Summer’s busy season can make your roofing company feel invincible. Storm calls are nonstop, crews are maxed out, and new leads just keep coming in.
…Until those leads dry up, and you’re wishing busy season would never end.
Cool thing is, if you’re great at developing customer relationships, it won’t.
In a recent Masterclass webinar, our team spoke with Ethan Stephens from Get The Referral about how to turn your summer rush into a steady stream of customers. With the right systems, you can earn more referrals, bring in leads without lifting a finger, and fill your calendar all year ‘round.
Y’know when folks say “I know a guy?” Make yourself the guy.
Here’s how.
⚠️ Short on time? Download these tips in a quick-reference PDF so you can refer back when you need 'em.
Step 1. Build a referral program (that actually works)
As we found in our 2025 industry report, a whopping 71% of roofers rely on referrals from past customers as their number one source of new leads.
Why? Because referred customers are warm. Ready to convert. They trust the friend or family member that had a good experience with you, so they trust you too.
You won’t need to jump through hoops to prove anything to a warm lead. They’re ready to start, so it’s less work for everyone.
If you don’t already have a referral program, get one. They’re easy to set up and more than pay for themselves over time.
Qualities of a great referral program:
- Easy to use. For both customers and your sales team.
- Nobody has to work for it. Respect everyone’s time.
- Worth it for customers. Make it a good deal. Offer a discount or gift card.
Use a code or a quick link. No long forms.
When someone needs roof work, your former customer is your on-site sales team. They send their friend the code, and everyone wins. Easy!
Step 2. Ask for reviews (in a way that feels natural)
Did you know roofers who ask for reviews book five times more jobs per year than those who don’t? Reviews build credibility, improve Google rankings, and give you an edge over competitors.
If your service is great, you should have no problem asking for reviews every single time. (And if your service isn’t great, fix that first. ASAP.)
Here’s how to ask for reviews:
- Be consistent. Have a set script, email, or text template ready to go after every job.
- Keep it friendly. Be confident but casual. Honest, not pushy.
- Call it a favor. Customers will feel valued and like you more if they’re helping you out.
- Catch them when they’re happiest. If the vibe’s good on-site, ask ‘em before you leave.
- Automate it. Schedule emails and texts to auto-send within a few days of finishing the job.
Once you have a bunch of great reviews, put them on your website, in proposals, in ads — everywhere you can.
When customers see stars, they see you’re worth doing business with.
If you do get the rare bad review, do everything you can to make it right. If you fix the issue, you can ask the customer to change their review. It’s worth losing money on one job if it improves your online reputation forever.
Step 3. Stay in touch (and stay top-of-mind)
Don’t let your summer leads disappear into a spreadsheet. Regular follow-ups turn one-time jobs into repeat customers. Just like you’d send a Christmas card to your old boss, you want to keep up with your old customers too.
Roofers who follow up by email are over 25% more likely to land repeat work. And even if folks are more responsive by text, they trust email the most: it outperforms both phone calls and texts when it comes to winning more jobs.
Those well-timed emails are important!
Your follow-ups shouldn’t all be “Need a new roof yet?” though. Start with the basics first: personalized reminders and simple check-ins. Then, as you grow, get a little wild and see what works best!
Get creative with email campaigns:
- Seasonal promos: “Act before the snow” or “Schedule your post-winter inspection now.”
- Storm alerts: “Big hailstorm last night. Free inspections available.”
- Anniversary reminders: “Happy birthday to your roof! How’s it going, one year out?”
- Share stats and milestones: “We replaced 148 roofs in your city this year. Is yours next?”
If you’re doing all of this manually, stop. It’s not sustainable. Roofr offers email and SMS automation so you can set it and forget it.
Automating saves you time, earns you money, and makes your business more professional too.
Step 4. Leverage tech (for everything)
Your team is small and scrappy. You can’t stay on top of referrals, reviews, and follow-ups without good systems in place. This is where good tech REALLY pays off.
On average, roofers who use CRMs and automation close deals 2.9 days faster AND save 5–10 hours per week on admin tasks.
It’s a bit like getting 3 extra weeks every year… just by using a CRM.
Here’s how to get your tech set up:
- Choose an all-in-one CRM like Roofr’s to future-proof your growing business.
- Get fast, accurate roof measurement reports so you can quote faster and win jobs.
- Use and abuse marketing automations for every kind of follow up.
- Set up beautiful branded proposals and email templates to WOW customers.
- Get your whole team on board, so your processes work even when you’re away.
Roofr can help
When done right, automation doesn’t replace relationships. It supports them by keeping you honest and consistent.
No reminder missed, no customer forgotten, no opportunity lost.
Your summer rush isn’t just a wave of success that comes and goes. It’s a launchpad to build new customer relationships and maximize the value of every single lead.
If that sounds good to you, book a demo with our team, or register for a free account to try Roofr for yourself.
⚠️ Want to keep these tips to reference later? Download the PDF summary below.