Why roofing?
Roofing business is an area that ensures constant and quite decent profits if companies function properly and manage their activity effectively. You know, nothing gets newer, but only older as the time goes by, and roofs are not the exception. Besides, their exposure to various weather conditions affects their durability definitely not for better. As a roofing contractor, you understand that even prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, high or low temperatures or, even worse, abrupt temperature changes, precipitation, especially when it’s heavy, high humidity and piling up snow deteriorate the roof’s condition. In addition to that, mechanical influence like strong winds or simply a tree branch that fell on the roof may damage its tiles.
Basically, numerous factors cause damages or gradual destruction of roofs. And, keeping in mind the fact that each new house needs a roof to be installed on it, it’s easy to understand that roofing contractors will constantly have some roof building or repairing job to do. When a roof leaks, when it’s destroyed to the stage when it’s impossible to bring it back to life, when it’s seen too many summers and winters, urgent measures have to be taken in order to restore an acceptable condition of the roof, so that the entire house doesn’t get harmed. Obviously, in such a situation people won’t wait for a better timing to fix the roof. And, not every home owner is capable of completing this task on their own, as it requires professional skills and involves safety risks. That’s why people will most likely call a roofing company to entrust roof repair and especially roof installation task to qualified contractors. And, that’s exactly when your future company should emerge.
Now, working for another company as a roofing contractor is also an option, but not even nearly as beneficial as having your own company. As in the letter case you get to develop your own business, you have a better opportunity to increase your income and you get to actually build up your capital.
Now, as I’ve hopefully convinced or reassured you that roofing business is and can be really profitable and that you won’t be left without orders, it’s time to figure out how it’s actually possible to start a roofing company and make it work for you. 
Obviously, it’s better to be a roofing contractor to undertake this business to be able to understand clearly the operation peculiarities and effectively monitor the work performance of your staff. Moreover, if you don’t have an enormous start-up capital to hire a lot of people at the beginning of your company’s activity, you’ll have to combine administrative and management functions with execution of roof installation and repair orders as one of the contractors. But, maybe you won’t even consider starting a roofing business if you weren’t roofing professional or at least knew how such work is done. So, let’s figure out how you can start working as an independent professional and roofing company owner.
Tips to start a roofing business
Business plan and start-up capital
These are the first and the most important stages you have to go through to create a base for your future company, determine the scope of its activities, figure out the first goals of your development and think of the ways to output the company to the market of roofing services, make it competitive and profitable.
Determine which services you’re going to provide. For instance, it’s always good to offer not only roof building and repairing options, but also additional related services like roof cleaning and power washing, or chimney services as well. This way you’ll cover more segments of roofing services market, so you’ll have better chances to be hired.
You’ll have to calculate approximate expenses and incomes; decide what the first necessities are you have to spend money on without a doubt and what things (like tools or equipment) that you’re going to look into later, when you accumulate some profit money in a development fund.
It’s also necessary to including money you’ll have to spare to complete formalities so that your company is able to function legally into the preparation expenses chart, along with equipment, vehicle and even gas costs. Some of the promotion and administrative actions will worth some money. So, don’t forget about that too. Totally, as many roofing businessmen note, you’ll have to gain from $15,000 to $30,000 as a start-up capital. However, everything depends on the resources you already have. Obviously, if you have been working as a roofing contractor, you won’t have to buy less equipment, if you have a minivan, there’s no need to rent/purchase a semi-truck in the beginning and so on.
Generally, a detailed and realistic business plan is vital to open any company. It’s like a well-thought and well-grounded plan for you to think over the initial opportunities and to follow while going through the arrangement process. Besides, it will definitely come in handy if you’re thinking about taking a loan from a bank to cover a part of the start-up capital.
If you’re new to this kinds of things, it’s better to ask for professional business consultant’s assistance to develop a proper formal business plan or look for free online support on governmental business administration sites.
Maybe, you know roofing businessmen who work in your local area. Then, you definitely want to contact them to get some advice on how to start a roofing company in your particular region, as they already have some experience on starting from scratch and building up their business. And, that’s also the way to strike up useful contacts, look for prospective partners and check out competitors.
Getting registered, licensed and insured, setting up a separate bank account for your roofing company
That legal stuff is quite boring and time-consuming, but it’s necessary to get over it to be able to actually start working.
