It’s hard to find a more tangible or historical industry than roofing. For many roofers, the physicality of the industry is appealing: hard work and being boots-on-the-roof is why we love it so much. With technology advancing at rapid speed, the value of software in this tangible job may not be super obvious. But, there is a connection. Roofing software can actually help you get on more roofs, land more jobs, and earn more money.
Software for roofing companies
When you first think about software for roofing companies, accounting software, payroll, and spreadsheets may come to mind. Email, social media, marketing, and customer communication are probably looped in there, too, as digital requirements for a roofing business.
In this post, we’re diving deep into software for roofing businesses, including:
- What roofing software is
- How it will benefit your business
- What to look for in roofing software
What is roofing software?
Software, in itself, is a program or tool run on a computer. So, roofing software is computer tech tools made for roofers. Roofing software can range from tools for measuring roofs and ordering material to tracking invoicing, monitoring project progress, improving safety, and everything in between.
Roofers, especially roofing company owners, are extremely busy. So, the best roofing software helps to streamline and simplify everyday tasks, giving roofers time back in their days. Some other things that roofing software can help with include:
- Tracking employee history
- Sending estimates
- Tracking leads
- Managing customer contacts
- Scheduling jobs
- Project management
- Sales prospecting
And so much more.
Why is roofing software so important?
The roofing industry deserves to have its own software. Why?
Well, roofing is a very specific industry with unique sales processes. If roofing businesses try to use software built for other industries or more generic sales processes, then the “helpful tech tools” quickly become more work than they’re worth.
The global roofing industry is expected to grow over the next decade. The industry was valued at $102.4 billion in 2020 and it’s expected to grow to $156 billion by 2030. With this level of growth, patchwork software and “making do” with confusing tools will not set roofing businesses up for success to capitalize with this growth.
Using software that was built specifically for the needs of those working in the roofing industry indicates professionalism and dedication to offering quality customer care.
Types of roofing software
As we said, there’s a LOT of options out there for roofing businesses. Some of the top software that can benefit a roofing company, however, are roofing measurements, CRM, digital proposals and lead tracking.
Roofing measurements
How much time do you spend driving to houses, climbing on roofs, measuring with a measuring tape and then recreating measurements when back in the office?
Roofing measurement software saves you time and money by making measurements accurate and easy. We’re talking $10 reports in under 3 hours, delivered to you inbox. Gas and time to drive to and from roofs while taking measurements will cost you more. There’s a few different types of roof measurement software, but the two most common are satellite measurements and ones that use drone imagery.
CRM
CRM–or customer relationship management–software helps you track new leads, connect with potential customers, nurture those customers, and monitor job progress all in one single place. Jumping between spreadsheets or flipping through notebooks for customer and job details can slow you down. Speed to lead is incredibly important for roofers to close deals and secure jobs. A CRM ensures you’re quoting your customers faster than your competition. Fun fact: 40% of jobs go to the roofer that responds to their leads first.
Digital Proposals
Customer expectations have changed. 69% of homes in the US have at least one smart device. More than 12% have multiple. Homeowners are used to tech tools, so imagine what they may think if you hand them a roofing proposal written out on a piece of paper? No matter how qualified you are they will make assumptions.
Software that builds quality proposals and also saves you time can help you make the best first impression and land more deals. Especially when you choose a roofing proposal software tool that lets you see exactly when and how many times customers look at their proposal. Plus! They offer your customers the ability to review and digitally sign the proposal from anywhere, giving them the flexibility and service they have come to expect.
Lead tracking
For a business to grow, simple lead monitoring, progress tracking, and measuring trends and success of closed jobs can go a long way. For lead tracking software, you can look for CRMs or sales software that has features built in.
You can also, however, look for lead tracking tools that not only give you that backend insight, AND has a unique inbound experience that will drive more leads to your inbox. Instant estimators, for example, that connect to a back-end lead tracking system will help you grow leads and monitor them closely for more jobs won. Tracking where your leads come from help you understand what sales reps are high performers, what advertising channels are working, and what drives the most profit to you. Knowledge is power.
Roofr: One roofing software to run your entire business
Roofr is unique because it was built specifically for the roofing industry. The CEO — Richy Nelson — was a roofer and understands exactly what gaps there are in tools to help run a successful roofing business.
The Roofr software is one tool that can be used to run your entire roofing business.
This includes lead capture, satellite measurements, digital proposals, e-signatures on contracts, customer communications, invoicing and online payments, and reporting. One login. That's it. One tool that does it all.
Book a call with our team to see Roofr in action.
You can also check out pricing here.
How can software help your business?
If roofing software is new to you, you may be wondering why you should bother to invest in it when you have so many DIY tools at your disposal. Paper and pen has worked for decades. Word and Excel documents work great for creating invoices and track spending… right?
Not any more.
As businesses–roofing ones included–become more tech-ingrained, patching together tools like Word and Excel, and other third-party systems make your daily tasks messy, repetitive, and open to mistakes.
