Roofing has two problems that most CRM defaults are not built for. Demand arrives in surges, because a hail storm creates three hundred leads in a weekend. And decisions take weeks, because a $14,000 roof involves a spouse, an insurer, two more quotes, and a season. A board tuned for a steady trickle of quick decisions loses leads in the surge and loses quotes in the wait.
The configuration below is built for both. It is what a 3–20 person roofing company actually needs, in the order to set it up.
Build for the storm week first
After a storm, every roofer in the county is answering the same phones. The customer calls three companies and books whichever one replies first for the inspection. Automatic acknowledgement on every call, form, and message, with a next step ("we can inspect Thursday or Friday, which suits?"), is the difference between taking 40% of storm leads and 15%.
The record is the roof, not the homeowner
- Roof age, material, and square footage. A 22-year-old architectural shingle roof is a replacement within three years, and you are the company that measured it.
- Inspection photos, dated. Every inspection, even the ones that found nothing, with photos on the record. The next storm claim starts with "here is what it looked like before."
- Insurance details where there is a claim: carrier, claim number, adjuster name, and the approved scope. Half the delay on an insurance job is finding these again.
- What you told them. "Flashing will need attention within two years" is a quote in two years, if it is written down with a reminder date.
- Decision owner and timeline. Who is deciding, and by when. Roofing quotes have a decision date the way other trades do not, and it should be a field.
Stages for a long decision
| Stage | What it means | Why it earns its place |
|---|---|---|
| New | Arrived, acknowledged | The surge lands here; the timer starts |
| Inspection booked | Slot confirmed | Storm leads convert on whether this happens fast |
| Inspected / quoting | Photos and measurements on the record | The quote should leave the same day |
| Quoted — deciding | Number given, decision date set | Weeks long by nature; needs a follow-up cadence, not a reminder |
| Insurance / approval | Claim filed, adjuster scope pending | A separate stage so it is not mistaken for a dead quote |
| Scheduled | Materials ordered, crew booked | Weather reschedules happen from here, with texts |
| Complete / invoiced | Final invoice, warranty on record | Where the review ask and the next inspection date get set |
The two stages most roofing boards lack are "quoted — deciding" and "insurance / approval." Without the first, a quote that has not closed in a week looks dead. Without the second, a job waiting on an adjuster looks like a quote the customer is ignoring, and gets chased in the wrong tone.
A follow-up cadence built for weeks, not days
The day-2, day-5, day-10 sequence that works for a $600 repair is too fast for a $14,000 roof. Roofing follow-up runs on the decision date: a check-in two days after the quote ("did everything come through, any questions on the options?"), something useful a week later (a photo of a similar completed roof, a note on the material lead time), and a message just before the stated decision date. Then one more when the season turns, for everyone who did not decide. The sequence pauses the instant they reply, and it is the system's job to send it, because no estimator chasing a storm week will.
The inspection is the retention model
Roofing has no natural repeat visit, so the trade has to manufacture one. A free annual or post-storm inspection, offered at job close and scheduled from the record, keeps you as the company that knows the roof. Each inspection updates the photos, extends the relationship, and produces the gutter, flashing, and ventilation work that fills the quiet months.
- Set the next inspection date at completion, as a task on the record, not a hope.
- Send the review request the same day, with the crew lead's name, while the new roof is the best-looking thing on the street.
- Ask for the neighbour. Roofing referrals are geographic. A text two weeks after completion ("if anyone on the street is looking, we are already set up nearby") is the cheapest lead you will ever generate.
A roof is sold twice: once in the storm week, and once in the four weeks the homeowner spends deciding. Most companies only configure for the first.
Common questions
What pipeline stages does a roofing company need?
New, inspection booked, inspected/quoting, quoted — deciding, insurance/approval, scheduled, and complete/invoiced. The two most boards lack are "quoted — deciding," because roofing decisions take weeks, and "insurance/approval," so a job waiting on an adjuster is not chased as if the customer were ignoring you.
How should a roofing company handle storm leads?
Automatic acknowledgement on every call, form, and message within seconds, offering inspection slots directly so the lead books itself while the office is still on the phone. In a surge, capacity is the constraint, and the company that confirms the inspection first usually gets the roof.
What should a roofing CRM record?
Roof age, material, and square footage; dated inspection photos; insurance carrier, claim number, adjuster, and approved scope where relevant; what you told the customer would need attention and when; and who is deciding and by when. The record describes the roof, because the roof is what gets sold next time.
How often should a roofer follow up on a quote?
On a cadence built for a weeks-long decision: a check-in two days after the quote, something useful a week later, a message just before the stated decision date, and one more when the season turns. The sequence should pause the moment the customer replies and should be sent by the system, not remembered by an estimator in a storm week.