First of all, it’s necessary to apply for a license at your local municipal or state organs (like town hall). However, some states don’t require roofing companies to get licensed, so check out your local regulations to see if you even need to do that. If you do, you’ll probably have to attend a department of business regulation of your state to fill in the forms, pay a fee and receive the permission. Besides, check out if you need separate licenses for different kinds of jobs you’re planning to perform beforehand not to go through the same procedure twice.
As at your state department you’ll receive a contracting license, you’ll still have to go to the city/town hall to file for the general license(s) and permissions. Maybe, you’ll have to go through the safety and other inspections to receive them. Besides, tax registration and sale and hiring permissions are rather important. As you’re going to hire staff, you’ll have to obtain a taxpayer identification number, along with the employer one.
Then, you’ll have to select the structure of your roofing company and register the name under which your business will operate to get all certificates. Also, it’s better (and obligatory in case if you’ll have employees) to insure your company. Be prepared that liability insurance for roofing contractors is going to cost more than for other kinds of contractors, as responsibility cases and risks are much higher in this business.
Location and roofing equipment
Roofing company is another option of a home-based business, as it’s totally possible to mind the managing activities at home and set up a storage place for the equipment in your house garage. Later on, as your business grows and expands, you may have to find a proper building with office room for management staff, storage place for equipment and a parking (garage) spot for vehicle(s).
And, I’m sure you’ll compile the list of necessary roofing equipment on your own, as you’re a professional at that.
Management and administrative issues
Dealing with financial and tax questions, especially if a company has employees you have to pay salary to, is probably the hardest thing in running your own business. However, you have to approach this issue with a great attentiveness, as you have to manage your finances and money flow carefully not to violate any laws or lose profits. That’s why it’s probably better to think about hiring an accountant as soon as you can afford his services. But, it’s also possible to go through the accountant’s courses to be able to do this job yourself at the beginning of roofing company’s operation, when multitasking is a key to owner’s success.
A quick tip: don’t forget to include the annual tax payments into the expenses chart and save some money for those payments from the monthly incomes.
Vehicles
If you don’t have at least a minivan, you’ll need a larger car, preferably a van or a truck to move around your roofing equipment and to get to the building/repairing spot with your contractors as well. Moreover, it will be useful to pick up roofing materials when they’re not delivered to the destination or when you and your client decide to choose and pick up tiles on your own. Basically, you don’t want to be unable to drive to your clients and bring along materials, tools, ladders, safety systems without renting a vehicle each time you need to transport something.
Your options regarding a vehicle are long-term rent, lease or purchase. Just see what fits within your budget
In the long run, finding a trailer in addition to a van is a brilliant solution, as it will be not only the mean to drive your equipment around, but also a storage place for it.
Hiring staff
Roofing is the kind of thing you won’t be able to do on your own, that’s why you’ll have to hire at least two roofing contractors to be able to execute basic tasks at on one object at a time. Obviously, if you hire more people, you’ll have an opportunity to take on more orders.
Make sure that contractors you hire are qualified professional with decent experience in roofing sphere. Find them online or ask for some references from other roofing companies, your friends and family, ask your previous colleagues if they’d like to work for you.
Decide if you’re still going to perform roofing tasks together with your employees, or you’ll take care of the estimates, client attraction, management stuff and quality control only.
Attracting clients (roofing business promotion)
I’ve already talked about business marketing and promotion for cleaning businesses, so you can check out that post as well, as promotion means and methods are quite similar. But, I’d also like to specify the subject to the beginning roofing company.
The matter is that matter roofing companies tend to be more profitable and successful than large ones when they manage their activity right. Their advantage is that their owners have more opportunity to work with their clients closely and it’s easier for them to have control over every aspect of the company’s operation. And, as the owner is the one who’s interested in company’s growth and development, he does everything possible to make sure that the customers are satisfied with the results of the roofing job and that more and more orders come. So, great customer support is something you can rely hit on to attract new clients and retain regular ones.
Then, discount system for permanent clients and big orders (like installing a brand new roof and gutter), offering additional free or half-free services when a client orders high-priced services, attracting first and new clients by offering a significant discount for their first order will work great as well.
Spreading flyers and business cards among potential private and commercial clients is also the way to deliver the message about a new roofing company, the services it provides and contact information to hire its contractors.
However, it’s also necessary to promote your services online. Social media websites are great for that matter, but online hiring services, which allow people not only search for a specific professional they need to get a definite job done, but also contact that person or company directly through those services are even better. Check out HireRush.com to create a business profile of your roofing company to spread the word about your company among the designated audience and also look for the potential clients in the ‘Projects’ section.