Roofing software will benefit your business by:
Empowering you to build processes
Processes take the guesswork out of sales, make invoicing and payment collection standardized, and empower your employees to work faster and more efficiently. With one tool that does everything, you can build a process that your team will actually follow.
Saving you time tracking and managing jobs
Imagine monitoring your material needs, job statuses, invoice views, and leads all in one place. Say, “so-long!” to multiple logins and never have to duplicate tasks in multiple tools ever again.
Stand out from the competition as an expert
A digital proposal emailed to a customer with satellite pictures, detailed measurements, and a breakdown of materials will immediately set you apart from the competition. Customers will know you’re an expert by how clear, professional, and detailed their proposals are. When looking at your proposal next to the other guys’, you’ll stand out for sure.
Simplify day to day tasks for your team
Not only will roofing software help you, but it also empowers your team to work smarter and love their job. Ordering materials, performing basic accounting duties, managing work orders, scheduling of subcontractors, developing work blueprints, creating estimates, gathering measurement reports, sending out proposals, general project management, and following up on sales leads can all be done in a single tool. When these daily tasks are automated, contractors have room to focus on the job at hand, increasing productivity and efficiency. AKA, happier workers, more time spent on jobs, and increased revenue.
Improved customer experience
Referrals are the best business driver for roofers, and you can only get referrals if your customers are happy. Software can help you improve your customer experience by:
- Simplifying job tracking
- Streamlining customer follow-up
- Improved invoice sending and followup functions
- Securely storing customer documents
- Keeping all job material sheets, warranties, permits, and other paperwork in one place
Customer benefits of using software
Roofing software not only benefits your business, but it also improves the new-roof experience for customers. Customer service research shows that 42% of customers would pay more for a friendly, welcoming experience. And, 65% of customers are more influenced by a positive experience with a company than they are with expensive advertising. This only proves that investing in customer-friendly software can only assist you in the growth of your business.
Roofing software will benefit your customers by giving them:
- An easy way to schedule appointments
- Estimates that are accurate and trustworthy
- Digital contracts they can sign on the go
- Efficient and open communication that keeps them in the loop
Choosing roofing software for your business
So, now you understand what roofing software is and how it can help you and your customers. Here’s what to look for when shopping around for roofing software.
1. Mobile friendly
You’re too busy to be confined to a computer all day long. A mobile platform or app lets you fill in customer details, send proposals, and order digital measurements wherever you are. No more scribbling details in random notebooks while in the field and waiting to return to the office for data entry. Mobile friendly roofing software should be cloud-based, meaning you can enter data or access it wherever you are. Your roofing software travels with you everywhere you go.
2. Tool integration
Your roofing software may or may not do everything you need. If you have a separate account software or a job tracking tool, like CompanyCam. Make sure your software syncs to other tools that help you run your business. The right roofing software will ensure that all those smaller details sync immediately once connected to the internet so you don’t have to duplicate tasks or enter info into multiple systems.
3. Automated workflows
Automation makes it easy to cut out certain repetitive tasks from the workday so you can focus on the job at hand. Automation = increased productivity and efficiency. Use your roofing software to set up workflow automation from estimation to invoicing so everything gets done faster with minimal to no room for human error. You can also send automated emails to customers, create tasks, send appointment reminders, and more
4. Cloud-based
Cloud-based software means that information and data is not stored in a single device. Cloud-software isn’t only accessible from anywhere, but is also much more secure than desktop tools. Once your customer information and documents are digitized, it can be encrypted, decreasing the risk of being stolen by hackers. Cloud-based roofing software can also be updated quickly, increasing the level of security and decreasing potential interruptions in productivity due to cyberattacks.
5. Progress tracking
Making an investment in roofing software can help you find patterns of inconsistencies in service. For example, if you are having trouble sticking to production timelines, are missing follow-ups in sales calls, or projects are taking longer than originally planned, then you can use software to find these problems before they become overwhelming.
6. Administrative features
Roofing software isn’t just for roofers. Your admin team–whether that’s you, or someone else on your team–should also benefit from your software choice. Look for a tool with admin tools like paperwork management, easy-to-read job tracking, and organization features..
7. Accurate roofing measurements
Climbing on top of roofs can be dangerous for even the most experienced roofers. Using a software that uses tools to digitally map roofs can keep your roofers safe by removing the need to climb on roofs for measurements. The biggest concern with digital measurements is accuracy of measurements, so be sure to look for a software that has plenty of positive reviews that mention accurate measurements.
Roofing software to help your roofing business
Making an investment in roofing software can only help you to become more productive. As customers become more demanding, it only makes sense to have an all-in-one business management tool that can grow with your business.
For more information about roofing software and tools to grow your business, check out these resources:
- Roof Measurement Software for Contractors
- Creating a Culture that Attracts Top Talent
- Roofing Sales Pitch: 3 Techniques to Close More Jobs
Want to see roofing software in action? Sign up for a free account on Roofr.