On average, roofers who use a CRM close deals 2.9 days faster.
A great CRM makes an astounding impact. But picking the wrong CRM can cost you. A tool your team won't use, or a generic one that's been jury-rigged to fit roofing, creates more work than it solves.
Here's what really matters when you're choosing a CRM for your roofing business.
Firstly: what is a CRM?
A Customer Relationship Management system, usually just shortened to CRM, is a software tool that helps businesses manage and improve their interactions with both potential and existing customers. Sounds boring on paper, but in actuality it's a necessity for any business to manage timely, consistent, professional customer interactions at scale.
At its core, a CRM serves as a central hub for storing customer information, tracking sales opportunities, managing communications, and automating routine tasks.
What a CRM does for your roofing business
A proper CRM is a lot more than just a contact list. For a roofing contractor, the right system ties together your leads, your follow-ups, your proposals, and your job pipeline. The right CRM can be configured to do everything you need in one place, so there's no need to constantly transfer info between a bunch of disparate apps.
A lead comes in on Saturday, you follow up Sunday, by Monday you're sending a proposal while your competition is still playing phone tag. Using a CRM ensures nothing gets missed.
That's the standard.
Why choosing the right CRM matters
Software is not one-size-fits-all. Roofing is such a unique industry and each business has its own challenges, goals, and roadblocks. So, the same CRM that works for your friend's roofing company won't necessarily work for yours.
A CRM is a business tool but it's not just used by business owners; Your roofing contractors, admin staff, and everyone else on your team can and should be using it too. You need to pick the right roofing CRM software to make sure that:
- What you choose solves your actual problems.
- You don’t have to replace your software all the time.
- Your software fits into your business organically.
You shouldn’t be trying to force how you do business into a software. Your CRM should fit how you work!
How to tell if your current CRM is working for you
If you already have a CRM system but aren’t sure if it’s meeting your needs, these are signs that it might be time for an upgrade:
- Low adoption rates: If your team isn’t using it, the system may be too complicated or not suited to your business.
- Lack of organization: If leads and customer information are still being missed, the CRM may not be robust enough.
- Inefficiency: If your CRM isn’t saving you time, it's being underleveraged or not automating key tasks effectively.
- Limited scalability: If your CRM can’t grow with your business, it’s likely holding you back.
5 factors in considering a roofing CRM
There are a LOT of software options out there — many of which we’re going to go through here — and it can almost make choosing seem impossible. With the right questions and considerations, though, it doesn't need to be. Here are some things to consider when looking at options.
1. Made for roofers
Generic CRMs are made for sales teams, not crews. They don't account for storm season, hail event spikes, or quoting a job from a driveway. Pick a CRM that works the way you and your team do.
2. Speed to lead built in
74% of homeowners say responsiveness matters more than price. The first contractor to follow up wins the job most of the time.
If your CRM doesn't make it easy to respond fast (automated follow-ups, SMS, good mobile experience), it's slowing you down.
3. Proposals and estimating connected
The best roofing CRMs connect all the way through to your proposal. That means no re-entering data, no switching between tabs, and no delays between getting the measurement and sending the quote.
Jason Shumway of Bradford Xteriors closes 50% of his deals. He closed a $500K condo project the day after his measurement report came in. That's what a connected workflow looks like.
4. Your whole team can actually use it
If only you can navigate it, it's not a CRM — it's a spreadsheet with a logo. Look for something your sales team, admin, and crew leads can all use easily.
Ask yourself: How intuitive is the software? What kind of training and support does the CRM provider offer? Look for tutorial videos, webinars, and customer support.
5. It grows with you
Your roofing business might be small now, but it won’t stay that way forever. Choose a CRM that can grow with you.
A CRM that works for a $300K/year business should also work at $3M. Check whether the platform is actively adding features, whether they take contractor feedback seriously, and whether you'll need to rip and replace in two years.
How to choose a CRM system for your roofing business
So now, in theory, you know what you're looking for. But with so many CRM options out there, each vying for your attention, it can still be pretty overwhelming to make the right call. Here are a few specific strategies to narrow down that final decision.
Ask the right questions for your business needs
Before diving into the CRM market, take a step back to assess your business needs. Ask yourself:
- What pain points do you need the CRM to solve? (e.g., managing leads, tracking sales, scheduling jobs)
- What are your must-have features? (e.g., contact management, sales tracking, reporting)
- How many users will need access to the CRM, and what roles will they play?
- Do you need specific integrations, like with email, estimating tools, or accounting software?
- What type of support and training does the company provide?
Getting into specifics will help narrow down your options. Don't let yourself be drawn in by flashy features vs. what you really need for your business.
Just try a few for free
Most modern roofing CRMs offer a free account with limited functionality so you can test it for yourself. There's no harm in choosing two or three standouts, making a free account, and just trying it for yourself.
Encourage trusted team members to do the same and share their own opinions. How does each CRM fits with your company's processes and way of working? Can you see your team adapting to work smoothly within a CRM's given model?
Look for features that align with your roofing business's day-to-day operations, including:
- Contact Management: Store and organize leads, customer data, job history, and communication records.
- Sales Automation: Standardize and automate repetitive tasks like follow-up emails and reminders.
- Proposal and Estimating Tools: Use built-in estimating and proposal tools to streamline your sales.
- Scheduling and Job Management: Keep track of your job calendar and assign tasks to your team.
- Reporting and Analytics: Understand sales performance, marketing ROI, and business growth.
Break down the budget
While cost shouldn’t be the only deciding factor, it’s important to choose a CRM that fits your budget. CRM pricing models vary, including subscription-based plans, one-time fees, and add-ons for extra features. When comparing costs, consider:
- What’s included in the base price?
- Are there additional costs for integrations, training, or support?
- Does the CRM offer a free trial or demo to test out features before committing?
The best CRM for roofing companies: Roofr
Just a few years ago, it was common for roofers to use large, generic "suite-style" CRM tools, such as HubSpot, Salesforce, or Zoho. Then folks began migrating to general contractor specific tools like Jobber or ServiceTitan.
Increasingly, however, it's become clear that roofers require a clean, intentional CRM built specifically for the end-to-end roofing workflow.
Why Roofr CRM stands out
Roofr CRM is a one-of-a-kind cloud-based software that is built specifically for roofers.
It's the only CRM that works natively with Instant Estimator, Measurements, Proposals, Material Ordering, Payments, SMS, and more in one integrated platform. That means leads comes in, measurements gets ordered, proposal goes out, job gets signed, materials get ordered, follow-ups get sent, invoice gets issued — all without switching tools.
The Roofr CRM is unique in that we're always actively building and adding on new features. Customer feedback, feature requests, and insights are continually taken into consideration while the CRM is updated.
Prices for the Roofr CRM are tiered, so you can customize the plan and add-ons that best fit your business needs, and grow as you need to. You can keep it small and minimal when you're still working lean, then scale up within the same system as your business grows.
Pros of Roofr CRM
- Built specifically for roofers, not for any general contractor
- Users love Roofr and see real results by making the switch
- Includes acclaimed, industry-beloved features like proposals and Instant Estimator
- Full access to Customer Success and Implementation teams included
- Full pipeline visibility from new lead to closed job
- Automated follow-ups and SMS so you're always first to respond
- Mobile-first — built for contractors who aren't at a desk
Cons of Roofr CRM
- Will give you so much time back you’ll need to find new hobbies
- Being actively built, so some specific features may not be available right away