from polluting your CRM. No fake jobs cluttering your pipeline, just a clean testing environment before you go live.
Roofr Tip: Before your next marketing push — whether that's running ads, handing out door hangers, or emailing your realtor network — preview your estimator. Pretend you're a homeowner who's never heard of you. Is it clear? Is it compelling? Does it make you want to book?
3. Update your pricing without taking your estimator offline
Seasonal pricing changes. New service offerings. A material price spike you need to adjust for. Whatever the reason, your estimator should reflect what's actually true about your business right now — not what was true six months ago.
“Draft and publish controls” lets you update your estimator in the background without taking it offline. Make your edits in draft mode, review them, and publish when you're ready.
That way, your live estimator stays up. Homeowners keep getting estimates. And you fix things behind the scenes.
No awkward "we're updating our pricing" message. No dead links. No outdated numbers sitting on your website. And no nasty surprises for prospects expecting a lower price based on an outdated estimate.
This also removes the "I'll do it later" excuse. It takes minutes, nothing breaks, and your estimator comes out the other end actually reflecting your business.
Keeping your estimator up to date pays off. Proposal/estimating software is the 2nd most used tech category among roofers at 76%. The roofers who stay sharp with their tools are the ones winning. And the ones still manually patching things together (28% still rely on spreadsheets and manual tracking) are the ones losing jobs they don't even know they're losing.
Roofr Tip: Put a monthly reminder to review your pricing, questions, and materials. Your estimator is a salesperson who never sleeps, so make sure it’s saying the right things.
→ Read our Help Article: How to set up and manage your Instant Estimator.
4. No designer, no excuses: Your marketing materials are already built
A tool no one knows about doesn't generate leads. You've built a great free roofing estimate experience. Now you have to tell people about it.
The good news? Roofr's built-in Marketing Templates library means “I don't know how to do this” is no longer a good excuse.
Inside Instant Estimator, you'll find a full Canva library of flyers, door hangers, business cards, and posters — pre-designed, ready to customize with your branding and estimator link. There are also QR codes built to drop onto any printed material. That lets homeowners pull up your estimator on the spot, and the lead comes right to you.
The roofers crushing it with Instant Estimator aren't sitting back waiting for website traffic. They're putting the estimator in front of people: canvassing, open houses, realtor offices, community boards. Every touchpoint is an opportunity.
Roofr Tip: Spread the word to local realtors who can bring you in for open houses, inspections, and repair projects. They’re a consistent, trusted source of revenue — and all they need is a co-branded Instant Estimator with your pricing.
Get your instant roofing estimates working for you
Four simple steps. Massive impact. Here’s how to get your Instant Estimator working for you:
- Add your Google Reviews.
- Preview before you publish.
- Keep your pricing up to date.
- Tell people about it — everywhere you can.
That's the difference between an estimator that trickles in a few leads and one that quietly closes jobs while you sleep.